Emerald Lake Snowshoe

Trail Length: 3.4 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,475 ft -10,090 ft
Elevation gain: 615 ft (net),  1,000 ft (cumulative)
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Dogs: Not allowed, National Park
Update Date: 20 Dec 2014
Tags: #coloradooutdoors, #rmnp, #snowshoe, #mountainlake

Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park 

No winter season should go by without a quick jaunt up to Dream and Emerald Lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. This snowshoe has everything a winter aficionado needs; wind swept trees, frozen lakes, towering peaks, and sometimes life-sucking chill.

Trailhead at Bear Lake. The cabana is out of sight to the left. Bear Lake is straight ahead. The route to Dream Lake is to the left and is well marked with a sign. 

Starting out on the well packed trail. 

The trail starts at Bear Lake, and there are helpful volunteers scurrying amongst the hordes offering friendly advice, but alas no hot chocolate or cookies. This significantly reduces their utility in my mind.

The route is across tiny Nymph Lake and through the trees to the left. 

On a broad shelf

While there are several ways to get to the Emerald Lake, the images in this post profile the summer route, which should be well tracked and easy to find.  Recent snow or breath of wind, can and will obscure things, so be prepared to find your way if necessary.

A rare open area

Crossing Dream Lake

After a short stroll through the trees near Bear Lake, the trail begins to climb steeply, which in some places can be quite steep and potentially very deep. I have seen tourists bite the dust quickly on this segment.  Anyone with a modicum of fitness however, can easily scale these humps to the shelf above.

Lichens add a touch of green to an otherwise gray landscape.

The route past Dream Lake

0.6 miles up the trail is the first milestone,  Nymph Lake at 9,705 ft and 231 ft elevation gain. The route crosses it on the left and then heads sharply uphill to a view point. The route then follows a shelf overlooking a drainage until it reaches a broad meadow. Shortly there after is Dream Lake (see it in the fall), which is austere, windblown, and bordered by twisted, claw-like trees. Here, sculptures carved in ice, rock, and wood stand vigil. Dress warmly though and bring your goggles and face mask! Those twisted trees did not get that way from pleasant pastoral breezes. The winds here whip and blow in constant, blinding vortices. Dream Lake (at 1.2 miles) is located 9,912 ft for a total of 437 ft of elevation gain.

Emerald Lake is just through the trees

Emerald Lake on a snowy day

Sometimes I have crossed Dream Lake on the side and other times straight down the middle. It all depends upon the visibility and ever present wind chill.  The numerous cracks in the ice make seem daunting, but in the middle of winter the lake should be safe.

Hallet Peak on a sunny day

I have photographed this twisted pine on every trip to the lake. Years go by for me, but for this aged giant, a year is but a brief moment.  

Emerald Lake is a half-mile beyond Dream Lake and is achieved after another short accent that winds through the trees. It sits below Hallett Peak, which can be gray and dreary, shrouded in clouds like an Ansel Adams portrait or graced by a halo of sunshine and blue skies. I have never crossed Emerald Lake but have certainly seen enough people on the far side. It is much deeper than Dream Lake though, so use caution.

While short and windy this snowshoe has the advantage of being close to the Metro Area and without avalanche danger.

Lake Haiyaha to Bear Lake Shuttle

Distance: 3.6 miles to Lake Haiyaha (one-way), 7.2 miles (out and back), 5.7 miles (to Bear Lake Shuttle).
Elevation: 9,200 ft (Glacier Gorge Trailhead), 10,286 ft (Max Elevation on trail between Lake Haiyaha and Dream Lake), 9,475 ft (Bear Lake)
Elevation Gain: 1,556 ft

The Emerald Color of Lake Haiyaha

Lake Haiyaha means "place of big rocks with not as many tourists as Dream Lake" in indigenous Arapaho. This less frequently visited destination within Rocky Mountain National Park is indeed surrounded by huge boulders that have tumbled down from Chaos Canyon. The lake, which is located in a draw between Hallet and Otis peaks, is a deep emerald color.

The Glacier Gorge Trailhead

Alberta Falls

You can visit the lake four ways, as an out and back from either the Glacier Gorge or Bear Lake trailheads or as shuttle from either location. I have done this hike twice now and both times I started at Glacier Gorge and ended at Bear Lake. The convenient Park Shuttle dropped me off and picked me up from both trailheads.

A well-groomed trail

Another typical trail segment

Summer in Rocky Mountain National Park is a precursor to Elk bugling season...be one with the herd. In this instance, however, I was with a large group that took up a quarter of the shuttle bus. Herd indeed.

Entering Glacier Gorge

The signs at the Mills Lake...Loch Vale trail junction

We started at the Glacier Gorge trailhead and quickly arrived at Alberta Falls at 0.87 miles. The route from Alberta Falls to the Mills Lake/Loch Vale trail junction (at 2.17 miles) is one of my favorites. The route switchbacks steadily upwards on a well groomed trail. There are plenty of vista points and the ever pleasant journey through Glacier Gorge itself. This segment is a rock shelf overlooking a precipitous gorge surrounded by towering rock walls. Don't worry about exposure here though, this shelf is wide and welcoming.

A sunnier segment of the Lake Haiyaha Trail

The pond on the way

From the Loch side of this junction is the sign for Lake Haiyaha. The turn off is within spitting distance (we did test this out) of the junction, so you don't have to worry about missing it. Another sign warns that the trail to the lake is unimproved. This is unimproved by National Park standards, which means it is still quite cushy by Colorado standards.

A rockier trail segment

A small pond to the left on the final approach to Lake Haiyaha

This segment of the route is more in the trees and climbs more intensively. At 2.64 miles is a small lake on the right. It has nice views, so take a break and walk out to it. At 3.34 miles is a turn off to the lake. This too is marked by an obvious sign. 0.3 miles further up the trail you come to the large rocks surrounding the lake.

A large group leaving the lake as I arrived

Looking up into the tallus field of Chaos Canyon

Our group enjoyed lunch spralled out on the rocks. These boulders are quite large and angular. It made it difficult to navigate and certainly time consuming to get down to the water. I chose to sunbath and take pictures.

An expansive view of Longs Peak and the keyboard of the winds from the trail to Dream Lake

Looking down on Bear and Nymph Lakes

From this point, the hiker can turn around and head back to Glacier Gorge or continue on to Dream Lake (9,912 ft) at 4.57 miles. This route takes the hiker upwards to a maximum elevation of 10,286 ft. before heading downwards on a narrow shelf towards Dream Lake. In spring, this route can be treacherous indeed, but once the snows have melted it is easy going with spectacular views of Longs Peak.

Once off the ridge, the trail to Dream Lake is largely shaded

Dream Lake with Hallet Peak in the background

Dream Lake is a short 2/10ths of a mile off the route, and since this is one of the most visited locations in the park, a mandatory detour. Take a moment to admire the twisted trees around the lake before heading down to restful Nymph Lake at 5 miles (9,705 ft). From Nymph Lake it is only 0.7 miles to the Bear Lake and the shuttle bus.

Stopping to take a look at the Trout in the stream

Nymph Lake and its many Lilly Pads

Despite the crowds, hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park is always pleasant. There is something about a National Park and its manicured wilderness that is cozy and comforting. I was surprised by the number of dead Lodgepole Pines, however. The Pine Bark Beetle is firmly entrenched on the eastern slope.

Dream Lake

Distance: 2.2 miles round trip
Elevation:9,470 ft - 9,900 ft
Elevation Gain: 430 ft

Dream Lake on a less than stellar day. What you don't see in this picture is the 20 or so people standing about taking pictures. Most looked very uncomfortable in the deteriorating weather conditions.

On 20 September, I took our Turkish graduate student Ufuk and his wife Malda on a short hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Our actual destination was Emerald Lake, which lies 0.6 miles beyond Dream Lake, but an unforecasted series of storms turned us around at Dream Lake. They did not have rain gear and the temperature was in the 50s. A perfect recipe for hypothermia.

Two shots of pretty Nymph Lake and its Lilly Pads.

Longs Peak and Glacier Gorge from the Dream Lake Trail

Looking down on Nymph Lake from one of the many lookouts on the trail

The trail to Dream lake is meant to be handicapped accessible, but the pavement is so eroded, I would hesitate to take anything with wheels on it. The trail starts to climb a series of steps after Nymph Lake (0.5 miles), so from that point on it is able bodies only.

I love taking pictures of the Krummholz trees at Dream Lake. They are so twisted, no pun intended...well maybe.

Another shot from a lookout. This one had nice fall color.

I don't know what it is about Rocky Mountain National Park, but it always seems to be windy there and this trip was no exception. As soon as we crested the lip of the lake, our jackets and pant legs puffed up. This is not true for other areas in Colorado, so don't judge the state by this area alone.

Waves of rain hitting Longs Peak. This was not a good day to climb the mountain. It does not look bad in this shot. Most of the day, you could not see the summit at all.

While this trail is short, there are so many lookouts with stupendous views that it takes much longer than one would think. For anyone visiting the park for the first time, you need to do this trail at least once. It can be a warm up for longer adventures or the climax of a less strenuous trip. Just be prepared for wind, weather, and whacked out tourists jumping up and down with each new view.