If Longs Peak is Rocky Mountain National Park's hardest hike, the walk from Bear Lake to Emerald Lake is close to the opposite end of the spectrum — genuinely easy, genuinely beautiful, and reachable without a pre-dawn start. It's also, unsurprisingly, one of the most crowded trails in the park.
Quick Facts
- Distance: About 3.6 miles round trip to Emerald Lake (roughly 1.8 miles each way from Bear Lake).
- Elevation gain: Around 650 feet total, gained gradually.
- Time: Most hikers take 2–2.5 hours round trip, longer with stops at each lake.
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate — well-maintained trail, no exposure, suitable for most fitness levels.
- Access: Bear Lake Trailhead, reachable via the free Bear Lake Road shuttle during shuttle season (roughly May 22–October 18) or by car outside those dates.
The Four Lakes, One Trail
Bear Lake (start)
The trailhead itself sits right at Bear Lake, which has its own flat, paved half-mile loop if you just want a quick lake view without the full hike.
Nymph Lake — 0.5 miles, 1.2 miles round trip, 236 ft gain
A short, gentle climb through forest to a small lake often covered in lily pads in summer.
Dream Lake — 1.1 miles, 2.2 miles round trip, 443 ft gain
The trail opens up here with one of the park's most photographed views — Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain framing the lake.
Emerald Lake — 1.8 miles, 3.6 miles round trip, 650 ft gain
The turnaround point for most hikers, tucked into a rocky cirque below Hallett Peak. The color that gives the lake its name is most vivid on a sunny day.
Want More? Add Lake Haiyaha
From the Dream Lake area, a spur trail branches off to Lake Haiyaha, a quieter, boulder-strewn lake that adds distance and a bit more elevation gain if you want to extend the hike and thin out the crowds.
Managing the Crowds
This is consistently one of the busiest trails in the park, and the Bear Lake Trailhead parking lot fills early on summer mornings — often before 7 a.m. on peak weekends. Two ways around this:
- Start early — arrive at first light, or use the Bear Lake Road shuttle from the Park & Ride Transit Hub, which runs continuously through the day during shuttle season and sidesteps the parking problem entirely.
- Go later in the day — the crowd thins noticeably after mid-afternoon, though you'll want to watch for afternoon thunderstorms in summer.
Timed Entry Note
Because this trailhead sits on Bear Lake Road, you'll need the Timed Entry+ Bear Lake Road reservation (not the general Timed Entry permit) if you're entering during the required hours in season.
What to Bring
This is an easy trail by RMNP standards, but you're still hiking at 9,000–9,900 feet elevation. Bring water, sun protection, and a layer — the trail is largely shaded but the lakes themselves sit in open, breezy terrain.
