If it’s your first time visiting Rocky Mountain National Park and you’re wanting to make the most of your visit, then this set of hikes is a great place to start. I’ve spent over six full months hiking the hundreds of miles of trails in RMNP, and we drive up with visiting family and friends to show them around. However, before we get into the hikes, here are a few scenarios on how you might want to spend your day.
NOTE: Rocky Mountain National Park requires that you have timed-entry permits Late-May through Late-October. More information at the RMNP Timed-Entry Permit Page.
Hiking Scenarios for Rocky Mountain National Park
Scenario #1: You have a full day and young kids.
Think of your day in two parts. Part 1 is hiking and Part 2 is the scenic drive up Trail Ridge Road (if it’s open) to the Alpine Visitor Center. Hike first, early in the day, before the storms roll in during the afternoon. Some great family hikes are: Horseshoe Falls, Sprague Lake, the short hike around Bear Lake, and Alberta Falls, or Emerald Lake. Between driving, parking, and hiking, you’ll likely have time for just one of these before your drive up Trail Ridge Road.
Scenario #2: You have a full day and no kids with you
You’ve got some options. Option A is to do one of the longer hikes in this post: Sky Pond, Timberline Falls, Ouzel Falls, or Fern Lake.
Scenario #3: You only have a few hours.
This one is the toughest scenarios because there are so many great places to see, and many of them require a drive. If you only have a few hours, I’d recommend the short hike around Sprague Lake, and if you have a bit more time, to drive up to Bear Lake. Bear Lake will give you an up-close feel of the mountains, and Sprague Lake will provide you with a larger-than-life panorama of the continental divide.
Top 10 Hikes at Rocky Mountain National Park
I’ve organized these from easiest to most demanding (which are also the longest).
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Sprage Lake Loop Hike
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Bear Lake
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Horseshoe Falls
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Alberta Falls
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Four Lakes and Waterfall Loop
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Fern Falls
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Fern Lake
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Ouzel Falls
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Timberline Falls
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Sky Pond
Distance: 0.5 Mile | Difficulty: Easy
If you don’t have a lot of time and are lookign for an easy introduction to Rocky Mountain National Park, Sprague Lake is the place to start. On the way, be sure to stop and look for elk in Moraine Park. This small lake was actually built by an early settler of the area, Albert Sprague, who built a resort along its waters. This is a great place to bring a picnic lunch or watch the sun set over the Rockies.
Distance: 0.6 Miles | Difficulty: Easy | Elevation Gain: Nominal
Think of Bear Lake as the epicenter of Rocky Mountain National Park. From the Bear Lake Trailhead, you can venture to destinations inside Glacier Gorge, Andrews Creek, or even up to the top of Hallett Peak. Though the parking lot is huge, it fills quickly, and you may need to take the shuttle from down in Glacier Basin. The hike at Bear Lake is an easy half-mile around the lake. If you’ve traveled all this way, I’d recommend checking out Alberta Falls and the hike to Emerald Lake.
Distance: 0.4 Miles | Difficulty: Easy | Elevation Gain: Nominal
Horseshoe Falls is a beautiful and easily accessed off Old Fall River Road. When our kids were younger, they loved this hike because you can scramble along small boulders and explore the many courses of the waterfall. Do be careful though as rocks can shift, and the granite can be sharp. If you’re up for a longer adventure, you can drive up Old Fall River Road (when it’s open) and take Trail Ridge Road back down.
Distance: 1.6 Miles | Difficulty: Easy | Elevation Gain: 200′
Glacier Creek plummets thirty feet to creat the impressive spray of Alberta Falls. The falls are known for their impressive flow, especially during the spring and early summer months when the snowmelt increases the water volume. The hike up to Albrta Falls is short and easy, making it perhaps the busiest trail in the entire park. However, we recently hiked it in the late afternoon and were the only people on the trail for most of our hike.
Distance: 6.4 Miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Elevation Gain: 800′
This is one of my favorite hikes to take friends on in RMNP. You’ll travel past Alberta Falls on your way up to Lake Haiyaha. I love lake Haiyaha because it’s right up against the mountainside, had really cool big granite boulders, and a beautiful old pine tree along its shore. After that, you’ll hike to Dream Lake. From there, you’ll hike to Dream Lake and Nymph Lake, with the option of adding an out-and-back segment to Emerald Lake to your adventure. From Nymph Lake, take the trail back to Bear Lake.
Distance: 5.4 to 8 Miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Elevation Gain: 650′
The hikes up to Fern Falls and Fern Lake begin at the Fern Lake Trailhead. It’s a small trailhead with limited parking, so go early, or plan to add 0.8 (one-way) to your hike from the shuttle stop. I love Fern Falls because it crashes through the forest over granite boulders and deadfall. It’s loud and picturesque. Along the way you’ll pass through Arch Rocks, pass by The Pool, and hear the rushing waters of the Big Thompson River as it courses its way out of the high country.
Distance: 7.8 to 9.4 Miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Elevation Gain: 1400′
Fern Lake is a beautiful alpine lake, and worth taking this more demanding hike. Be aware that there can be snow covering the upper reaches of the trail into early Summer. The fishing at the lake is great, and the lake is a perfect place to hike to for an afternoon picnic. If you start early, you can add Odessa Lake to your trip.
Distance: 5.4 Miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Elevation Gain: 1000′
The hike up to Ouzel will take you into the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park and past two other smaller but beautiful waterfalls. Less than a half-mile into your hike you’ll pass Copeland Falls, and at approximately one mile into the trail, you’ll see Calypso Cascades. The trail climbs, becoming more demanding and providing some great views into the Wild Basin. A bridge crosses Ouzel Creek and offers the first breathtaking views of the falls. It might be my favorite waterfall in the park because of how it shoots off the cliff above.
Distance: 8 Miles | Difficulty: Difficult | Elevation Gain: 1500′
If you’re looking for a challenging hike in Rocky Mountain National Park that offers a ton of scenery, the hike up to Timberline Falls is perfect. You’ll venture into Loch Vale and experience the vaulting grey-granite spires of the surrounding mountains. During snowmelt, the waterfall covers a long ridge as well has has a central spout that leaps from the cliffside. If you’ve hiked this far, think about pushing further to Sky Pond.
Distance: 9+ Miles | Difficulty: Difficult | Elevation Gain: 1650′
There are so many sights to take in on the way to Sky Pond, you should plan to take your time and plan on it taking your entire day. The peaks surrounding Sky Pond look like jagged sharks teeth, and the wildflowers on it’s western flanks are resplendant in the mid-summer. Along the way, you’ll pass Alberta Falls, The Loch, Timberline Falls, and Lake of Glass.
