Lawn Lake
- nps.gov
- Estes Park
About
Lawn Lake is a long day hike up the Roaring River drainage, and it has a story. The dam here failed in 1982 and rearranged the valley below. Today it's a big, honest effort with a quiet lake at the end.
The Lawn Lake Trailhead is at 8,540 feet, on the park's east side. NPS lists the trail at 6.2 miles one way with about 2,249 feet of gain, which makes roughly 12.4 miles round trip. That's a hard day, not a stroll. It's inside Rocky Mountain National Park, so the entrance pass applies. Check nps.gov/romo for any current reservation rules.
The reason people know the name is the flood. In 1982 the earthen dam at Lawn Lake broke, and the wall of water created the Alluvial Fan down in Horseshoe Park. You can drive to that fan and see what came down, then decide if you want to hike up to where it started. I'd start at first light, pack food and rain gear, and be honest about your pace. Afternoon storms are real up high. No dogs on park trails. Pick this one when you want solitude, and skip it if you have a short day.
