A Guide to the Bear Lake Loop Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
The Bear Lake Loop trail is one of the easiest hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Since the trailhead is a popular starting point for many other trails, hikers sometimes choose to skip the less than 1-mile loop around the lake itself. If not for the fact that we arrived just before sunrise and decided to enjoy the golden colors at Bear Lake before heading up higher to complete the Emerald Lake Trail, we might have skipped it as well.
So, in this short guide we’ve put together everything you need to know before you visit Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. We’ve included information on necessary passes and permits, ways to get to the trailhead, which season is best to visit in and some stunning photos to inspire you to set an early alarm.
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About Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Bear Lake is located within Rocky Mountain National Park, to the west of Estes Park. Like many lakes in Colorado, this alpine lake was formed during the last Ice Age, approximately 10,000 years ago.
Situated at an elevation of 9,450 feet (2,880 m), Bear Lake is surrounded by lush forests and mountain peaks, such as Hallett Peak and Longs Peak. Its name dates back to 1912, when black and even grizzly bears lived in the national park. Whilst you won’t see any grizzly bears today, there are still a few black bears that call Rocky Mountain National Park home. Due to the popularity of Bear Lake though, the chances of you spotting one there will be quite low.
Practical Information about the Bear Lake Loop Trail
Bear Lake is located inside Rocky Mountain National Park, about 13 miles (21 km) from Estes Park.
Rocky Mountain National Park Entry Fee
To access Bear Lake, you first need to purchase an entry pass to Rocky Mountain National Park. Whilst you can buy your entry ticket when you get to the access point, we recommend purchasing it online in advance, especially if you want to be at Bear Lake for sunrise.
Entry fee to Rocky Mountain National Park:
- 1-day private vehicle – $30
- 7-day private vehicle – $35
- 1-day per person – $15
- 7-day per person – $20
- Annual RMNP pass – $70
You only have to buy the ‘Per Person’ entry if you’re arriving on foot or by bicycle. If you arrive with a car, you just pay for the vehicle and not each passenger separately. We suggest purchasing the 7-day pass if you’re planning on spending more than one day in the national park.
If you’re visiting other national parks in the US during your trip, then the best value for money will be the America the Beautiful Pass. This is only $80 and lets you access all the national parks in the country for 12 months.
Get up-to-date information on prices and discounts on RMNP’s official website.
Bear Lake Timed Entry Permit
To access the park’s Bear Lake Road Corridor between May and October you’ll also need to buy a timed entry in addition to the RMNP day/annual pass. Now, there’s a general “timed entry option” but there’s also a “timed entry + Bear Lake Road Access” option. You’ll need to buy the latter in order to park in the Bear Lake Car Park right at the trailhead. This permit allows you to enter this corridor in 2-hour windows between 5 AM and 6 PM.
The good thing is that the permit is only an extra $2 on top of your RMNP entry pass. However, bear in mind (pun intended) that the early entries are usually harder to book because of their popularity. Permits are released at 8AM on the 1st of the month, one month in advance, but they usually add additional ones the night before at 7PM. It’s also important that you enter RMNP within the 2-hour window of your chosen time slot.
You can book and find more up-to-date information on the RMNP Timed Entry Permit page.
How to Get to the Bear Lake Loop Trailhead
Hire Car
The easiest and most convenient way to get to Bear Lake is with a car. Having a rental car allowed us to get to Bear Lake for sunrise. Plus, the car gave us a lot of freedom to see other beautiful areas in Rocky Mountain National Park.
There are actually four entrances to RMNP. For Bear Lake, you’ll want to enter at the Beaver Meadows Entrance which is very close to Estes Park. From Beaver Meadows, it takes another 20 minutes to drive to Bear Lake Car Park. Although it was a massive parking lot, it was filling up pretty quickly even at 5 AM.
Hire your car using Discover Cars where you can find the best rates as they compare local, national, and international companies.
Bear Lake Hiker Shuttle
In case you don’t want to hire a car, you can still access Bear Lake with the Hiker Shuttle. The shuttle provides a round trip service departing from the Estes Park Visitor Center. It’ll drop you off at the RMNP Park & Ride. From there, transfer onto the Bear Lake Route and get off at Bear Lake Car Park. Do the same in reverse to get the bus back to Estes Park. Check out the different routes and times on this map.
Also, don’t forget to reserve your Hiker Shuttle ticket online. There’s a $2 reservation fee per transaction. The reservation system is the same as the timed entry permit system and opens on the 1st of the month, one month prior to the dates of entry. Of course, a valid entry pass to the national park will also be needed in addition to the shuttle ticket.
The downside of the Hiker Shuttle is that the first one leaves at 8:30AM from Estes Park which means that you’ll miss the sunrise. However, it’s still a great option if you just want to enjoy the stunning scenery.
Best Places to Stay Near Bear Lake
If you want to get to Bear Lake early, we highly recommend staying in Estes Park. The town itself is beautiful and has its very own resident elk, who roam the streets freely. There are also plenty of food and shopping options in Estes Park, so it’s a fantastic place to base yourself if you want to do multiple hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Hotels in Estes Park
Best Time to Hike the Bear Lake Loop Trail
You can visit Bear Lake all year-round. However, every season has slightly different pros and cons. Summer is a great month as the weather will most likely be nice and sunny. Of course, it’s also when the national park will be the most crowded, so be prepared to purchase your timed entry as soon as you know your travel dates and tickets become available.
In the fall months, you’ll get the chance to see the colourful foliage. We visited in mid-September and the leaves were just starting to change. It’s also less busy, although the weather can be cooler and a bit more unpredictable. Spring will be similar to autumn, but you’ll see everything starting to bloom. Then there’s winter, which is fantastic if you want to see the lake frozen with snow capped mountains as a backdrop. It’ll be much colder though and you’ll need to prepare for icy/snowy trail conditions.
Map of the Bear Lake Loop Trail, RMNP, CO
Bear Lake Trail Quick Statistics:
- Trailhead: Bear Lake Road Car Park (9,450 ft / 2,880 m)
- Trail Length: 0.68 miles / 1.1 km
- Elevation Gain: 50 ft / 15 m
- Level of Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (due to altitude)
Bear Lake Loop Trail Length and Level of Difficulty
The Bear Lake Loop is a 0.7 mile (1.1 km) long circular trail. You can go around either clockwise or anti-clockwise. We spent just under an hour walking around the lake, taking our time to enjoy the different viewpoints.
Since Bear Lake is one of the most accessible lakes in the national park, the hike is suitable for all ages and fitness levels. That being said, the alpine lake is situated at 9,450 ft (2,880 m) above sea level. This means that you can get altitude sick if you haven’t acclimatised yet. Although we were coming from New York City, we had done many high altitude hikes in Peru before, so knew what to expect. Acclimatising was still very important, so we spent a day around Estes Park first to get used to being at altitude again. Luckily, the hike around Bear Lake is not difficult thanks to the minimal elevation gain, which makes it a great acclimatisation hike.
The trail itself is dirt with some uneven surfaces. It’s pretty dry in the summer months, but can be muddy in early spring and late autumn. If you visit during winter, then the trail can be covered in snow and ice, which means that you may need microspikes to get around safely.
Facilities Around Bear Lake
There are toilets at the car park, next to the Ranger Station. However, there’s no place that sells food and drink at the trailhead, so we recommend bringing your own picnic with enough water for the day. There are many benches around the lake if you want to sit down and enjoy the scenery.
Whatever you bring with you, make sure you either take it home with you or dispose of it responsibly. Enjoy your time in nature but Leave No Trace!
Additional Hikes from Bear Lake Trailhead
Bear Lake is essentially the gateway to many popular high elevation hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. On the day we walked around Bear Lake we also completed the Emerald Lake Trail and took a little detour to Haiyaha Lake. As a little cool-down walk, we also completed the Sprague Lake Loop which is further north from Bear Lake Car Park.
The following day we set off from the Bear Lake trailhead again towards Sky Pond via the Glacier Gorge and Sky Pond Trails.
Scenic roads in RMNP
Final Thoughts on the Bear Lake Loop Trail
Whilst we initially wanted to catch the sunrise from Emerald Lake, we’re so happy that we decided to stay at Bear Lake for it. The morning light catching the peaks behind the lake was absolutely breathtaking, not to mention the completely still lake that gave off the most perfect reflection. We can wholeheartedly recommend setting an early alarm and getting to Bear Lake for sunrise. You won’t regret it.
Now, let your adventure begin,
Remember…It all starts with a Pin…
Fantastic reflections and colours! You were so lucky with the weather.
Good tips and advice too. 👌
Thank you. It was such a beautiful morning indeed!