Rocky Mountain hikes

Rocky Mountain National Park has got hikes for all levels and interests. My travel friend and I weren't intrested in torturing ourselvesfor the sake of doing miles, so we did some that allowed us to get a good workout and, at the same time, see the beauty of the park.

We picked the Bear Lake area, Moraine Park area and the Alluvial Fan in the Fall River area. Within those areas are some wonderful hikes, and each is explained with the pictures.

I have to say that if you're in the park and can only do one hike, do this one, the Bear Lake Hike. It was our favorite, and in my mind, it will go down as one of my all-time favorites. It was stunning, a good walk and never boring. The Bear Lake hike starts at Bear Lake, and there is a path all the way around it. But the pretty part begins at the trail to Nymph Lake and on to Emerald Lake. That part is 1.8 miles (one way) at an elevation gain of 605 feet. But the nice part is that the climb is gradual, with the lakes, sweet meadows, trickling waterfalls and scenic vistas all the way. The next many pictures were taken along this trail. If you're afraid of heights, no need to worry on this trail.

The Pool Trail was our least favorite. Maybe because we relied on the shuttle to get us there (road construction), but it drops you off nearly a mile from the trailhead. The .8 walk is down a boring dusty road. From there, the hike is 1.7 miles (one way) with a 245 foot gain. We found water at the end of the trail, but wasn't sure why it was called The Pool. Hmmm.

This really shouldn't be considered a hike; it's more a short walk. It's a .3-mile flat-surfaced jaunt to this waterfall which has a story longer than the walk.

It started in July 15th of 1982, when at 5:30 in the morning, an earthen dam four miles north at Lawn Lake broke. It wasn't until nearly an hour later that a trash collector heard the thunderous sound of water and boulders heading down the mountain. He notified park rangers who evacuated the Aspenglen Campground. As the water and boulders lost momentum at this spot, they formed what is known as an alluvial fan, hence the name.

Unfortunately, two people died as a result of the disaster, and Estes Park flooded to six feet of water.

The Alluvial Fan Falls is located in the Fall River area of the park.

If you're interested in seeing more photos within the Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, click on one of the links below. A link on that page will lead you to the others.

Estes Park, the town

Trail Ridge Road

Sights along Route 7

Or, you may want to return to the Colorado home page,

Here is a link to another dynamite hike, a four-mile loop around Monarch Lake. I've added this link because of its close proximity to RMNP, even though it's not part of the park.

Or, to choose a location below

Please visit some of my other travel locations. Feel free to email me if you have questions or comments.

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The East Inlet Trail and Adams Falls, even though it's within the Rocky Mtn NP, is actually outside the park entrance gates. Its best reached from the town Grand Lake Village. It's an easy hike and less than a mile to the falls, but I think this is the only picture I took of the waterfall itself. The best part of the hike is beyond the fall, and is still easy. Reviews and the park ranger who was on hand at the waterfall the day I did the hike had all mentioned seeing moose on this trail. Alas, it was not my day, I guess, for spotting one. The remaining shots were taken between the falls and Lone Pine Lake, the first of three that can be reached on this same trail.

On the west side of the Trail Ridge Road toward Grand Lake is a series of trails within the Kawuneeche Valley of all lengths and levels of difficulty. This one, though not a hiking trail per se, is worth a visit. It's a 1/2-mile walk up the dirt path from the parking lot to a series of houses and buildings built by the John Halzworth family, German immigrants with a story of their own. Papa Halzworth after losing his saloon in Denver to Prohibition in 1916 decided to go into guest ranching here and raise his four girls and boy John Jr. Most of the buildings you see here as well as the furniture in all of them was built by the family. The ranch was eventually taken over by John Holzwarth Jr. who ran it until 1974. In 1977 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.