Bear Lake Trailhead
Bear Lake Trailhead
4.5
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This easy, half-mile hike will take you past beautiful alpine lakes and forests.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
393 reviews
Excellent
293
Very good
77
Average
15
Poor
6
Terrible
2
Hilary
Rochester, MN7 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
My hike started at the Bear Lake Trailhead. From there, I hiked the Dream Lake - Lake Haiyaha Trail to Emerald Lake. The trails were really busy, especially near Bear Lake. The temps were in the mid to upper 20’s F. There was packed snow and ice on the trail. I rented micro spikes from a local mountain supply store. Well worth it. Spectacular hike!!
Written November 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Margaret H
Warrington, PA8 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
We started the morning at Sprague Lake to watch the sunrise and fortunate enough to see a moose herd eating in the lake. Then we adventured to Bear Lake and hiked past Alberta Falls to Mills and Jewel Lakes. It’s a 6+ mile uphill hike with some rocky trails but worth the effort. We were also fortunate to see a herd of elk at the tip of a jewel Lake. The round trip hike took us about 3hr and we walk at a relatively brisk pace. The views are spectacular!
Written August 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jbwhitehouse
Dallas, TX1,861 contributions
Aug 2023
We really loved this hike around Bear Lake. At the trailhead are explanatory signs, The walk around is very easy and level.
Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George S
Miami Beach, FL1,107 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
This is the trailhead that you should choose if you are short on time at the Park. A lot of nice and interesting trails / sites radiate from this trailhead. Parking here gets filled up very early, so use the Park & Ride service take the free bus here.
Written October 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
boilerbc
Harrisonburg, VA28 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
Nice trail to Emerald Lake. Uphill quite a bit but some great scenery, some of the best on the east side. I think Dream Lake is the best in that 3 lake series. Fairly heavily trafficked.
Written July 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelly B
Iowa4,371 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
This hike is mostly flat (one short section does have an incline) , and is really pretty. We visited later in the day (6 p.m.), and at that point it was not super crowded.
Written July 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adventurers11805
Charlotte, NC219 contributions
May 2022
Awesome short hike, recommend early morning visit either by car or shuttle bus. We saw some ladies hiking in flip flops - bad idea especially if you take trail to Victoria Falls. Walking stick was very helpful. Snow still on trail late May. It may not melt til late June. The views of snowy peaks and the lake were awesome😃
Written May 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dale B
Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States43 contributions
Jul 2021
We parked at the Stop and Ride and took the shuttle which eliminated having to worry about whether there was parking available at the Bear Lake parking lot. Shuttles run frequently. Note: even though masks are required, not everyone wore them, so take that into consideration because there is no limitations on number of folks on the bus.
We thoroughly enjoyed this easy hike around this beautiful lake with striking views! Expect to share this trail with lots of other visitors.
We thoroughly enjoyed this easy hike around this beautiful lake with striking views! Expect to share this trail with lots of other visitors.
Written July 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve5863
Avon, OH13,020 contributions
Oct 2019
Bear Lake Trailhead is the starting point for many of RMNP’s most popular hikes including the easy 0.5 mile (0.8k) loop around Bear Lake, the 3.6 mile (5.8k) roundtrip hike to Emerald Lake that also passes by Nymph and Dream Lakes, and the 2.0 mile (3.2k) roundtrip to the powerful Alberta Falls, passing through many aspen groves.
Other popular hikes from this trailhead include Bierstadt Lake (4.0 miles/6.4k roundtrip), Lake Haiyaha (4.4 miles/7.1k roundtrip), the long climb up Flattop Mountain (8.8 miles/14.2k roundtrip) and Fern Lake (9.7 miles/15.6k roundtrip).
The trailhead also has a booth with rangers to provide assistance and trail guides, pit toilets and a fair amount of parking; however, the trails are so popular, parking is often a challenge and one may find they need to park at the remote parking site about 3.0 miles (4.8k) away and be shuttled on a bus to the trailhead. If you would like to find parking at the trailhead and avoid the worst of the crowds arrive very early or later in the day, preferably midweek. I had no trouble finding parking midweek arriving once around 5pm and another time about 30 minutes after sunrise.
Other popular hikes from this trailhead include Bierstadt Lake (4.0 miles/6.4k roundtrip), Lake Haiyaha (4.4 miles/7.1k roundtrip), the long climb up Flattop Mountain (8.8 miles/14.2k roundtrip) and Fern Lake (9.7 miles/15.6k roundtrip).
The trailhead also has a booth with rangers to provide assistance and trail guides, pit toilets and a fair amount of parking; however, the trails are so popular, parking is often a challenge and one may find they need to park at the remote parking site about 3.0 miles (4.8k) away and be shuttled on a bus to the trailhead. If you would like to find parking at the trailhead and avoid the worst of the crowds arrive very early or later in the day, preferably midweek. I had no trouble finding parking midweek arriving once around 5pm and another time about 30 minutes after sunrise.
Written September 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tri_Girl22
St. Paul40 contributions
Sep 2020
Parking was a nightmare. and this was during the limited admission COVID time period. Couldn't find parking, over and over, and did not want to stand in 1/2 mile line to get onto a bus with many other people. Just not worth it. If you want to relive finding a parking spot near a mall two weeks before Christmas, then try this trailhead parking area.
They do have unisex bathrooms that are pit toilets and very smelly, but we never had to wait and there was TP and hand sanitizer in each one.
The rangers are very friendly to chat with near the trail entrance. The "hike" to bear lake is paved and about 5 minutes with hundreds of ppl.
They do have unisex bathrooms that are pit toilets and very smelly, but we never had to wait and there was TP and hand sanitizer in each one.
The rangers are very friendly to chat with near the trail entrance. The "hike" to bear lake is paved and about 5 minutes with hundreds of ppl.
Written September 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Averi F
7 contributions
Are there a lot of butterflies on this trail? Can you go off trail to photograph them?
sunnygrl98
Texas127 contributions
Do I need to arrive super early on a Tuesday morning also? I read a lot of reviews that talk about parking lots filling up quickly. Is that every day or just mostly on the weekends? (Going mid-August)
Daryll J
Lincoln, Nebraska1 contribution
Hi, about how long does it take to hike from Bear Lake to Mills Lake and back?
Mike G
Palm Harbor, FL2 contributions
Hi, what will the weather here be like at the end of March? Will it be open to visitors or do the roads get closed leading to Bear Lake? Do you think there will still be snow? Can you tell I live in Florida? :)
Mike G
Palm Harbor, FL2 contributions
Hi. Is the hike around Bear Lake fairly easy for a family with two small kids ages 2 and 5? Is it paved? Thanks.
RxT
Missouri205 contributions
Hi. The Bear Lake Trail would be a wonderful place for the kids to hike. I don't believe it was paved, but it's very flat with plenty of opportunities for the best family pictures! Keep track of them of course, but let them explore. You'll love it. The Rocky Mountain Nat'l park has a twitter page I believe where you can keep track of the crown level. The parking lot fills up fast, and you may have to park in Estes Park Garage and take the free trolley. We did.
LoneFlower1
Austin, TX475 contributions
Starting at Bear Lake...is it one loop to Emerald and back, or is it an in and out trail?
Donna0930
Lakewood, CO20 contributions
Out and back.
illbecavalier
Manila, Philippines
How long does it usually take to finish this trail?
Amanda
Iowa125 contributions
It's a half mile. Less than 30 min, if you stop to take pictures.
Jay C
Streamwood, IL20 contributions
If you ride the shuttle bus from Estes Park do you still have to pay an entrance fee?
Amanda
Iowa125 contributions
We entered the park and took the shuttle from the park and ride lot. Only paid the $20/car.
I would imagine you would still have to pay an entrance fee. No one gets into the park without passing through the entrance gates.
Rene
Rio Claro, SP
Hello! I'm planning a trip in the first week of may, what should I expect from the weather? Will the trails still icy? Temperatures? And is it crowded during week days during that time? Tks.
aerofaze
Colorado Springs, Colorado565 contributions
Springtime in the Rockies is highly unpredictable. In Colorado at that time of year, especially in the mountains, we never know if we'll get a summery day or get blasted by a blizzard until about 4 days out. Spring around here is when you really need to be prepared for all weather and conditions in terms of clothing and gear.
Even if the weather is nice, the trails will probably be muddy; at higher elevations, they will probably be ice-packed.
As far as crowds, you PROBABLY won't run into them so much during "mud season" because Trail Ridge Road will still be closed at that time. I usually expect April until mid-May to be the slowest time of year in general for Colorado tourist activities (with the exception being the Great Sand Dunes National Park - the weather is somewhat more predictable and pleasant during the spring in that part of the state).
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Claim your listingBEAR LAKE TRAILHEAD: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Bear Lake Trailhead
- Hotels near Bear Lake Trailhead:
- (9.07 km) Wind River Christian Family Dude Ranch
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- (7.68 km) Swiftcurrent Lodge and Cottages on the River
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- (9.19 km) Romantic RiverSong Inn
- Restaurants near Bear Lake Trailhead:
- (11.78 km) Cinnamon's Bakery
- (12.23 km) Donut Haus
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- (13.04 km) Kind Coffee
- (13.02 km) The Egg Of Estes