Bierstadt Lake Trail

Bierstadt Lake sits on top of a glacial moraine above Bear Lake Road, a flat lake in a lodgepole forest with a view across the water to Longs Peak and the Continental Divide, and the switchbacks up to it from the Bierstadt Lake trailhead are the whole hike: 1.4 miles and 566 feet, then a level loop around the shore. It is quieter than Bear Lake in summer and busier in winter, when it is one of the park's favorite snowshoe trips.

From the Bierstadt Lake trailhead, the trail climbs the south face of the moraine on long switchbacks through aspen and open slope, with Longs Peak and the Divide filling the view behind you at every turn. The grade is steady and the footing is good. At the top the trail levels into the lodgepole and reaches the lake in a few hundred yards.

A loop trail circles the lake, about a mile, with the best view of the Divide from the north shore. The trail continues past the lake down to Bear Lake, 1.6 miles, or to the Park and Ride, which makes a one-way hike with the shuttle back. Return the same way for the 2.8-mile version.

The Bierstadt Lake trailhead is on Bear Lake Road, 6.5 miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance, and is a stop on the Bear Lake shuttle. The lot is small and fills by 8 AM in summer; the shuttle from the Park and Ride is the reliable way in. The Bear Lake corridor timed-entry permit and the park entrance fee apply. There is a vault toilet at the trailhead, replaced in fall 2024.

No dogs anywhere on park trails. The switchbacks are steady rather than steep and kids who walk manage them; the loop around the lake is flat. Carry water; the lake is not drinkable without a filter. The moraine faces south and is hot at midday in summer. Estes Park is 20 minutes away. Bear Lake is the flat loop at the far end of the connecting trail, and the Bear Lake trailhead guide covers the shuttle.