13 Best Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park

By Emily Pennington

Ask any regular visitor and they'll tell you—choosing the best hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park is no easy feat.

Verdant fields of alpine wildflowers, glacially-carved valleys, and massive stands of fragrant ponderosa pines are just a few reasons that millions of visitors flock to Rocky Mountain's 355 miles of trails each year. And the peak-filled park, which is situated ninety minutes north of Denver on the ancestral homelands of the Ute and Arapaho people, is a high-altitude mecca for wildlife seekers and lake lovers alike.

With so much on offer and a wide range of elevations, though, choosing an ideal, safe trail can feel challenging for newcomers. We’ve gone ahead and done the hard work for you. Below, we cover our favorite hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. (All distances are round trip.)

Rocky Mountain is a high elevation park, with its lowest point sitting at a peachy 7,630 feet. If you’re traveling in from sea level, it's important to spend one to two days acclimatizing to the altitude, embarking on easier jaunts. As a result of its high-in-the-mountains stature, the park is known to hold snow well into July, so check trail conditions before heading out as well. Summer is the busy season, with trails mostly snow-free, and wildlife enjoying the lush meadows in plain view. Autumn is also an excellent time to visit, as the area's aspen trees put on a dazzling display of golds and oranges from late September through mid-October.

Keep in mind that the park has recently implemented a timed entry reservation system for private vehicles arriving during the busiest months (May 26 to October 22). Plan ahead and be sure to book early if you want to visit the Bear Lake Corridor.

Distance: .8 miles

Best for: Families with small kids

As one of the most popular trails in the park, the wheelchair-friendly Bear Lake Loop can get crowded. Go early to circumnavigate this alpine tarn in relative peace, passing through a shady conifer forest while the morning light bathes Hallett and Longs Peaks in dreamy light. Earmark a little extra time to stop at the path's interpretive signs, which outline the geological history of the area.

The hike up to Dream Lake promises shimmering water views and a glimpse of towering Hallett Peak.

Distance: 2.2 miles

Best for: Lake lovers who want an easy day

Savor fragrant ponderosa pines on this 2.2-mile ascent to Dream Lake, a shimmering sapphire pool that sits below the face of Hallett Peak. Go early to nab a coveted parking space at the Bear Lake Trailhead, and marvel at canary yellow pond lilies in nearby Nymph Lake, before reaching the day's objective at a staggering (but doable) 9,910 feet. Visitors in early October can expect fiery Aspen colors.

Distance: 1.2 miles

Best for: Big waterfall chasing with minimal effort

Beginning from the popular (and beautiful) Glacier Gorge Trailhead, the 1.2-mile out-and-back jaunt to thundering Alberta Falls is a high return-on-investment hike in summer and fall. At the turnaround point, feel the powerful spray of the waterfall as it plunges a dramatic thirty feet into a granite ravine below.

Distance: .6 miles

Best for: Alpine flora for the non-acclimatized

One of the best things about Rocky Mountain is the sheer accessibility of ordinarily far-flung alpine landscapes. Case in point: the Alpine Ridge Trail, which begins at the Alpine Visitor Center at 11,796 feet. Take your time (and catch your breath) on this high-elevation romp through alpine forget-me-nots and moss campions, which ends with a panoramic vista of the snow-capped Never Summer Mountains.

Distance: 1 mile

Best for: Wildlife-seeking on the west side

The easy stroll through Coyote Valley, in the park's less-visited western side, follows the churning Colorado River (yes, the same one that runs through the Grand Canyon) as it meanders through the Kawuneeche Valley. Along the wheelchair-accessible trail, keep your eyes peeled for elk, moose, coyotes, and the occasional golden eagle.

Mills Lake is a five-mile hike with unbeatable views of craggy spires like Longs Peak.

Distance: 5 miles

Best for: Drool-worthy views of Longs Peak

Brad Japhe

Marianna Cerini

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Devorah Lev-Tov

Aspens, pine trees, waterfalls, glacially-carved canyons—the hike up to spectacular Mills Lake is easily one of the best in the park, though you’ll need to arrive early to park your private vehicle at the trailhead given its extreme popularity. Once situated, a moderate 2.5-mile climb takes you to the frigid snowmelt waters of Mills, which offers a second-to-none view of Longs Peak and its craggy spires known as Keyboard of the Winds.

The Ute Crossing Trailhead can be found on the scenic Trail Ridge Road, high in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park.

Distance: 4 miles

Best for: Tundra hikers hoping for fewer crowds

Start at the Ute Crossing Trailhead, roughly two miles west of Rainbow Curve on Trail Ridge Road, and take your time on this glorious high-altitude trail (11,430 feet) that winds across the delicate alpine tundra biozone. Be on the lookout for elk, bighorn sheep, and a kiosk that describes the route as the path the Arapaho and Ute peoples once used to trek between summer and winter hunting grounds.

Distance: 6.2 miles

Best for: An up-close look of the Continental Divide

On the way to this magnificent alpine lake, hikers will pass roaring Alberta Falls, skirt the edge of Chaos Creek, and ascend through a rocky, glacially-carved valley–not too shabby for a day hike. The end objective is postcard-worthy lake, The Loch, which is completely encircled by a sky-high granite cirque.

Distance: 6 miles

Best for: Peak baggers searching for an easy summit

At 10,013 feet, Deer Mountain is one of the easiest summits to nab on a trip to Rocky Mountain. Begin in a grove of mature ponderosa pines (pro tip: they smell like butterscotch if you find the right crack in the bark), then tramp up 1,210 feet until you reach the top. Once there, you’ll get to feast your eyes on big vistas of Longs Peak, Moraine Park, and Hallett Peak. Go at sunrise or sunset to avoid crowds.

As popular as Bear Lake is, it's possible to avoid the crowds by veering toward Odessa Lake.

Distance: 8.8 miles

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Marianna Cerini

Katherine McLaughlin

Devorah Lev-Tov

Best for: Bear Lake hikers who want to escape the crowds

Anglers and hikers who don't mind sweating for their views, take notice. Though this journey begins at the popular Bear Lake Trailhead, it quickly departs from the more-trammeled Emerald Lake circuit and climbs roughly 1,900 feet through towering pines, and glacially-polished granite, delivering epic views of Longs Peak and Chiefs Head Peak. At Odessa, pause for a snack break and take in the sight of Notchtop Mountain, sitting just beyond the lake.

Distance: 8.4 miles

Best for: Longs Peak hikers who love alpine lakes

Want to trek way above the tree line—and marvel at a gorgeous alpine lake while you’re at it? Chasm Lake, which sits perched at a lofty 11,760 feet, is an adventurous day hike for fit trekkers who want to experience the granite moonscape that mountaineers revel in. Begin in a subalpine forest at the Longs Peak Trailhead, then take your time ascending 2,390 feet to the lake itself, which is ringed with imposing cliffs. Along the way, be on the lookout for alpine cuties like pikas and marmots.

Distance: 8.8 miles

Best for: Summiting a trail-accessible and scenic 12,000-footer

The name of this trail is misleading, because there's nothing flat about the unrelenting 2,850-foot climb to the top of Flattop Mountain. This hike begins and ends at the ever-popular Bear Lake Trailhead, and it switchbacks through mature pine groves, subalpine forests, and fragile tundra ecosystems before popping hikers onto the summit at a breath-stealing 12,324-feet above sea level. Enjoy fabulous views of Longs Peak and Keyboard of the Winds on the ascent, and if 8.8 miles isn't enough, you can extend this trip to Hallett Peak or Tyndall Glacier.

Distance: 9 miles

Best for: Fantastic waterfalls, scrambling, and uncrowded lake access

Beginning along the same route as The Loch, which also made our list, the trip up to Sky Pond is longer and really ups the ante, skirting the edge of Loch Vale before opening up to enchanting views of Timberline Falls. Veer right here and ascend a steep 100-foot scramble (and yes, this is the official route if you start to wonder), passing the brilliantly-turquoise Lake of Glass before reaching the glittering water and surrounding toothy spires of Sky Pond. Treat yourself to a goosebump-inducing cold plunge before heading back down.