Dreaming of exploring stunning alpine lakes and towering mountain peaks? Rocky Mountain National Park is the ideal destination for your adventure. This 3-day itinerary will guide you through some of the most breathtaking spots in the park, with unforgettable hikes that capture its beauty.
What You Need to Know Before Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park
Where: The nearest city for lodging, dining and other activities is Estes Park, home to Rocky Mountain National Park. The next major airport is 74 miles north at Denver International Airport if you’re flying in from the west. Then, Estes Park is approximately a two-hour drive from there.
Admission: Rocky Mountain National Park charge $30 per day for a single vehicle, $15 per person or 25$ motorcycle. Get yourself an America the Beautiful Pass to all national parks and federal recreational lands will cost you $80, good for a year.
Reservations: If you are visiting between May 27 and October 10, 2022 an entrance pass is required along with a Timed Entry Permit. The permit is $2 and can be reserved on line.
Packing List: All the hiking essentials, obviously. Items such as hiking boots, an insulated jacket and windbreaker, activity/wear resistant pants or leggings so you don’t catch on any branches are a must along with some wool socks. Bring your trekking poles as well if you use them.
Time to Visit and Weather – All year except for when the weather conditions prohibit visiting The summer and fall months see the highest number of visitors, as this is when conditions for hiking are at their best also you can drive Trail Ridge Road. For a hassle-free experience, November to April is the best time.
For the latest trail conditions and alerts, check the park’s official website.
Rocky Mountain Itinerary – Day One
Emerald Lake Trail – Featuring Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake
Start things off with a classic on your first day in Rocky Mountain National Park, the Emerald Lake Trail features some truly amazing sights. This trail has multiple access spots to another of the captivating alpine lakes in Rocky Mountains National Park, Bear Lake along with Nymph Lake, Dream lake and finally Emerald Lakes.
The Emerald Lake Trail makes for a great acclimation hike as you become more accustomed to hiking at and above such high elevations. It is also family-friendly and appropriate for most hikers.
The hike originates at the Bear Lake Trailhead. Your first destination, Bear Lake is a short distance in from the trailhead. Hike 0.5 miles farther to Nymph Lake from here; The trail then climbs at a mild grade for 0.6 miles, where you reach Dream Lake. Finally the trail leads you to Emerald Lake.
This whole hike to Fern Lake is one of the most beautiful 3.5 mile hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park (round trip).
Tips for the Emerald Lake Trail:
Because it is such a well-trod trail, one of the most important things to do when starting this hike is to get there early or you will be hiking in line with an endless stream of folks.
One of the best places to take photos is at sunrise on Dream Lake. You can snag this by first beelining to Dream Lake before eventually ending up at Emerald, and then doing Bear and Nymph afterwards.
Lots of chipmunks are found on this trail. As always, you cannot feed wildlife in National Parks so do not feed the animals!
Trail Ridge Road
Finish off one of the best activities that Rocky Mountain National Park has to offer with a drive down Trail Ridge Road after your epic morning examining vistas on Emerald Lake Trail.
Trail Ridge Road — 48 miles of high-altitude driving that stretches from Estes Park on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park to Grand Lake on the west side and is Colorado’s “highway to the sky. ”
This stunning drive is one of the highlights in any Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary, as you reach an elevation nearly 12,000 feet. The many pull-offs and viewpoints along the road allow you to see from simply magnificent mountain views of the park.
If you’re in for a bit more hiking after driving the Trail Ridge Road, try out Ute Trail to Tombstone Ridge. Unimpeded views of Longs Peak, Forest Canyon and the Continental Divide define this 4-mile hike that pulls no punches in showing off Rocky Mountain National Park.
The 4-mile hike does not need to be finished if you decide on hiking the Ute Trail up until Tombstone Ridge. Alternatively, you could turn back whenever.
Alpine Ridge Trail — a 0.6-mile round trip easy hike starting at the Alpine Visitor Center in addition to hiking opportunities on Trail Ridge Road. From the visitor center, take the stairs to reach a viewpoint.
Even though it is an easy hike, the Alpine Ridge Trail may still be a tough endeavor on this 12.000 ft elevation Therefore, last a few minutes and stop as you need to.
Rocky Mountain Itinerary – Day Two
Lake Helene, Odessa Lake, and Fern Lake Trail
Day 2 for your Rocky Mountain National Park adventure: a slightly less crowded trail to Odessa Lake and Fern lake, detouring through Lake Helene.
I would say you should do this hike out and back from Bear Lake, similar to what we did the day before. This 10 mile round trip trail is pretty challenging and some parts are actually quite rocky in places with different elevations.
From Bear Lake, the trail rises almost 1,200 ft before dropping around 600ft to Odessa Lake. You’ll lose another 550 feet in this mile that drops you at Fern Lake. Remember you will have turn around and do all of these incline changes on the way back down to Bear Lake.
The trail to Odessa Lake goes through the beaver area first, then you will see some of our beautiful mountain tops.
This optional corner opened up to some stunning alpine views, at the highest point of the trail. After that, you will start to drop down over loose rocks and get them toward the bottom where a split off gives George option at Fern Lake at Odessa Lake . As you turn left this is a crossing of the bridge where at other end awaits Odessa Lake.
Exit Odessa Lake and continue on past the bridge you crossed near there for another 0.6 miles until reaching Fern Lake
After taking in some of the views you’ll encounter around Fern Lake, head back to Bear Lake and then its trailhead. And don’t miss the quick jaunt over to Lake Helene on your way down. There are no signs to Lake Helene, but you will know when the trail ends at an intersection: Take a small unmarked quasi-trail leading left back towards Lack Helens.
The best hike I took in Rocky Mountain National Park was the one to Odessa and Fern Lakes. Though Roper is certainly physically challenging, the hike pays off with some of the best mountains and lakes in this still-pristine part of California.
Rocky Mountain Itinerary – Day Three
Chasm Lake Trail
Since you have been ramping up your trekking days through put the trip, we figured it would be fitting to end with one of most difficult — and beautiful hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park: The Chasm Lake Trail.
Chasm Lake is a strenuous 9-mile round trip that gains more than 2,500 feet of elevation. The hike is definitely worth the time and effort, as it rewards you with some incredible views along the way AND an amazing reward at it’s end Chasm Lake, which rests right up against Longs Peak itself (the tallest peak in this part of Rocky Mtn National Park).
You can reach it via a trail starting from the Braodwalk near Longs Peak Ranger Station. Before long, you will approach a bridge with some caution about possible lightning strikes. Past here the trail breaks into tundra, so you might want to put on a windbreaker or puffy coat with it starts.
You’ll get great views of Longs Peak as you hike along through the more open tundra. In autumn, the scenery explodes in vivid shades of yellow to dark red with tones of pink and purple flowers.
Allow enough time to absorb the sights as you hike up.
By the time you near ending of this hike, you’ll pass Columbine Falls and Peacock Pond (below), a strikingly beautiful blue waterfall pond. The resemblance of Peacock Pond to Chasm Lake can deceive you, but keep going; it’s yet a bit more. Keep on the trail which turns into a small, steep scramble up some rocks. This is an ambiguous Alpine, so there you walk in the footsteps of others.
Chasm Lake at the summit. Then head back down the trail with one last survey of incredible views.
Extra Time in Rocky Mountain National Park? Try the Sky Pond Trail
If you have extra time to spend in Rocky Mountain National Park or are looking for another adventurous trek, make sure the Sky Pond Trail is on your list! At 9 miles round trip, this hike is an incredible sampler of the variety that can be enjoyed within Boundary Bay. Just remember that there is a hard, rocky section directly next to an awesome waterfall you have to scramble up it (roughly 100ft) this trail.
