Emerald Lake Trail

Emerald Lake is the hike that introduces most people to Rocky Mountain National Park: 1.8 miles from Bear Lake past Nymph Lake and Dream Lake to a third lake at the foot of Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain, with 650 feet of gain on a trail that is packed and stepped the whole way. Three lakes in under 2 miles is why the trailhead needs a reservation and a shuttle.

From the Bear Lake trailhead, the Emerald Lake trail leaves the Bear Lake loop and climbs half a mile on a paved and then packed path to Nymph Lake, a small pond covered in yellow lilies in July. The trail steepens past Nymph, switchbacking up rock steps with views back over Bear Lake, and reaches Dream Lake at 1.1 miles, a long, narrow lake with Hallett Peak's face rising behind it and the trail running along its north shore.

Above Dream Lake the trail climbs another 0.7 mile along Tyndall Creek through spruce and rock to Emerald Lake at 10,100 feet, in a cirque under Hallett and Flattop with Tyndall Glacier above. The trail ends there. Return the same way. The Lake Haiyaha trail branches off between Nymph and Dream for a longer loop.

Bear Lake Road ends at the Bear Lake trailhead, 9 miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance. From late May through mid-October a timed-entry permit that includes the Bear Lake Road corridor is required, on top of the park entrance fee, both from Recreation.gov. The Bear Lake lot fills by 7 AM even with permits; park at the Park and Ride on Bear Lake Road and take the free shuttle, which runs every 10 to 15 minutes. Toilets at the trailhead.

No dogs anywhere on park trails. The trail is short and stepped enough for kids who walk, and Nymph Lake alone is fine for small ones. Bear Lake sits at 9,475 feet, so visitors from low elevation notice the first climb. The rock steps are hard on knees on the way down. Carry water; there is none to drink safely. The Bear Lake trailhead guide covers the shuttle and the permit, and the RMNP region page has the other Bear Lake corridor trails.