Bear Lake
- nps.gov
- Estes Park
About
Bear Lake is the busiest spot in the park for a reason: a short loop, a mountain behind it, and the trailhead for half the lakes people come to see. Treat it as a launch pad, and get there early.
Bear Lake sits at the end of Bear Lake Road, at about 9,475 feet. The loop around it is under a mile and easy, with a bit of up and down, and the trails to Dream Lake, Emerald Lake and others start from here. Parking often fills up by early morning, so in summer most people use the free shuttle from the Park & Ride. In summer you'll also need a timed entry plus Bear Lake Road reservation. Check the NPS site before you go. Snow and ice cover the trail from about October to early June, so bring traction.
My advice is to go at sunrise or late in the day. Midday in July is a parking lot with a lake attached. If you have an hour, do the loop and then keep going to Dream Lake, which is just over a mile one way (see my Dream Lake and Emerald Lake pages). Dogs aren't allowed on any park trail, so plan for that. Stay on the path, because the tundra edges here are fragile and get trampled fast.
