Twin Lakes, Colorado

On this Rocky Mountain hike you’ll explore 4 picturesque mountain lakes and a 60 foot waterfall. Completing this hike requires familiarizing yourself with Rocky Mountain National Park’s free shuttle system. Hikes along Bear Lake Road are some of the busiest in the park. Trailhead parking lots fi...

The hike to Ptarmigan Lake has plenty of elevation gain for mountain lovers and views for miles from the Continental Divide. If you want to reach this spot for sunrise you'll need a very early start in the morning, but that also means you won't have to use the shuttle system to Bear Lake. The las...

Bear Lake to Flattop Mountain The trail starts at Bear Lake, where you get a view of Hallett Peak (12,713 ft) which will be the highpoint of your hike. After a short walk on the Bear Lake Trail, take the path to the right. After 1/2 a mile, take a trail left to the north. 1/2 a mile later, stay...

Hike up to two very tall Rocky Mountain National Park summits. Along the route, you'll see wildlife and abundant wildflowers as well as views of Keyhole Route and Longs Peak. Arrive at the Bear Lake Trailhead. Follow abundant signage toward Flattop Mountain. Once you arrive at the summit of Flat...

While not as popular as Dream Lake, Nymph Lake is just as beautiful. The hike to Nymph Lake is an easy hike just over 1 mile. You start from the Bear Lake Trail head and can go further on to Dream Lake and Emerald Lake if you want to. Both Dream and Emerald Lakes are also stunning and very photog...

Park at Bear Lake, and follow the signs north of the lake to Odessa Lake. However, do NOT go all the way to Odessa Lake; after about 3 miles, when Notchtop is in full view, the trail begins to descend to Odessa Lake. Find an unmarked spur trail to the left which leads to shallow Lake Helene, then...

Start your day at the Bear Lake parking lot, and head out on the short 2-mile approach that winds uphill past Nymph and Dream Lake. After arriving at Emerald Lake, skirt around the shore on the left side to reach the bottom of the couloir, clearly visibile on the far side of the lake.The 1500 ft ...

Snowshoeing to Emerald Lake was completely different from hiking the trail during summer. Instead of hiking around Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake, I was able to go straight across them (check the ice to make sure it's thick enough to support your weight). Rocky Mountain National Park's...

Loveland Pass is often very busy during the winter as people move through the pass to access the nearby ski areas and just as popular for tourists admiring the beauty of the continental divide in the summer. It is also the start of some great hiking trails like the Mount Sniktau Trail.  However, ...

For the extra-adventurous (my friends call me crazy for this), I recommend experiencing Rocky Mountain National Park in the off-season, when nobody else is there. Dead winter.Of course, you'll want to be uber prepared if you choose to take on this adventure, as the mountains are very unforgiving,...

Moraine Park Campground is the only year-round campground at Rocky Mountain National Park. During the summer there are 244 reservable campsites and 77 first come first serve during the winter. Large numbers of elk gather in Moraine Park during the rut (September-October) and it's a popular wildli...

How you get to Morgan Peak and the other 13ers in the area depends on if you have a 4-wheel drive with good clearance or not. If so, drive the rough Santa Fe road from the small town of Montezuma (just outside Keystone). The road is also known as Forest Service 264 and is a left at the stop sign ...

Rocky Mountain National Park showcases 355 miles of hiking trails, 6 campgrounds, and hundreds of backcountry camp sites.  Cub Lake is an excellent trail for viewing wildlife. There are small ponds that you will pass on this trail that are great locations for spotting elk, mule deer, and moose. ...

The trail begins just past historical Main Street Montezuma. You will see a sign on your right for St. Johns road. This road is officially marked as 275 on a map. The original road lead to St. Johns but not much of the town remains.You will cross the Snake River almost immediately after you turn ...

The Colorado Trail (http://www.coloradotrail.org) is 500 miles long and stretches from Denver to Durango. Perhaps the most-traveled portion of the Colorado Trail is at Kenosha Pass. Kenosha Pass is well-known for its thick, colorful stands of aspen in the fall. During peak leaf season (late Septe...

This hike starts with a steep uphill, and if that doesn't take your breath away, the views of the lakes definitely will. After the uphill slog, you'll immediately reach the lower reservoir. On still mornings, it offers perfect reflections of its surroundings.  The trail continues along its northe...