Bear Lake Road Hike

Adventure through the various terrains that the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) offers. Hike through meadows, along rocky ridges, and through aspen groves as you traverse the Bear Lake Road Trail. Perfect for families and those acclimating to the high altitude of the area, this expedition is a crowd favorite. This path weaves between tree coverage and exposed trail, so ensure to wear layers as insurance against the varying conditions along the diverse trail. The parking lot at the trailhead can also be very busy, notably during the summer. You already must purchase a park permit to access the trail, so put that pass to use and take the RMNP free shuttle to the trailhead.

Embark on your adventure around the Bear Lake Road Trail from the Glacial Gorge Trailhead. You can track either direction, but we recommend heading clockwise. From the trailhead, hike the Glacial Gorge Trail over Chaos Creek to an intersection. At the junction, veer left, keeping along the Glacial Gorge Trail. Trek the path over another creek and up to Alberta Falls. Revel in the grandeur of the cascades before merging back onto the route. At the next fork, keep right and the path will curve you around the base of the Glacial Knobs.

Eventually, you will encounter another junction, here take the Haiyaha Cutoff Trail north. Ascend the path to Haiyaha Lake where the path merges with the Haiyaha Lake Trail. Hike the Haiyaha Lake Trail down to Dream Lake. Revel in the dumbfounding views of the lake with Hallett Peak standing in the background of alpine lake and snap a few photos. At this point, keep right and track down the Nymph Lake Trail to the basin. Maintain on the Nymph Lake Trail and trek past the lake and across the path to Bear Lake. From here, take the Connector Trail south to the Glacial Gorge intersection and veer left, heading back to the trailhead.