Rocky Mountain National Park: Estes Park, Colorado

The Trails:

Four Lake Loop Trail
• Distance: 7 miles (combined with Sky Pond: 12 miles)
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Highlights: Emerald Lake, Lake Haiyaha, Dream Lake, Bear Lake, Nymph Lake

Bear Lake Road is one of the most popular areas within Rocky Mountain National Park. Upon reading reviews from others regarding parking, I discovered it can be a nightmare after 9 a.m. So my anxious ass decided to wake up at 4 a.m., and I hit the trailhead by 6 a.m. Good decision. When I got back, that visitors/parking area was a circus. I decided to combine the Four Lake Loop Trail with the Sky Pond Trail. Once I looked at the map, I only added 4 miles to combine the two. Four Lakes Loop passes by five amazing lakes: Emerald Lake, Lake Haiyaha, Dream Lake, Bear Lake, and Nymph Lake, despite what its name suggests for the trail.

Sky Pond via Glacier Gorge Trail
• Distance: 9 miles
• Difficulty: Hard
• Highlights: Alberta Falls, The Loch, Timberline Falls, Lake of Glass, Sky Pond

This hike was so much fun! I did the Four Lakes Loop first before beginning the scramble up toward Sky Pond. The last two alpine lakes were kind of sketchy climbing to, including a waterfall scramble. But, man, was it worth it. The trail leads past Alberta Falls and The Loch, an alpine lake. You keep going up through the switchbacks to Timberline Falls, where the real fun happens. There’s a steep scramble right next to the falls. I went into full-send mode and climbed straight up, it was wet but incredibly fun. Just beyond the scramble is Lake of Glass, a phenomenal preview of beauty up ahead. By the time I reached Sky Pond, I found myself sitting by the edge, feet in the freezing water, enjoying a well-deserved lunch.

Gem Lake
• Distance: 3.5 miles round trip
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Noteworthy features: Rocky stairs, 1,000 feet of elevation gain, serene alpine lake

Feeling a little sore from yesterday’s 14-miler, I went easier today with a hike up to Gem Lake. It was relatively short but still quite powerful. Trail stairs are one of my least favorite things, and the trail up to Gem Lake came with no shortage, as well as 1,000 feet in elevation gain. My hamstrings certainly got some exercise on this trip. But once I reached the top, a quick dip in the smaller alpine lake made all the effort worth it.

Lake Estes
• Distance: 3.75 miles loop
• Difficulty: Easy
• Highlights: Wildlife, lake, mountain breeze

I took a leisurely walk around Lake Estes, trying to give my hamstrings a break. It was really nice to see elk in the fields, soak in all the views, and take in the mountain breezes. Well earned as there was no elevation gain to speak of so my muscles got a little break while I soaked in the beautiful outdoors more.

Scenic Drives:

Old Fall River Road
• Distance: 11 miles (one-way)
• Difficulty: Moderate (4WD recommended)
• Highlights: Chasm Falls, switchbacks, elevation gain, stunning mountain views

Shout out to recently purchased Toyota 4Runner going on its first little adventure. After a few recommendations, I decided to head up Old Fall River Road to the Alpine Visitor Center and thought “What the hell? Why not?” It would be just what a man ordered for a beautiful, afternoon adventure: not really a very difficult trail to drive up by a long shot, with but a few switchbacks, and with open views of the Rocky Mountains. Chasm Falls were very nice, a great place to stop on the way up this trail. What made this adventure truly special was the transition from a lush forest at the base to reaching above the tree line at over 12,000 feet above sea level. It was such a surreal experience.

Trail Ridge Road
• 48 miles long
• Ease: Easy (paved road)
• Attractions: High-altitude scenery, panoramic views, wildlife

Connecting Old Fall River Road at the top end and the Alpine Visitor Center at its other end lies Trail Ridge Road. Driving over this high-altitude road in the National Park of Rocky Mountain creates a tour that should be very breathtaking for anyone, it is among the most glorious and magnificent scenery experiences in the United States. As the highest continuous paved road in North America, Trail Ridge Road runs approximately 48 miles from Estes Park on the park’s east side to Grand Lake on the west, topping out at an elevation of 12,183 feet above sea level.

Non-Hiking Things to Do:

Estes Park Aerial Tram & Prospect Mountain Trail
I usually do not favor things like going on a tram. Generally, I love to hike and see as much of the outside world as possible. However, I couldn’t resist trying the Aerial Tram from the heart of Estes Park all the way to the summit of Prospect Mountain, and I totally recommend it. It’s really great to see the landscape from above without any effort. The ride is only about 5 minutes long, but you can stay up there as long as you want. I didn’t do any hiking, just walked less than a mile to the west summit and sat down to enjoy the view of Estes Park.

Eats:

Smokin’ Daves BBQ
Oh em gee! This BBQ joint has food so good, it’ll make you wanna slap yo momma! Just outside the Bear Lake Road entrance, this place is a definite find. The food here is ridiculously cheap and flat-out tasty. I actually wanted to come a second time, but there was an hour wait; and I was way too hungry to wait that long. I’ll certainly be returning to Estes Park, if only for their BBQ. I’m telling you, it’s that good.