Estes Park is a great destination when visiting Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park. Located around 70 miles outside of Denver, it’s a must. Growing up in Colorado, we visited Estes Park A LOT. It felt like every other weekend was spent going there. We didn’t enjoy that nature part so much, but we loved getting to do go-karts and the wavy slide in town after a long hike. My parents really enjoyed the views, but my siblings and I grew tired of going to the same place all of the time. I appreciate it a lot more now as an adult, though. While I like to try and find new trails and hikes in Colorado each time I go back for a visit, Estes Park is still a great option when looking for a place with great views and easy to moderate trails. There are so many trails to choose from with varied difficulties. Our usual spots growing up were – Sprague Lake and Bear Lake. Both are beautiful, with my favorite of the two being Bear Lake. In later years, I found other hikes that I thoroughly enjoyed as well.

When planning a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park area from Estes Park, be sure to get a Timed Entry Permit (found at the link) if visiting between the end of May and end of October. This is required to access Bear Lake Road and the trails along there. The trailhead parking lots in this area can get quite busy and full during the summer months, but there is a shuttle bus that can be used to get from the parking lot at the Visitor Center in Estes Park or from Park n Ride lot across from Glacier Basin Campground. No ticket is required if visiting outside of peak season. From Bear Lake Road, you can access the Trailheads for Sprague Lake, Bear Lake, and Bierstadt Lake, as well as others. Another quick tip is be sure to slowly acclimate yourself to the altitude when going up by possibly making a few stops along the way, and stay hydrated! The last time I visited the area and hiked up to Lake Haiyaha (near Bear Lake), I got out of breath so easily and had a headache. I probably didn’t drink enough water before getting started.

The trail around Sprague Lake is a simple, under 1 mile loop, providing lovely views. Not my favorite, but still worth a stop before continuing on Bear Lake Road. It’s a good option if you’re not wanting anything too strenuous and if the higher altitude bothers you going further up. At the end of Bear Lake Road, is Bear Lake. Bear Lake is also another loop trail that is under a mile and mostly flat. If only doing one of these two lakes, definitely go with Bear Lake. It is the more popular one and gets very crowded, even early in the morning. Luckily we have managed to always find a parking spot, but just be aware. From this lot you can also access the trails for Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, Emerald Lake, and Lake Haiyaha. Even with all of my visits to Bear Lake, I somehow don’t have many people-free photos to share it’s beauty.

Lake Haiyaha was the most recent spot I visited in the Estes Park area that was absolutely gorgeous. I went a couple of years ago, in July of 2023. My siblings and I arrived at the lake around 8am and it was already so crowded! Never have had to wait in a line to start up a trail. I was shocked! Although I found the hike to be slightly challenging, there were several young kids doing it – very impressive. It’s a 4-mile, out and back hike with an elevation gain of 860ft. Leading up to it, there are some trail offshoots to stop by some smaller lakes – Dream Lake, Nymph, Emerald, which we did. It’s a very rocky trail and many narrow areas where you have to find a spot to wait for others to pass from opposite direction. Depending on where you have to stop can be a little nerve-racking if you’re afraid of heights. The views at the lake are definitely worth it, though. However, you do have boulders to climb to see it well and find a good spot to sit and enjoy it. When I first came across this lake and trail, just looking on Google Maps, I couldn’t believe I had never come across it before. It had a been a lake with clear blue waters, but after a landslide in the summer of 2022, it turned a beautiful turquoise from the debris still in the lake.

Lake Haiyaha photos – so much beauty along the trail…

Another of my favorite spots along Bear Lake Road that I haven’t been to in years is, Bierstadt Trail to the lake. There’s a “Bierstadt Moraine Trailhead” near the Glacier Basin, but for more beautiful views, I highly recommend the Bierstadt Lake Trailhead further down the road, across from the Storm Pass Trailhead. Taking that trail and going around the lake is 3 miles in length with a 620ft elevation gain. The views going up the trail on the side of the mountain are amazing, especially in the fall. I highly recommend it. It’s another trail that is mostly narrow going up so be prepared for that. Both times I visited it wasn’t too crowded, but that was years ago, before timed-entry tickets were required. I’m sure it has increased in popularity. Once at the top of the trail, it’s a short walk to Bierstadt Lake, which offers beautiful views.

The beauty in these spots is just amazing in any season, but I love the early summer time when everything is green and there’s still a bit of snow capping the mountains with less worry of snowstorms. The fall is also another wonderful time to go with beautiful aspens and fall foliage. The view from Bierstadt Trail is truly beautiful at that time. I’m constantly dreaming of the mountains and of the beautiful alpine lakes. I just can’t get enough. I highly recommend visiting these spots as they aren’t too far from Denver and mostly easy, even for flatlanders. Boulder is a nice stop on the way if taking that route from Denver, offering plenty to do and see!

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