Bierstadt Moraine Trail Trailhead
- nps.gov
- Estes Park
About
Think of the Bierstadt Moraine Trail as a connector, a mostly level walk through aspen and pine above Bear Lake Road. It's not a destination on its own. It's a way to link the Park & Ride to the Bierstadt Lake trailhead without waiting on a bus.
The Lower Bierstadt Moraine Trail runs a little over a mile, mostly flat, a short distance above Bear Lake Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. Trail guides list it at roughly 1.1 to 1.3 miles with about 150 feet of gain. It starts near the shuttle parking area and leads up to the Bierstadt Lake trailhead, so it can stand in for a stretch of driving or shuttle riding. The Park & Ride is 5.2 miles up the road from the junction, per the Park. Combine it with the Bierstadt Lake climb and you've got a decent half day.
I'd treat it as a warm up or a fall walk when the aspen turn, and I'd skip it if you're short on time. Trail names in this corner get confusing, so grab a Park map and ask a ranger which trailhead is which before you set off. In summer the Bear Lake Road corridor needs a timed entry reservation, and the shuttle is the easy way in. No dogs on Park trails. Check nps.gov/romo for current conditions.
