Rocky Mountain National Park’s Bear Lake trailhead is located approximately 20 minutes from downtown Estes Park, Colorado. The primary activity in the winter is snowshoeing but we saw a group doing a mix of cross country skiing, alpine skiing, and snowboarding. It should be noted that dogs are not allowed in the park. Although there is a moderate amount of shade on trails, it is important to wear sun screen and lip balm while snowshoeing because the snow reflects the sun’s rays. Bear Lake Trailhead is at 9,475 feet in elevation and includes restrooms but I am not sure if water is available in the winter. In addition, the shuttle bus does not operate in the winter so you need to park in the Bear Lake parking lot. A park entrance fee or annual pass is required to enter Rocky Mountain National Park. Cell phone service is not available inside much of Rocky Mountain National Park. Finally, I recommend calling the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to find out the snowshoeing conditions before heading out on your trip.
My First Time Snowshoeing
This trip was our first time snowshoeing and it was a lot easier than we expected, if you do not include our attempts to snowshoe/walk backwards. Snowshoeing to Nymph Lake and Dream Lake seemed easier than it did when we hiked to them last summer. Although, we were not carrying our daughter in a Kelty child carrier and that makes a big difference. Our snowshoeing gear consisted of Leki trekking poles, MSR snowshoes rented from the Mountain Shop, a
wicking baselayer, windbreaker jackets, winter beanies, and ski goggles.
There was not much snow to be seen as we drove to the parking lot but rest assured there was three feet of snow at Bear Lake trailhead and up to the following lakes. If you like to hike and have never been snowshoeing then I highly recommend it because it is very similar to hiking and renting snowshoes is affordable. Rocky Mountain National Park is a great place to start because the trails are well traveled (i.e., follow the trampled snow) which helps because trail markers are buried in snow and, thus, trails can be ambiguous at times. Please read our descriptions for summer time hiking from the
Bear Lake and
Glacier Gorge Junction trailheads.
Nymph LakeNymph Lake is reached after snowshoeing 0.5 miles and a 225 feet increase in elevation. You can stay on course to Dream Lake by snowshoeing counter-clockwise around Nymph lake; since the trail and trail makers cannot be seen.
Dream Lake
Dream Lake is reached after 1.1 miles of snowshoeing and a 425 feet gain in elevation. The following picture was taken on a ridge between Nymph Lake and Dream Lake and showcases the view to the south.
Dream Lake is as scenic in the winter as it is in the summer. Albeit, there are much less people snowshoeing in the winter than there are people hiking in the summer so that is an added bonus. Snowshoeing to Dream Lake can be doable with a child in a child carrier backpack but it would be a challenge to get a young child to Emerald Lake because of a steep climb. The following picture was taken from the east side of Dream Lake.
Emerald Lake
Snowshoeing to Emerald Lake requires an additional 0.7 miles of snowshoeing and a total increase in elevation of 605 feet. It was more difficult to snowshoe to Emerald lake than it was to snowshoe to Nymph Lake and Dream Lake. The following picture illustrates the only vertically challenging stretch.
The final stretch of snowshoeing trail heading towards Emerald Lake breaks off from the dense forest and, as a result, provides stunning views of the nearby mountains.
In the summer, Emerald Lake’s shoreline is only accessible from the eastern edge so it is difficult to get to the far side. However, in the winter time and if the lake is sufficiently frozen, you can easily walk to the far end of the lake.
The following video captures both the beauty of Emerald Lake and the intensity of the wind we experienced.
In sum, snowshoeing from Bear Lake trailhead is an ideal location for first timers and certainly worth repeat visits from aficionados. For a guided experience, be sure to contact Beaver Meadows Visitor Center about ranger-led snowshoeing trips that start and end at Bear Lake. Check out our other favorite RMNP hiking trails.
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As they say, “If you can walk, you can snowshoe!”I’m an avid snowshoer and friends are often hesitant to join because they think they need to have some sort of special skills. Snowshoeing is easy, fun as heck, and relatively inexpensive. I love that it’s becomeing a mainstream activity!
I agree, snowshoeing is easy and a lot easier than I thought it was going to be.