East Inlet Trailhead - Search Nearby - Added by Ian Glass
Relaxing backpack get-a-away on the quiet side of Rocky Mountain National Park with amazing views, potential moose, and high alpine lakes.
Want to get away it from it all and enjoy some high alpine lakes?
The East Inlet Trail is just outside Grand Lake, on the westside of Rocky Mountain National Park, 2.35 miles east of Highway 34 on West Portal Road. From the trailhead, one can access 8 different campsites. The campsites are as follows:
1) Lower East Inlet backcountry campsite (2.35 miles)
2) Cats Lair backcountry campsite (3.8 miles)
3) Gray Jay Group campsite (5.05 miles)
4) Lone Pine Lake (5.4 miles)
5) Slick Rock backcountry campsite (5.7 miles)
6) Solitaire backcountry campsite (6.0 miles)
7) Upper Inlet backcountry campsite (6.6 miles)
8) Lake Verna backcountry campsite (7 miles)
The East Inlet trail offers tranquil sections through pine forests, beautiful wetlands that are home to a myriad of animals including moose, and a number of small alpine lakes that lead up to Verna. One should be encouraged to hike to Lake Verna for the weekend and enjoy life along the lakeside. It is an amazing place to chill out, use as a basecamp for additional day-hikes, photography, or fishing (*with a valid Colorado fishing license).
The East Inlet Trail is a well established trail that has clear signage and clearly denotes all campsites. Camp safely away from dead trees, as close as possible to the metal arrowhead posted at each site. Red flags on trees provide additional guidance to each campsite from the main trail. It should also be noted that fires are not permitted. One should only use gas stoves.
Phone reservations (970-586-1242) are accepted from March 1 - May 15, and anytime after October 1 for a permit in that calendar year.
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Nearby Adventures
Hike to Lone Pine Lake (Grand Lake, CO)
11 Miles Round Trip - 1494 ft gain
Hike to Adams Falls
1 Miles Round Trip - 113 ft gain
Hike to Spirit Lake
15.8 Miles Round Trip - 2000 ft gain
Hike to Verna, Spirit, Fourth, and Fifth Lakes
19 Miles Round Trip - 2460 ft gain
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Overall rating:
Beautiful spot
This is a beautiful hike and nice place for backpacking with many water sources along the way. Be aware that it is a pretty strenuous hike with a full backpack. I would not rate it as a beginner trip....more like intermediate. That said, our group of three (two somewhat out-of-shape adults and a 12-yr-old) did it and enjoyed it by taking our time and taking breaks. (We do have a fair amount of wilderness camping experience).
Away From Crowds
This was an awesome backpacking experience for a couple of beginners. It wasn't too strenuous to the Upper East Inlet campsite. We had an area to cook away from our tent. The views were gorgeous. After about 2 miles there were few people on the trail, especially compared to the east side of the park. I would recommend the hike to anyone and think it's a great trip for someone who wants to get their feet wet with backpacking!
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