Mills-Black Lake Trail
- nps.gov
- Estes Park
About
Past Mills Lake the crowd thins out and the trail gets rougher. Black Lake sits at the head of Glacier Gorge, a bit under five miles from the trailhead. It's a long day, and worth it if you have the legs and the early start.
This is inside Rocky Mountain National Park, off Bear Lake Road. Start at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead and follow the trail past Alberta Falls to Mills Junction, then on to Mills Lake, about 2.7 miles from the trailhead with roughly 816 feet of gain per the Park. Black Lake is farther up the gorge at about 4.7 miles and 1,499 feet of gain, so call it around 9.4 miles round trip. The trail is rugged, with a climb through forest to a gorge and its lakes.
Start early. Parking fills, and the shuttle from the Park & Ride is the sane way in during summer. Pack food and a rain layer, since weather in the gorge changes fast. If Black Lake is too much, Mills Lake is a fine place to stop, with the Keyboard of the Winds across the water. Snow covers the trails from late October through early June, so bring traction. Pets aren't allowed on Park trails. You'll need a timed-entry reservation for the Bear Lake Road corridor in summer; check nps.gov/romo.
