Length of stay: 3 days
Visited: May 2024
Rocky Mountain National Park is located in Colorado and is one the most visited national parks in the United States. It is also one of the highest national parks with 118 peaks that are above 3,000 meters (or 10,000 feet). Besides mountains, the park encompasses alpine lakes, meadows, and forests and boasts of having an abundance of hiking trails to enjoy the scenery.
After spending the past couple of days in Grand Junction it was time for us to head further into the mountains. We had about a five hour drive to get to Estes Park, which is just outside the eastern entrance of Rocky Mountain. It was overcast and lightly raining when we left. As we progressed further into the mountains, the rain got heavier, which turned to wet snow and then even more snow. And if you’re thinking today was a good day to be in the car, you’re right. Except we ended up being in the car for just over ten hours due to the miserable weather, car accidents and multiple road closures. By the time we arrived at our accommodations it was time for (a late) dinner.
Day 1: Gem Lake
Now that we were at a higher elevation it was time to trade our t-shirts and shorts for warmer clothing. We ended up donning those extra layers in the middle of the night as the heating in our room wasn’t working. We dressed the baby in her bunting suit and put her in the bed between to us for some additional warmth. Needless to say, we didn’t sleep much, except for the baby and I guess that’s all that matters.
It was tough to get out of bed in the morning. We ended up turning the shower on to warm up the room, which worked pretty well, but it felt wasteful. We then had to wait for the lobby to open to see if we could switch rooms. They gave us a space heater instead, which worked just fine.
After eating breakfast we were eager to get some exercise after sitting in the car the day before. Since the weather was looking promising in Estes Park we decided to stay close to town and settled on Gem Lake (5.1km roundtrip, rated moderate). The trail starts just north of the town at the Lumpy Ridge Trailhead. There’s actually three trails that start from the parking area with Gem Lake to the right and Twin Owls and Black Canyon to the left.
The first portion of the path weaves through the forest on private property that has belonged to the MacGregor Ranch for over a century. The park purchased a conservation easement on most of the property to safeguard it from being developed in case the land was ever sold.
The trail gradually makes its way up a ridge, crossing large granite slabs and passing rocky cliffs and numerous boulders of every shape and size. The trail was in great condition considering we were visiting early in May. It was mostly dry, but we did see some snowy patches along the sides.
After the first half a mile or so there’s a turnoff for the Twin Owls View Trail and Black Canyon Trail. But we continued on to Gem Lake. Shortly after the junction we got our first views of the mountains and a glimpse of Estes Park from up above. As we made our way further up the ridge we could see more and more of the town and surrounding area.
The next notable point of interest along the trail is a balanced rock with a hole through it, known as Paul Bunyan’s Boot.
As we made our way further up the ridge we passed more lumpy looking rock formations, which help explain how Lumpy Ridge got its name.
And then the real challenge begins with a final push up several stone steps to reach Gem Lake. There were a couple of icy sections and steep steps to climb up, but it wasn’t too bad. The lake was still partially frozen and there were some interesting formations and patterns in the ice. But the really neat thing about Gem Lake is that there is no stream or river that feeds into it. It gets its water solely from the snow melt and rain.
We walked along the shoreline, but it was quite blustery. We didn’t stay long as the baby was sleeping and the only way to keep her napping was to keep moving. So we retraced our steps back to the trailhead.
We returned to our accommodations to take a long break and eat a late lunch. The rest of the afternoon was rather uneventful. We drove to the Falls River Visitor Center in town. While it was open, due to construction, there wasn’t much there. Instead we chatted with a ranger to inquire about trail conditions at the Bear Lake area of the park. We picked up some groceries and had an early night.
Day 2: Bear Lake Area
We woke up to cooler weather and grey skies. The forecast was calling for rain and snow later in the day. After eating breakfast, we got right to it. We planned to spend the morning in the Bear Lake area of Rocky Mountain, one of the most iconic spots in the park. So much so that it typically requires an additional reservation. But since we were visiting early in the season, we didn’t need to secure a reservation for the Bear Lake Road corridor. All we needed was our park pass. And microspikes.
To start off nice and easy, we first stopped to hike the Sprague Lake Loop (1.1km loop, rated easy). The trail hugs the shore of the lake and provides beautiful views of the mountains along the Continental Divide. It’s reputed to be a great spot to see moose. But we weren’t so lucky. The trail was mostly dry though.
We made our way to the end of Bear Lake Road, which marks the start of a few different trails for a bit of a choose your own adventure. This area sits at a much higher elevation (2,888 m or 9,475 ft) in comparison to Estes Park and as a result there was still quite a bit of snow on the ground. The below picture should give you a sense of just how much snow this area gets as the trail signpost was mostly buried under the snow. We strapped on our microspikes and followed the signs towards Dream Lake (3.5km round trip, rated moderate).
The trail was wide and the snow was packed down. We walked through the snowy forest, gaining a bit of elevation, to Nymph Lake. While the lake was still frozen, we enjoyed the views of the snow covered mountains. We were thankful there wasn’t any wind.
This marked the mid-way point of our hike to Dream Lake. From there the path narrows and there are a few steeper sections, but they were no match for our microspikes. We were surprised to see quite a few hikers attempt this section in just running shoes though.
The path continues onward to Emerald Lake, but it’s reputed to involve a lot of steep uphills. We weren’t sure how much time we’d have before the baby awakened from her nap. And it had started to snow at this point. So we turned around and walked back the way we came. But before heading back to the parking lot, we made a quick detour to check out Bear Lake. There’s a short trail that loops around the lake.
We headed back to our accommodations for lunch. Later in the afternoon we hit the road again to go for a scenic drive along a small section of Trail Ridge Road that was open. Trail Ridge Road connects Estes Park in the east with Grand Lake on the west. It soars to an elevation of 3,713 m (or 12,183 ft) and is the highest continuous paved road in the United States. Because of all the snow in the winter, it typically doesn’t fully open until the end of May or sometimes even the beginning of June.
There were a few overlooks along the first 10km of the road we could access. This included the Beaver Boardwalk where there’s a short boardwalk that leads to an overlook of a marshy area and Many Parks Curve which is reputed to provide a nice view of Longs Peak and Deer Mountain.
The road was closed past the Many Parks Curves overlook so this is where we turned around. The timing worked out well as it had just started to rain.
Day 3: Lily Lake
The rain turned into snow overnight and we woke up to a light dusting of wet snow on the ground. The temperature was hovering just below freezing. After eating breakfast, we packed up and checked out of our hotel. On the drive out of the park we stopped for one last hike along Lily Lake (1.3km loop, rated easy). The short trail follows the shoreline and is mostly gravel with a small section along a wooden boardwalk. The landscape looked magical covered in a fresh layer of snow.
And now back to Denver.
L
Wow! The scenery is so beautiful there, guys! It kind of reminds me of Michigan in winter sans the mountains. The frozen lakes are very beautiful. Your child is almost a world traveler already, so sweet. Have a dandy weekend.
There’s just something about the mountains that keeps calling us back. The weather can be unpredictable in the spring, but the trails were surprisingly in really good condition. And I’d rather hike in the snow than mud! Our little one just loves being outdoors. She no longer sleeps as much while we’re hiking with her, but she enjoys coming along for the ride! Enjoy the rest of your weekend as well.
Aw that’s so wonderful , Linda! I love babies, I wanna hug them, they are soooo cute! ☺️😊❤️❤️
Oh I know! And babies have the softest skin and smell so good too!
😊💕🙏🏻🙏🏻
I can see why she wants to stay awake to soak in the views!
No kidding! She’s got great taste already!
The snow is pretty but I try to avoid it if I can. Baby is experiencing all kinds of weather. How was she in the car for 10 hours?
With the right gear and weather, hiking in the snow is actually quite fun. The trails are typically quieter, there are no bugs or bears, and the scenery just looks so pretty. Thankfully it wasn’t terribly windy or cold when we visited. Baby M did surprisingly well in the car. We pulled over several times when we could to give her a break from her car seat. It was a bit much though. Thankfully we stayed in Estes Park for a few nights and didn’t have to do much driving in Rocky Mountain.
That’s such a beautiful area. It’s great to go in May or June but there’s always the chance that you will encounter poor weather. I often see people with poor footwear choices out on the trails. Often it doesn’t matter much from a safety perspective but runners in snowy, wet conditions isn’t great. Baby M seems like a very good traveller!
We really lucked out with the weather, minus having to drive through a snowstorm to get there. Despite visiting early in the spring, the trails were actually in really good condition. And hey, I’d rather hike through snow, especially when it’s packed down, compared to the mud! Microspikes have been such a game changer. Our biggest obstacle was having to wait to pass a group of hikers who were slipping and sliding around in their runners. We didn’t want them to take us down if they fell.
Geez, I need to walk in your footsteps some! What lovely places you travel!
Aww thanks! Rocky Mountain was such a highlight. We weren’t sure how much we’d be able to do on this road trip as it was our first time travelling with our little one, but she did remarkably well.
Glad you made it to some of our favorite spots in RMNP and that you’re getting your little one out in nature. Our twin daughters made their first hike around Bear Lake when they were 2 years old. They are 26 now. Gem Lake has what we call “The Most Beautiful Outhouse in the World”–perched on a rock outcropping, walls only about 5 feet high with no roof, and an amazing view of Longs Peak and the Continental Divide.
We weren’t sure what the conditions would be like in Rocky Mountain early in the spring, but it actually worked out well with the trails and the weather. It would have been nice to drive along the entire Trail Ridge Road, but we’ll have to save that for another time. How awesome that your daughters’ first hike was around Bear Lake! You set the bar pretty high! I saw that there was a pit toilet near Gem Lake. I just assumed that if it’s anything like the ones back home, it was pretty rank and for emergencies only. But this one actually sounds pretty good!
Wow, I bet the pictures don’t do it justice. It looks absolutely stunning there—snow aside (haha)! Thanks for sharing the journey with us.
Thanks for your kind words. The Rocky Mountains are pretty majestic. And hey, I’d rather deal with snow on the trail than mud! Plus it looks prettier too.
I always love mountains covered in snow! You got some amazing pictures from all around this park! I visited here a few years ago but I feel like we hardly saw enough of it. It is a park that I could certainly spend days and days 🙂
Oh I know! The snow makes everything look so much more magical. Plus it helps keep the crowds away, which is just how we like it. It’s too bad the Trail Ridge Road was closed as we were only able to explore this one area in the park, but at least it was a good one! Agreed, you could easily spend a lot of time there! The same can be said about the Canadian Rockies too!
Oof, sorry to hear how long you had to spend in the car before reaching your accommodations. Lily Lake does look magical, the reflections are beautiful.
It was rough. I’m pretty sure this was the turning point for our little one with resenting her car seat! But thankfully we didn’t need to do much driving after this. Lily Lake is a short trail and we were debating about whether to skip it, but I’m so glad we didn’t. It looked so beautiful with all that snow.
Looks like a beautiful area, snow in May isn’t unusual, but I would have thought the rooms have heat! Maggie
I’m glad we came prepared and brought our microspikes with us. I don’t think I would have attempted the hike Dream Lake otherwise even though we saw quite a few people with just runners on the trail. And yah, I wasn’t too happy about the no heat situation. Surely we weren’t the first people to have complained about it …
Such a wonderful place to visit and enjoy the scenery life’s beautiful moments 🌷🙏👍🏻 earth wonders 😍
Like mountains 🏔 amazing lake view and surrounded eternal beauty of nature, such a marvellous view 🤩
I think winter weather started earlier, full of snow ❄️ can view and so grace clear explanations you wrote 👌
Wishing you parents with Baby 👶 for your adventures trip always be a great success my lovely friend 💞👏
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. It was quite the drive to get to Rocky Mountain because of the snow, but once we were there, we had fabulous weather. And it was all worth it to enjoy the mountain scenery is stunning. Our little one seemed to enjoy being outside and getting some fresh air. Cheers. Linda
I miss Colorado. Thank you so much for this post! Mile high then some with some of those views! Incredible rock formations, too.
It was nice to see the Rockies from the American side. And yup, they are still pretty impressive from there! While it was a beat of a drive to get to Rocky Mountain, once we were there, we had fabulous weather to enjoy the views.
I admire your perseverance and dedication. The last time I flew over them I took several stunning photos from my phone, but they did not save. Too bad but thank goodness for the memories.
What a bummer that your pictures didn’t save. But as you said, at least you still have the memories. The window seat is always the way to go.
I know, strange. 😕 Maybe they will magically appear someday. Yes, to the window seat. 👍🏻
Either that or you just need to fly over the Rockies again and take some more pictures 🙂
I like your way of thinking! 👍🏻
How clever you were to turn the shower on for heat! You managed some gorgeous hikes, and it looks like baby sleeps well. Of course you made it to Denver after we were gone 🙂
We felt a bit guilty for wasting all that water, but at the same time, I’m sure we weren’t the first people to complain about the heating not working in that room. The important thing was that the baby stayed warm and was well rested. Once we got a space heater from the front desk, we were fine. It’s funny how our travel plans are always so similar but we seem to just miss each other. One of these days our paths will cross!
I can see why this is such a popular park, it’s gorgeous, and your photos have captured it perfectly. Baby seems to be doing well with the traveling!
You are too kind. Baby seemed to enjoy the fresh mountain air. Her favourite time to nap was while we were hiking, which worked out well for all of us.
We didn’t make it to Rocky Mountain NP on our Colorado trip this last spring, but it’s still on our bucket list. I appreciate reading about your experiences. It gives me some idea of where to go. Great photos.
It was a long drive to get from Grand Junction to Rocky Mountain, which was made even longer because of a snowstorm. So it’s probably a good thing that you skipped it this time around. Plus most of Trail Ridge Road was still closed. But the flip side was that it wasn’t very busy. The trails were also in pretty good condition which was a nice surprise.
All that walking and no mosquitoes. Good that baby was able to nap. The park looks beautiful, even in the winter white. How did you find walking at that altitude. Thanks for sharing Linda. Happy Saturday. Allan
It’s one of the main reasons why we decided to travel early in the spring, that and not having to deal with the crowds or go through the hassle of getting a timed entry reservation at Rocky Mountain. Baby seemed to do well on the trail and mainly napped the whole time. Those days are long over. M now refuses to nap in her carrier and is way too curious with anything new around her. The altitude actually wasn’t too bad as we were steadily gaining elevation ever since we left New Mexico. So we had time to acclimatize. Thanks for reading. Hope you had a wonderful weekend.
Thank you for taking us along on this journey. I had one day in Estes Park (a day trip from Denver) and didn’t get to hike. We toured the Stanley Hotel, shopped and got some lunch. Then we drove into the park and the weather went sideways very quickly. We ended up abandoning our plan and heading back. Perhaps another time!
The weather in the mountains can be unpredictable and unforgiving. It’s too bad you had to cut your plans short. I wouldn’t want to hike in inclement weather either though or drive through the mountains. How was the tour of the Stanley Hotel? We met someone on the trail that said it was pretty good. Perhaps another time for us as well. The list just seems to keep growing!
We just did the self guided tour and enjoyed exploring independently. You can pay a little extra for a guided tour that I’ve heard is terrific. We just didn’t really have the time that day.
That’s the thing with guided tours, if you are pressed for time, it doesn’t always work out. It’s nice that they have the option for self guided tours though. Something for to keep in mind if we ever return to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain.
Sometimes guided tours start to feel like hostage situations so I was ok with nosing around in our own!
Very true. And it’s not fun when it’s a massive group.
Eight to ten is about the sweet spot most of the time. I can’t tell you how many times I have been the only person on a tour and there is so much pressure to pay attention and ask questions and make eye contact the entire time. And things just aren’t always that interesting …..
It really depends. We’ve had fantastic experiences being the only ones or having smaller group sizes on a tour, but you’re right, if it’s a dud, it’s really hard to tune out and fake interest if things are boring. Either way, it sure beats being in a massive group! You can probably tell by now that I’m not a fan of the crowds!
I despise crowds and would much prefer a half dozen people to anything too much larger. Depending on the size of a space, I really don’t like groups over about ten. That way you feel free let your eye and mind wander without making the guide feel like you’re giving them the cold shoulder but you don’t have people standing right next to you either!
I like that you’ve given this a lot of thought! Totally makes sense though. Small groups are where it’s at!
As a solo traveler, it’s not uncommon to find yourself the only person on a tour – especially at small local museums. Even at the Ohio State House, there were only two other people on the first tour I took. When you’re the only person, there’s so much pressure to be engaged, ask questions, and be fascinated by the story. Ugh! But being part of a herd is no fun either. lol. Don’t mind me – I’m the Goldilocks of tours!
Ha! There’s nothing wrong with knowing what works well for you when it comes to tours! It just means that you’ve been on ones on either end of the herd metre and some in between.
So many tours – both bad and great!!
I like the idea of a snow melt lake, that’s pretty cool (pun intended). There’s definitely something very special about snowscapes, another level of beauty to the scenery
Agreed, the snow makes everything look so pristine and pretty. It worked out well visiting early in the spring even though there was still quite a bit of snow at higher elevations. The trails were in good condition, it wasn’t very busy, and Gem Lake was at its fullest.
Those are some drastic changes to the weather and the temperatures. At least there were no mosquitoes, I guess. The lack of a heater on your first night is surprising, but at least you got a really nice day after that. Baby M is a trooper! It’s amazing to think of the adventures she has made so far with you.
Oh I know. It’s hard to believe we were hiking in shorts and a t-shirt a couple days before!! But hey, I’ll take the snow if it means no bugs or crowds. Not having heat in our room for our first night wasn’t ideal. Surely we weren’t the first people to complain about it!? And yah, we really lucked out with the weather. Baby M loves being outside. Hiking with her is a bit more challenging now as she’s heavier and doesn’t want to nap on the go anymore. But it’s been fun to experience things through her eyes. She’s so curious.
Oh wow, the landscape in the snow is so beautiful. It looks super cold though (though as long as baby M slept well in the cold that’s all that matters as you say). I find it fascinating that Gem Lake gets all its water from the melted snow and ice, I’ve never heard of a lake like that before.
The mountains looked magical with all that snow. It actually wasn’t too cold, largely because it wasn’t very windy. I think we all enjoyed the fresh, crisp air, including baby M. But not having heat that first night in our room wasn’t ideal. It was tough to get up and get going. But going for a hike to Gem Lake certainly was a good way to warm up!
Awesome, per usual! I’m sorry you had trouble with the heat in your lodging. That is not fun. But glad to see your RMNP experience was rewarding. I love RMNP in all seasons!
Surely we’re not the first people who have had an issue with the heating in that room. Thankfully it wasn’t too cold outside. The temperature was hovering just above freezing. We were fine under a mountain of blankets, but it was tough to get out of bed the next morning. Once we got a space heater from the front desk, we were fine. Rocky Mountain was such a highlight of our road trip. I bet there’s something different to see in every season. The mountain landscape never gets old.
A snow melt lake! Not even sure I was familiar with the concept. Thanks for filling me in on the details of a national park that I of course knew by name but didn’t actually know all that much about. I’m glad you guys didn’t get squished by Bunyan’s boot! So when does M launch her own blog?
Same. We don’t have any snowmelt lakes in Ontario. I imagine they’re more of a thing in the mountains. One of the main reasons we wanted to come to Colorado was to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. We had pretty high expectations as the national parks in the Canadian Rockies are absolutely stunning. I’m glad to say we were not disappointed.
Ha! That’s not a bad idea to get M to write some of our blog posts when she’s able to. For now she’s just along for the ride (we’re actually trying to avoid giving her any screen time).
So beautiful! Colorado is such a wonderful place- enjoying these photos and posts!!
I couldn’t agree more. There’s something special about being in the mountains. And it was nice to finally experience the Rockies from the American side. They definitely lived up to the hype.
You guys are really into hikes and park visits! What a wonderful thing to do. I wish I can still do it as much as you do. Wonderful photos!
You bet! We will often plan our road trips around certain national parks. We then connect the dots and try to find some other stuff along the way to help break up the drive. Our park pass has easily paid for itself!
Maybe it’s just me, but in May, after a long Canadian winter, I’m more inclined to see sunshine and greenery than to return to the snow. But your hikes make for great photos, perhaps made more dramatic by the threatening weather.
We figured it would be better to go earlier in the spring before the trails got muddy and the crowds came out. We didn’t want to deal with the hassle of reserving a timed entry ticket and then another permit for the Bear Lake Corridor. The downside was that certain sections of the park were still closed and we had to be prepared to hike in the snow. But overall it wasn’t too bad and the landscape looked very picturesque.
Isn’t Sprague Lake just the prettiest? I love the reflection photo of Lily Lake too. And the Gem Lake ones! I’m not sure I’ve seen it frozen. I’m sorry you got stuck in the awful traffic, though I guess that’s kind of a quintessential Colorado experience. And I’m glad you got to visit Rocky, even if the weather left something to be desired!
Sprague Lake is very picturesque. I’m such a fan of marshy areas like this even if the trail isn’t very challenging. The only thing missing was a moose. The weather in the mountains can be unpredictable and we knew we’d be dealing with some snow early in the spring, but the trails were in really good condition. And it wasn’t busy. So not too bad.
Splendid photos Linda, incredible to see so much snow in May but not unexpected as you were so high up.
Thanks! There was much more snow at higher elevations, but the trails themselves were in pretty good condition. Thankfully it wasn’t too cold or windy so it wasn’t too bad. And hey, I’d rather deal with the snow or the mud (and the crowds).
Wow, this is really beautiful!
The scenery in Rocky Mountain is stunning. I’m glad we were able to stay for a few days to try to explore as much as the park as we could.
It is incredible how the weather changed so much in the time you were there. You experienced the beautiful landscape through different seasons almost!
What a beautiful national park and Gem Lakes looks so cool. I never ever thought about visiting Colorado but will have to add this to the list.
I hope our family can do an extended US roadtrip one summer and explore as many of the national parks as possible. Oh, to dream. 😊
The weather in the mountains can be hit or miss in the spring. Thankfully it wasn’t too bad, except for the day we drove there. And the trails were in pretty decent condition. Ever since we visited Banff and Jasper we’ve been curious to see whether the Rockies in the US are just as beautiful. We were not disappointed. A road trip to explore as many national parks as you can sounds amazing! That’s typically my game plan whenever we travel somewhere in North America. I immediately look up to see whether there are any national parks or historic sites nearby. That’s something I’d love to do in retirement, try to visit them all.
Such a beautiful part of the world! The snowy scenes and frozen Gem Lake are spectacularly pretty and very evocative.
The snow made the mountains look even more majestic. Thankfully the conditions weren’t too bad to hike in.
Wonderful pictures. You structured your trip well and packed in quite a lot of activities. You did well to spread your trip over a few days! I literally went to Rocky Mountain a month after you, and my experience was rather different. It was at the peak of summer and access to certain areas of the park were limited. Maybe, I’ll write about it later. It’s lovely to see things from your point of view. Happy and safe travels 🙂
Thanks so much for your kind words. I did a lot of planning for this trip as it was our first time travelling with our little one. It was nice to stay in Estes Park for a few nights, especially given how long it took us to drive there because of the snowstorm! One of the main reasons we visited so early in the spring was to avoid having to reserve timed entry tickets. The downside was that most of Trail Ridge Road was still closed and all the trails in the Bear Lake area were covered in snow. I’d be curious to hear more about your experience and to see how different the mountains look in the summer. You should definitely write a post about it!
You’re welcome. I’m sure you made some amazing memories with your little one <3. You were smart to go in the spring time.Amazing ,what a difference a month makes.I did the amateur thing of not preparing and expecting to enter the park easily as I would anywhere else, and well, it didn't go quite as planned. haha. I need to visit your blog often to learn more tips about proper planning for these types of trips. I'll write about my experience and what not to do. lol. I look forward to reading about your other adventures. Stay well.
Oh absolutely. Even though she won’t remember any of it, I think it’s still worthwhile to introduce her to new experiences. And at the very least, getting some fresh air is always a good thing! We prefer travelling in the shoulder seasons as we’re not a fan of the crowds. Sorry to hear you had some issues entering the park and that things didn’t go according to plan. It’s all part of the adventure though. And lessons learned for next time. That being said, I’m looking forward to hearing about your time in Rocky Mountain and seeing how different the landscape looked later in the spring. Cheers.
Gosh that drive sounds painful, and then not to have any working heat is wild. I’ve always wanted to visit RMNP although probably in the summer haha. Your pictures are stunning though, I rarely see pictures of the park in the off season.
The drive was very rough. We also had to make a few extra stops to let the baby out of her car seat every so often and to feed her. Thankfully we planned to stay in Estes Park for a few nights so didn’t have to do much driving over the next couple of days. I bet Rocky Mountain is beautiful in every season. It can get extremely crowded in the summer though, which is why we decided to go a bit earlier in the spring. I’d say it worked out pretty well (except for the drive to get there)!
Beautiful scenery
The mountain scenery is stunning. I can easily see why Rocky Mountain is one of the most visited national parks in the United States.
Ha, I have to laugh now 😊 … against your snow-capped mountains in this post, our slightly snow-capped mountain featured on yesterday’s post doesn’t look that impressive! I love the balancing rock with the hole and half frozen lake on your first day. And your hike on the second day in the snow are picturesque, as are the reflection pictures on your last day. It’s great that you continue your hiking adventures with your baby – she’s going to be well travelled before she can even walk!
Haha I know! But hey, even a light dusting of snow on the mountains looks beautiful. The hiking in the Rockies was fantastic. Part of the park was still closed, but we had no shortage of trails close to town to keep us busy. And yes, baby M is such a good little traveller. She loves being outside. She’ll be walking before we know it!
Absolutely stunning 😍. Thank you for this virtual visit.
There’s something about the snow that just makes the scenery look even more magical. Most of the park was still snowbound and inaccessible, but we managed to still get a decent amount of hiking in.
You’ve seen quite the variation of terrain on this trip. Now, hiking in snow. (But then, we need to make our Canadian visitors feel at home. 😉 )
Ha! We had to bring a bit of everything from shorts and tshirts to warmer clothing, hats, mittens and microspikes. It was worth bringing an extra suitcase though. The snowy mountains looked beautiful!
Sounds like a long drive but well worth the view and scenery! Respect all the effort!
You bet! Thankfully once we got to Estes Park we didn’t have to do much driving for the next couple of days. Instead we got to explore the mountains on foot.
Beautiful blue sky that first day, great photos.
Meant to write more… The Bear Lake area was a favorite when we first came to Colorado. There are trails leading out from there – Hallett and Otis peak was one I loved. We slid down a glacier on the way down. And you drove right by my little town on the way east on I-70!
I can easily see why Bear Lake is one of most popular spots in Rocky Mountain. It looked beautiful, even with all that snow. That’s one of the great things about hiking in the snow, or on a glacier in your case, is that to get down, you can just slide down on your but! You live in a very beautiful area.
Stunning photos Linda. I love the trees reflected in the water. Still lots of snow eh. I’m glad you were able to see some of the lakes unfrozen. I’ve heard so much about this park, but have never ventured. It’s now on The List. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your kind words. It’s funny to think we were hiking in shorts and a t-shirt the week before when we were in New Mexico. I actually don’t mind the snow as it makes the landscape look so magical. The wind on the other hand, not so much. I’m glad we were able to see the Rockies from the other side. Rocky Mountain National Park is so iconic. It would have been nice to visit when more of the park was open, but we’re just so over the crowds so chose to visit during the off-season. It’s definitely worth adding to the list!
It’s really scary how the weather turns in different elevations. I’m glad you guys were safe and went slow. Driving in the snow can be nerve-wracking, especially when you dont know if there’s ice underneath. The trails you took look beautiful though
Oh I know. It’s wild how different the weather can be depending on your elevation in the mountains. Despite all the snow around Bear Lake, I’m so glad it wasn’t windy! And good thing I packed our microspikes so the hiking actually wasn’t too bad.
Those spikes help so much. I keep them in my trunk at all times. They’re a godsend for ice and snow
Totally! Microspikes have been such a game changer. We bought ours a few years ago and I regret not buying them sooner. They make hiking in the winter so much easier!