 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
(Note that not all accessible trailheads are listed) |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
BEAR LAKE TRAILHEADS - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 9,475 feet Destinations include Dream Lake, Emerald Lake, Flattop Mountain, Lake Haiyaha, and Hallett Peak Bear Lake is a popular area on the east side of the Continental Divide. From the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station on U.S. Highway 36, head west about 0.2 miles and turn south on Bear Lake Road (toward Moraine Park). Follow Bear Lake Road a little over 9 miles to the large parking area where Bear Lake Road ends. Bear Lake is just west of the parking lot. The Emerald Lake trail begins southeast of the lake; the Flattop Mountain trail begins on the east side of the lake. BEAR LAKE ROAD IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND VEHICLE RESTRICTIONS APPLY. Click here for more information. BOWEN/BAKER TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 8,864 feet Destinations include Baker Pass, Bowen Pass, Bowen Lake, and Parika Lake The Bowen/Baker Trailhead is on the west side of the Continental Divide between Grand Lake and Milner Pass. Follow Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road) either 6.7 miles north of the Kawuneeche Visitor Center or 10.6 miles south of Milner Pass. The trailhead parking area is on the west side of the highway. Even though almost all of the trail system accessed from this trailhead is National Forest land, the parking lot is in Rocky Mountain National Park, and vehicles parked here are subject to overnight parking restrictions. CHAPIN CREEK TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 11,020 feet Destinations include Mount Chapin, Mount Chiquita, and Ypsilon Mountain The Chapin Creek Trailhead (also referred to as the Chapin Pass Trailhead) is accessed from Fall River Road, about 8 miles past the Lawn Lake Trailhead. Fall River Road is a difficult road for the National Park Service to maintain, so it is generally open for a short season from July through September, and is subject to temporary closures at all times. Note that Fall River Road is one-way uphill, so hikers must drive to the Alpine Visitor Center and return to their starting location via Trail Ridge Road. Chapin Creek Trailhead parking is limited to roadside parking along Fall River Road, and this area can become crowded with vehicles at times. COLORADO RIVER TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 9,000 feet Destinations include Lake of the Clouds, Little Yellowstone, Red Mountain, Shipler Park, and Thunder Pass The Colorado River Trailhead is on the west side of the Continental Divide between Grand Lake and Milner Pass. Follow Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road) either 10 miles north of the Kawuneeche Visitor Center or 7 miles south of Milner Pass. The large trailhead parking area is on the west side of the highway. COW CREEK TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 7,840 feet Destinations include Bridal Veil Falls and West Creek Falls The Cow Creek Trailhead (also called the McGraw Ranch Trailhead) is directly north of Estes Park. To reach the trailhead, drive on Devils Gulch Road north of Estes Park approximately 4 miles to the McGraw Ranch Road intersection.Veer left onto the unpaved McGraw Ranch Road and follow this road for just over 2 miles to the Cow Creek Trailhead. The National Park Service limits parking at this trailhead, and may notify hikers with a "lot full" sign at the intersection of Devils Gulch and McGraw Ranch Roads. CUB LAKE TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 8,080 feet Destinations include Cub Lake and The Pool The Cub Lake Trailhead is on the west end of Moraine Park, on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park. From the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station on U.S. Highway 36, head west less than a quarter mile and turn south on Bear Lake Road toward Moraine Park. Follow Bear Lake Road about 1.2 miles to a right-hand turn toward Fern Lake and the Moraine Park campground. This road follows the north side of Moraine Park for a half-mile to another junction. At this junction, turn left (south) toward the Fern Lake and Cub Lake Trailheads. Cub Lake Trailhead is about 1.2 miles from this point, and parking space is limited. EAST INLET TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 8,391 feet Destinations include Adams Falls, Andrews Peak, Mount Craig, Lone Pine Lake, and Lake Verna The East Inlet Trailhead is on the west side of the Continental Divide on the east side of the town of Grand Lake. Follow Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road) to the turnoff for Grand Lake on Highway 278. Stay on 278 and bypass the main road through Grand Lake, and continue to the trailhead, about 2.7 miles from U.S. 34. FERN LAKE TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 8,155 feet Destinations include Fern Falls, Fern Lake, Loomis Lake, Odessa Lake, Spruce Lake, and The Pool The Fern Lake Trailhead is on the west end of Moraine Park, on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park. From the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station on U.S. Highway 36, head west less than a quarter mile and turn south on Bear Lake Road toward Moraine Park. Follow Bear Lake Road about 1.2 miles to a right-hand turn toward Fern Lake and the Moraine Park campground. This road follows the north side of Moraine Park for a half-mile to another junction. At this junction, turn left (south) toward the Fern Lake and Cub Lake Trailheads. Cub Lake Trailhead is about two miles from this point, and parking space is limited. FINCH LAKE TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 8,470 feet Destinations include Cony Lake, Finch Lake, Hutcheson Lakes and Pear Lake The Finch Lake Trailhead is in the southeast portion of Rocky Mountain National Park in the Wild Basin area. Turn west on to Wild Basin Road from Colorado Highway 7, at a junction about 13 miles south of Estes Park, or 2 miles north of Allesnpark. Continue west to the Copeland Lake area, approximately one-half mile from Highway 7. The Finch Lake trailhead is about 1.8 miles beyond Copeland Lake on a narrow gravel road. The trail begins on the south side of the road. GLACIER GORGE TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 9,240 feet Destinations include Alberta Falls, Black Lake, The Loch, Mills Lake, and Sky Pond The Glacier Gorge Trailhead is on the east side of the Continental Divide near Bear Lake. From the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station on U.S. Highway 36, head west less than a quarter mile and turn south on Bear Lake Road (toward Moraine Park). Follow Bear Lake Road approximately 9 miles to the small parking area at Glacier Gorge. This lot often fills up early in the morning when Bear Lake Road is open to vehicle traffic. The trailhead begins across the road to the south. BEAR LAKE ROAD IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND VEHICLE RESTRICTIONS APPLY. Click here for more information. GREEN MOUNTAIN TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 8,800 feet Destinations include Big Meadows and Granite Falls The Green Mountain Trailhead is on the west side of the Continental Divide between Grand Lake and Milner Pass. Follow Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road) either 3 miles north of the Kawuneeche Visitor Center or 14 miles south of Milner Pass. The trailhead parking area is on the east side of the highway. LAKE AGNES TRAILHEAD - Colorado State Forest, Elevation: 10,250 feet Destinations include Lake Agnes The Lake Agnes Trailhead is located in the Colorado State Forest near Cameron Pass, just northwest of Rocky Mountain National Park. The trailhead is accessed from Colorado Highway 14, about 7 miles east of the town of Gould, or about 2.5 miles west of Cameron Pass. Turn south off of Highway 14 on to a marked gravel road to a day-use fee tollbooth. Turn right (south) at the junction about one-half mile from the highway, and drive the steep road south to the trailhead, about another 1.5 miles. This road is neither well graded nor well maintained, but is still normally passable for most vehicles in dry, summer conditions. LAWN LAKE TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 8,540 feet Destinations include Crystal Lake, Lawn Lake, and Ypsilon Lake The Lawn Lake Trailhead is located on the east side of the Continental Divide in the northeast portion of Rocky Mountain National Park. The trailhead is located just off U.S. Highway 34 in the Horseshoe Park area. To reach Horseshoe Park, drive on Highway 34 west of Estes Park to the Fall River Entrance Station. Continue west past the station for just over 2 miles to where the highway turns south beyond Sheep Lakes, and turn right (west) on to Fall River Road. The trailhead parking area is just 0.1 mile after this turn, on the right (north) side of Fall River Road. The trailhead can also be reached from Highway 36 at Deer Ridge Junction by taking Highway 34 north to Horseshoe Park, and turning left (west) on to Fall River Road. LONG LAKE TRAILHEAD - Indian Peaks Wilderness, Elevation: 10,480 feet Destinations include Lake Isabelle, Isabelle Glacier, Long Lake, and Pawnee Pass The Long Lake Trailhead is on the east side of the continental divide in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. To reach to trailhead parking area, drive on Colorado Highway 72 to the vicinity of the town of Ward. Just north of Ward on Highway 72, there is a large sign marking a road leading west to Brainard Lake. Follow Brainard Lake Road for about 6 miles to Brainard Lake. The Long Lake Trailhead parking area is accessed from a left-hand turn just past the lake. Brainard Lake Road remains closed at about the halfway point between Highway 72 and Brainard Lake until after most of the spring snowfall has melted, which is in lateJune or early July in most years. There is an entrance fee collected for driving into the Brainard Lake area. LONGS PEAK TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 9,400 feet Destinations include Chasm Lake, Estes Cone, Longs Peak, and The Keyhole The Longs Peak Trailhead is on the east side of the Continental Divide between Estes Park and the village of Meeker Park. Longs Peak Road provides access to the trailhead from Colorado Highway 7. Turn west on to Longs Peak Road from Highway 7 at a junction approximately 9 miles south of Estes Park, or 2 miles north of Meeker Park. Look for a left (south) turn to the trailhead parking area, about 1 mile from Highway 7, where Longs Peak Road continues straight (west) to the Longs Peak Campground. LILY MOUNTAIN TRAILHEAD - Roosevelt National Forest, Elevation: 8,780 feet Destinations include Lily Mountain The Lily Mountain Trailhead is on the east side of the Continental Divide between Estes Park and Meeker Park. Parking is limited to a very small area of roadside parking near the trailhead. The trailhead is not prominently marked, and is along the west shoulder of Highway 7 just south of a few major rock cuts on the highway. This is about 2.4 miles south of the turnoff to Marys Lake Road if approaching from Estes Park, or about 0.5 miles from the Lily Lake area if approaching from the south. MILNER PASS TRAILHEADS - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 10,758 feet Destinations include Forest Canyon Pass and Mount Ida The Trailheads at Milner Pass provide access to the Milner Pass, Forest Canyon Pass, and Poudre Valley Trails. Milner Pass is on the continental divide along Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road), about 17 miles north of the Kawuneeche Visitor Center. Parking for the Milner Pass Trail is on the south end of Poudre Lake, and parking for Poudre Valley Trail is across from the lake on the west side of the road. MITCHELL CREEK TRAILHEAD - Indian Peaks Wilderness, Elevation: 10,480 feet Destinations include Mount Audubon, Blue Lake, and Mitchell Lake The Mitchell Creek Trailhead is on the east side of the continental divide in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. To reach to trailhead parking area, drive on Colorado Highway 72 to the vicinity of the town of Ward. Just north of Ward on Highway 72, there is a large sign marking a road leading west to Brainard Lake. Follow Brainard Lake Road for about 6 miles to Brainard Lake. The Mitchell Creek Trailhead parking area is accessed from a right-hand turn just past the lake. Brainard Lake Road remains closed at about the halfway point between Highway 72 and Brainard Lake until after most of the spring snowfall has melted, which is in late June or early July in most years. An entrance fee is collected for driving into the Brainard Lake area. NORTH INLET TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 8,540 feet Destinations include Cascade Falls, Lake Nanita, Lake Nokoni, and Summerland Park The Northt Inlet Trailhead is on the west side of the Continental Divide just north of the town of Grand Lake. Follow Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road) to the turnoff for Grand Lake on Highway 278. Stay on 278 and bypass the main road through Grand Lake, and continue to a marked turn left (north) about 0.8 miles from U.S. 34. Follow this narrow, unpaved road to the North Inlet and Tonahutu Trailheads. ROCK CUT TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 12,110 feet Destinations include The Toll Memorial The Rock Cut Trailhead is loacted on the north side of Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road) as it travels above timberline. The parking area is about 13 miles west of Deer Ridge Junction, between Forest Canyon Overlook and the Alpine Visitor Center. There is roadside parking on both sides of the highway. SAINT VRAIN MOUNTAIN TRAILHEAD - Roosevelt National Park, Elevation: 8,800 feet Destinations include Meadow Mountain and Saint Vrain Mountain The road to the Saint Vrain Mountain Trailhead begins in the town of Allenspark. From Highway 7 turn south on to Business Highway 7 in to Allenspark, and look for a gravel road named Ski Road. Follow Ski Road south out of town and in to public lands. About 2 miles from Highway 7, Ski Road splits; take the right-hand road at the split. From this point, drive 0.5 miles to the trailhead parking area where the road ends. There is room for about ten vehicles at this small parking area. SANDBEACH LAKE TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 8,350 feet Destinations include Mount Orton and Sandbeach Lake The Sandbeach Lake Trail parking area is near the entrance to Wild Basin, just east of Copeland Lake on the southeast side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Turn west on to Wild Basin Road from Colorado Highway 7, at a junction about 13 miles south of Estes Park or 2 miles north of Allenspark. The parking lot for the trailhead is just westof Highway 7, near the entrance fee station. SPRAGUE LAKE TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 8,710 feet Destinations include Sprague Lake The Sprague Lake parking area is south of Bear Lake Road, just west of the Glacier Basin Campground. From Bear Lake Road, turn south on to Sprague Lake Road a little over 5 miles from the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station. This road leads to a large parking lot and picnic area immediately west of Sprague Lake. BEAR LAKE ROAD IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND VEHICLE RESTRICTIONS APPLY. Click here for more information. TIMBER LAKE TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 9,010 feet Destinations include Timber Lake and Mount Ida The Timber Lake Trailhead is on the west side of the Continental Divide between Grand Lake and Milner Pass. Follow Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road) either 10 miles north of the Kawuneeche Visitor Center or 7 miles south of Milner Pass. The trailhead parking area is on the east side of the highway. TONAHUTU TRAILHEAD - (See North Inlet Trailhead) WILD BASIN TRAILHEAD - Rocky Mountain National Park, Elevation: 8,500 feet Destinations include Bluebird Lake, Lion Lake #1, Ouzel Falls, Ouzel Lake, and Thunder Lake The Wild Basin Trailhead is on the east side of the Continental Divide between Meeker Park and Allenspark. Turn west on to Wild Basin Road from Colorado Highway 7, about 13 miles south of Estes Park or 2 miles north of Allenspark. Continue west to the Copeland Lake area, roughly one-half mile from Highway 7. The Wild Basin trailhead is about 2 miles beyond Copeland Lake on a narrow gravel road. The trailhead begins on the south end of the parking area at the Wild Basin Ranger Station. Access to this parking area is limited during seasons when snowfall is still present, so it is generally open June-October. |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
All photographs and images are property of Mike Amfahr (unless otherwise noted) and are protected by copyright laws. |
|||||||||||||||||||||