Hiking the Emerald Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Multiple alpine lakes, lush forests and mountain views all within a short distance of one another? If this sounds right up your street too, then you need to hike the Emerald Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. In this guide, we’ve summarised all the necessary information you’ll need before attempting to hike the Emerald Lake Trail. We’ve included details on national park passes and permits, ways to get to the trailhead, which season is best to visit in and what to expect from the hike itself.
The Emerald Lake Trail was our first proper hike in the national park after completing the short loop around Bear Lake. We didn’t think that the views could get much better than the ones we had at Bear Lake, but we were wrong. The higher we climbed, the better the views became, and after reaching Emerald Lake, we could see why it’s one of the most popular trails in Rocky Mountain National Park.
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Practical Information about the Emarald Lake Trail
Rocky Mountain National Park Entry Fee
Firstly, you’ll need to buy an entry pass to Rocky Mountain National Park. You can buy it in person at the access point, however we recommend purchasing it online in advance, especially if you want to start your hike early.
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
The ‘Per Person’ entry is only applicable if you’re arriving on foot or by bicycle. If you’re driving in, then you’ll just pay for one vehicle. We suggest purchasing the 7-day pass, which is much better value for money if you’re spending a few days in the park.
If you’re visiting other national parks in the US during your trip, then consider getting 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 discount options on RMNP’s official website.
Timed Entry Permit
Emerald Lake is situated within the Bear Lake Road Corridor of RMNP. Between May and October the Bear Lake Road Corridor requires a timed entry permit in addition to the RMNP day/annual pass. There’s a “timed entry option” and 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 intervals between 5 AM and 6 PM.
The permit is only an extra $2 on top of your RMNP entry pass. Permits are released on the 1st of the month at 8AM MST, one month prior to the dates of entry. They usually add additional permits each night at 7PM MST for the following day though. The early entries get booked up pretty fast, so keep that in mind when planning your hike. It’s also important that you enter RMNP within the 2-hour window of your chosen time slot.
You can book tickets and find more up-to-date information on the RMNP Timed Entry Permit page.
How to Get to the Emerald Lake Trailhead
Hire Car
The best way to get to the Emerald Lake Trailhead is with a car. Having a rental car allowed us to set off as early as we wanted to and gave us a lot of freedom to see other parts of Rocky Mountain National Park as well.
There are actually four entrances to RMNP. For Emerald Lake, enter at the Beaver Meadows Entrance which is only about 10 miles west of Estes Park. From Beaver Meadows, it’s an additional 20 minutes to reach Bear Lake Car Park. The huge car park fills up very quickly in the high season, so don’t be late!
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
If renting a car isn’t an option then you can get to the trailhead with the Hiker Shuttle. The bus departs from the Estes Park Visitor Center and drops you off at Bear Lake Car Park.
The first shuttle leaves at 8:30AM, which means the trail will be a bit more crowded in the high season by the time you arrive. Another con for the shuttle is its frequency, which means you’ll have to time your hike well to avoid waiting around for too long at the end. However, it’s still a good option for getting to the park independently.
The Hiker Shuttle is $2 per person and you can reserve online. Of course, a valid entry pass to the national park will also be needed in addition to the shuttle ticket.
Purchase your Hiker Shuttle ticket here.
Best Time to Hike the Emerald Lake Trail
You can visit Emerald 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. Although there are regular thunderstorms in the afternoon, so you’ll want to set off early. 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, although you can get snow on the trail up until June, so bear this in mind. During the winter months, you can see the lakes 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.
Facilities Around the Emerald Lake
The only toilets are at Bear Lake Car Park, next to the Ranger Station. There isn’t any place that sells food and drink at the trailhead, so bring enough food and water with you. There are some benches along the route, as well as many rocks to sit on to 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!
Map of the Emerald Lake Trail, RMNP, CO
Emerald Lake Trail Quick Statistics:
- Trailhead: Bear Lake Road Car Park (9,450 ft / 2,880 m)
- Trail Length: 3.3 miles / 5.3 km (Out-and-back)
- Elevation Gain: 705 ft / 215 m
- Highest Point: Emerald Lake (10,110 ft / 3,080 m)
- Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Emerald Lake Trail Statistics
Length of the Emerald Lake Trail
The Emerald Lake Trail itself is a 3.3 mile (5.3 km) long out-and-back trail. It took us 1.5 hours to get to Emerald Lake, with plenty of rest / photography stops along the way.
If you don’t mind adding extra miles to your day, then we highly recommend getting to the trailhead before sunrise and completing the 0.7 mile (1.1 km) Bear Lake Loop. This trail is pretty flat, so is a great way to warm up for the steeper hike to come.
We also took a short detour to Lake Haiyaha which added an extra 1.8 miles (2.9 km) to our overall hike.
Level of Difficulty
The Emerald Lake Trail is a moderate hike. The most challenging aspect of the trail is the altitude and elevation gain. You’ll start at 9,450 ft (2,880 m) above sea level and will be climbing up to 10,110 ft (3,080 m).
Gaining around 705 ft (215 m) of elevation in just over 1.5 miles (2.5 km) at altitude will definitely make you go at a slower pace. Luckily, you can take plenty of breaks to catch your breath at the beautiful alpine lakes along the way.
The descent can also be hard on the knees. If you have knee problems, definitely take some walking poles with you.
In addition, if you want to walk around Bear Lake and take the detour to Lake Haiyaha, then your overall trail length will pretty much double. Plus, Lake Haiyaha is located at 10,230 ft (3,118 m), slightly higher than Emerald Lake.
Emerald Lake Hiking Trail Route Description
1. Bear Lake Loop
From Bear Lake Car Park, walk past the Ranger Station and follow the path until it splits into three directions. Here you have a choice to make. The path heading right will take you around Bear Lake, which is a 0.7 mile (1.1 km) loop. Alternatively, you can just take a quick look at the lake by walking down the path to the first viewpoint.
We personally recommend completing the whole loop around Bear Lake, because it’s absolutely stunning. Of course, you can also leave it for the end of your hike, although you may not feel like hiking any more by that point and the trail will be pretty crowded too. Arriving just before sunrise and walking around the lake as the sun comes up was one of the highlights of our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park.
2. Nymph Lake
From the fork, take the path straight ahead and follow it until it splits in two. Here, take the right path towards Nymph Lake, which is only about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from there. The left path would take you to the Glacier Gorge Trail, which continues up to Sky Pond.
It’s going to be a steady climb through the forest, but luckily you can take a break at the first lake. Although Nymph Lake was the smallest along the Emerald Lake Trail, it was still very beautiful. The whole lake was covered in pond lilies, and we could see Hallett Peak towering over the lake in the distance. We also saw a mule deer with her faun coming for a morning drink, which was so lovely to witness.
3. Dream Lake
The next alpine lake along the Emerald Lake Trail is Dream Lake. It’s another 0.6 miles (1 km) further on from Nymph Lake. This section was one of our favourites along the trail, because it took us out of the trees along a gorgeous ridgeline and offered some spectacular views of the national park. From this vantage point we could also see Longs Peak, which is the tallest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Dream Lake is much larger than Nymph Lake and offers some lovely views of Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain. We found a nice rest and snack spot along the shore and enjoyed the views and the sunshine before we carried on to the final lake.
4. Lake Haiyaha (Optional)
Now, just before we reached Dream Lake, the trail split again. We decided to join the Lake Haiyaha Trail which took us to, you guessed it, Lake Haiyaha. This lake was another 1.2 miles (1.9 km) away from Dream Lake. Luckily, not many people do this detour, so the path was relatively quiet compared to the Emerald Lake Trail.
We got to the lake in about 40 minutes, although the path was quite steep. Lake Haiyaha’s shoreline is filled with large boulders, so you have to navigate carefully and watch your step. However, seeing the incredible colour of the lake with Otis Peak and Hallett Peak in the distance made the detour worthwhile.
If you don’t feel like walking the extra 2 miles, then you can always incorporate Lake Haiyaha into the Sky Pond Trail on a different day.
5. Emerald Lake
After returning from Lake Haiyaha, we joined back up with the Emerald Lake Trail. The path continued along the north shore of Dream Lake before we had to climb up a series of stone steps. This section was quite steep with a fair bit of elevation gain, but your efforts will pay off when you reach Emerald Lake.
It was definitely busy by the time we got to the lake, but we still managed to find a spot higher up to have our well-deserved lunch from. Whilst we could see Hallett Peak from every single lake, at Emerald Lake we could really appreciate its true scale. The jagged spires of Flattop Mountain right next to it weren’t a bad sight either. After relaxing for a while, it was time to head back the same way we’d come.
Best Places to Stay Near Emerald Lake
If you want to start your hike 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
Additional Hikes from the Emerald Lake Trailhead
The Emerald Lake Trailhead is essentially the gateway to many popular high elevation hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. You can just opt to do the easy Bear Lake Loop, or challenge yourself to the Lake Haiyaha Trail. From this trailhead, you can also follow the Glacier Gorge and Sky Pond Trails towards Sky Pond Lake, or hike the Flattop Mountain Trail.
Hiking trails in RMNP
- Bear Lake Loop Trail (easy hike)
- Sprague Lake Loop Trail (easy hike)
- Sky Pond Trail (moderate to hard hike)
- Short and Easy Hikes in RMNP
Scenic roads in RMNP
Final Thoughts on Hiking the Emerald Lake Trail
Although it’s one of the most popular trails in Rocky Mountain National Park, we really enjoyed hiking the Emerald Lake Trail. We’re so glad that we booked the earliest timed entry permit possible, which allowed us to watch the sunrise from Bear Lake. Since many people make their way up to Emerald Lake straight away, doing the Bear Lake Loop first allowed us to enjoy the lake without the crowds and gave our legs a nice little warm up before we headed up higher to the other lakes.
Of course, since we did the little detour to Lake Haiyaha, by the time we got to Emerald Lake it was pretty busy. However, we don’t regret the additional miles, as we could still very much enjoy the spectacular scenery at the final lake.
Now, let your adventure begin,
Remember…It all starts with a Pin…
Looks so beautiful! Can’t wait to go to CO someday!
It’s such a gorgeous hike indeed. I hope you can visit in the near future.