Summary
The Emerald Lake Trail is one of the most popular day hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), located just a short distance from the town of Estes Park, Colorado. It’s a family-friendly hike featuring three scenic lakes—Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake—along with optional side trails to Bear Lake and Lake Haiyaha.
Wildlife sightings are common on the way to Emerald Lake, making it an excellent starter trail for acclimating to higher elevations in the Rockies. This guide provides essential information regarding the Emerald Lake Colorado hike, including permits, parking, trailhead locations, and everything you should know before your adventure!
Where To Stay In Estes Park
Quick Facts*
- Distance: 3.2 miles (5.2 km) round trip
- Elevation Gain: 650 feet (200 m)
- Start Elevation: 9,450 feet (2,880 m)
- End Elevation: 10,100 feet (3,080 m)
- Duration: 2 – 3 hours round trip
- Difficulty: Easy
*These statistics are for the roundtrip hike to Emerald Lake without including optional side trails for Bear Lake or Lake Haiyaha.
Emerald Lake Trail: What To Expect
The Emerald Lake Colorado hike takes you to three different alpine lakes, with an option to explore two more lakes if you have the time. It is a relatively short and easy hike, suitable for all ages and ability levels. Although the elevation might initially leave you breathless, it serves as an excellent introduction to the more challenging hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park.
One of the great aspects of this hike is the flexibility it offers. You can turn around at any point, and even if you don’t complete the whole trek to Emerald Lake, you’ll still enjoy beautiful scenery along the way.
Wildlife is another highlight of the Emerald Lake Trail. While elk are commonly spotted, there’s also the chance to see black bears, moose, deer, and other wildlife. It’s essential to keep pets at home and keep young children within sight due to potential wildlife encounters.
This trail is extremely popular and can get crowded. Therefore, starting your hike early in the morning or late in the afternoon is advisable. Access permits for Rocky Mountain National Park are also required for this hike, and further details will be explained later in this guide.
The sections below provide an overview of each part of the Emerald Lake Colorado hike and what you can expect along the way. It truly is a fantastic starter trail in RMNP!
• Trailhead To Nymph Lake (Part 1 of 3)
Distance: 0.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 250 feet
Time: 20-30 minutes
The Emerald Lake Trail begins with a short ascent to Nymph Lake, the smallest of the three primary lakes on the trail. Initially a paved path, it soon transitions to dirt and rocky terrain.
Near the trailhead, there is a junction where hikers can choose to turn right for Bear Lake or left for Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes. You can always revisit Bear Lake on your way back, as it’s conveniently located near the trailhead.
After about 20-30 minutes of hiking, you’ll reach Nymph Lake, adorned with lily pads. Here, you’ll find a nice bench for resting during your hike.
In the early morning, encountering a herd of elk crossing the trail is quite common. Although Nymph Lake is enjoyable, it’s more of a pond, serving as a preview for the more magnificent Dream Lake and Emerald Lake.
• Nymph Lake to Dream Lake (Part 2 of 3)
Distance: 0.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 200 feet
Time: 20-30 minutes
The brief ascent from Nymph Lake to Dream Lake starts off steep, but soon levels out. During this segment of the hike, breathtaking scenic views of Rocky Mountain National Park come into view, including sights of Longs Peak.
After 20-30 minutes of hiking from Nymph Lake, you’ll arrive at a junction with a sign indicating paths to Lake Haiyaha to the left, and to Dream Lake and Emerald Lake to the right.
Shortly after passing this sign, you will reach Dream Lake, which is larger and more stunning than Nymph Lake, with views of Hallett Peak in the background.
• Dream Lake to Emerald Lake Colorado (Part 3 of 3)
Distance: 0.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 200 feet
Time: 20-30 minutes
The final hike from Dream Lake to Emerald Lake is the last leg of your journey. While this segment of the trail is not significantly longer or steeper than the initial parts, you may feel the altitude making it slightly harder to catch your breath.
Along this section, you’ll walk through serene green meadows dotted with pine trees and friendly chipmunks.
After 20-30 minutes of hiking from Dream Lake, you’ll arrive at Emerald Lake Colorado, one of the most beautiful lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. The water, a striking emerald color, creates stunning reflections in the early morning before the wind picks up. Moreover, the impressive Hallett Peak directly overlooks the lake.
Dream Lake To Lake Haiyaha (Optional)
Distance: 0.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 325 feet
Time: 30-40 minutes
After visiting Emerald Lake, if you wish to extend your hike, you can retrace your steps to Dream Lake and take the side trail to Lake Haiyaha, clearly marked with a sign.
Keep in mind that the trail to Lake Haiyaha is a bit longer and steeper than the other three lakes you’ve hiked to and includes an uphill climb.
Despite the challenge, Lake Haiyaha is well worth the visit if you have the strength and time. The trail is less crowded than the others while still offering scenic views of the park.
Lake Haiyaha is bright blue and framed by massive boulders, which can be tricky to navigate. If you want to get a closer view of the lake, maneuvering through these boulders is necessary.
Once you finish your visit to Lake Haiyaha, you will need to retrace your steps back to Dream Lake and then back to the Bear Lake trailhead.
Bear Lake Loop (Optional)
Distance: 0.7 miles (roundtrip)
Elevation Gain: 50 feet (roundtrip)
Time: 20-30 minutes (roundtrip)
Upon finishing at Emerald Lake, be sure to visit Bear Lake, conveniently located near the trailhead. You can capture breathtaking photographs of this lake without extensive hiking.
To complete the loop around Bear Lake, a walking time of about 20-30 minutes is ideal. The path is primarily flat, making it suitable for children, seniors, or individuals with mobility issues.
The Bear Lake Loop is one of the shortest and easiest hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park, offering plentiful photo opportunities. Early morning visits provide excellent reflection views as well.
Entrance Fee
For most of the year, visitors require both a national park pass and a timed entry permit to access Rocky Mountain National Park, which includes the Emerald Lake trail.
The national park pass can easily be obtained online or in person. Many choose the annual pass, as they visit several U.S. parks throughout the year, but daily passes are also available. Further information about current fees can be found on the RMNP website.
A timed entry permit is also necessary for the Emerald Lake Trail. This requirement aims to manage crowds in RMNP and may have exceptions for early morning or late afternoon arrivals.
More details about the timed entry permit and acquisition instructions can be found at the RMNP website.
Map For Emerald Lake
Here’s a map from AllTrails illustrating the hiking route and elevation profile.
Trailhead For Emerald Lake: How To Get There
The Emerald Lake hike commences at the Bear Lake trailhead, located at the end of Bear Lake Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
Here are the GPS coordinates: 40.312007745083704, -105.64600936235149
You can click this link to access maps and navigate directly to the parking area, which is a 45-minute drive from Estes Park or 2 hours from Denver, Colorado.
While referred to as the Bear Lake trailhead on maps, rest assured that the Emerald Lake trail also begins from this location.
Trailhead Conditions
The road leading to the Bear Lake trailhead is paved and well-maintained, requiring no special vehicle clearance. Upon entering Bear Lake Road, friendly rangers at the booth will check entry permits. At the trailhead, you will find information signs, vault toilets, trash bins, a water bottle filling station, and a trail map.
The trailhead features a large parking lot with over 200 spaces. However, due to the extreme popularity of this hike, parking fills quickly. If the lot is full, consider using the Park & Ride shuttle bus service provided by the National Park Service.
U.S. National Park Regulations
The Emerald Lake trail is part of Rocky Mountain National Park, so the usual U.S. national park regulations apply.
As always, please keep the trail clean, respect fellow hikers, and leave no trace. Thank you, and happy travels!
Best Time To Visit
The Emerald Lake Colorado hike is beautiful at any time of day; however, it is best experienced during the early morning hours.
Because of its immense popularity, securing parking can be challenging. By going in the morning, you can mitigate some of the crowds and heat. Morning visits also provide great photographic opportunities, as you can capture reflections on the lakes.
The Emerald Lake hike is accessible year-round, but the optimal months to visit are from May to October, when the trails are free from snow and ice. You can check current trail conditions on the RMNP website before your visit.
