bear lake

Bear Lake is an easy, mile long trail. During the summer that is. It's mostly accessible to anyone, and a very easy trail. During the winter, there can be 3 or 4 feet of snow, and the trail is impassible without spikes or snowshoes. The ideal time to visit is in early September, as the aspen trees there begin to turn to their fall colors before almost everywhere else in the state.

My wife and I used Bear lake as our launching point for three out of our four day hikes in RMNP, and the views did not disappoint. It is a different world there entirely in January, with winds so fierce they could blow you off the cliffs and snow so deep it could swallow you. We made an unsuccessful attempt up the Flattop mountain trail, getting lost after the Dream lake overlook. If you go in January, be prepared for an extreme winter experience (it gets dark at around 4:30 also!). Great views and overall a great time!

Short little hike from the trailhead, but that certainly doesn't mean that it underwhelming. Great view across the frozen lake towards the towering mountains. If you want to go a little further, Nymph Lake and Dream Lake are a little ways down the trail from Bear Lake.

We got here early in the day and had the lake pretty much to ourselves. It is gorgeous in the winter and you can drive right up to the main parking lot. Of course, there is lots of ice so bring something to give you traction and a hiking pole or two. The lake will be completely frozen over but you should have a great view of the surrounding mountains. We didn't make it completely around the lake but have in the past. Highly recommended but crowded in the summer peak hours.

Having spent a couple of weeks in Estes Park, we had planned to go to see Bear Lake, having looked at the pictures on the net nothing, and I mean nothing will prepare you for these views. Driving to the Lake from Estes is stunning in itself to a very busy car park, once walking around though the people thinned out and it was simply stunning, coming from England we have some nice views but this is simply awe inspiring. I would recommend anyone going to this area to visit the Lakes, you won't regret it.

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Rocky Mountain National Park has to be Bear Lake. An easy drive into the mountains with beautiful views all along the way. We have enjoyed the views in all seasons and it is alway breathtaking! If you are an early riser, you may even be lucky enough to see elk around the lake area- we saw them up close and personal in the fall! Winter is beautiful in the winter, but remember to dress for the cold mountain air!

It was VERY busy the day we visited Bear Lake, because the conditions were perfect for snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing. But even simply for hiking, it was a perfect day! I was stunned to see that the lake was totally frozen. In fact, if I hadn't known it was an actual lake, I would have just thought it was a field of snow! It was easy to walk across and snow-packed due to heavy foot traffic, so even though we didn't have equipment, we had an easy time accessing trails. Since my husband and I are from Florida, we spent most of our time marveling at the clean, white snow piled all around the lake and clinging to trees. There were icicles everywhere, and despite the many people, it was quiet except for the wind.I definitely recommend doing the ranger-led snow-shoe trek. We couldn't due to time constraints, but I regret not being able to. Many people there reported seeing owls and moose, and I truly wish we could have spent more time exploring the beautifully maintained trails. Experiencing this place in winter time was a dream! Now, I'd love to go during the summer to see how different it is. Beautiful, fun, hike! Don't miss it!

We hiked from Bear Lake to Nymph Lake and then almost to Dream Lake. Gorgeous views. The weather was windy so we turned back close to Dream Lake. It was quite busy but it didn't bother us at all. We were hiking with our 7 year old and he did great. What a wonderful place! We will be back.

A cold 32 degrees with lots of wind when we hiked around the lake with friends. Traction devices & poles were needed as well as proper winter gear. Our friends had never been to RMNP, so they were thrilled with the beauty of the lake. It was also neat that it snowed while we were there. We are from 8 ft above sea level so we do not see snow or get very cold temperatures.Bear lake never fails to provide a wonderful spot for peace, beauty and fun. We have been enjoying the lake for 27 years.

We visited RMNP during Winter'14. Bear lake is our best place to be in RMNP. It has wonderful views. There are many trails that can get you here. Visiting it in Winter was a great experience for me and my family.We did snow shoeing to get to bear lake from Alberta falls and the views which we saw were unforgettable. We have heard from locals that RMNP is a good place to be during all seasons and we too agree after seeing its so beautiful even in snow. I wanted to write reviews on RMNP but did't found a direct place so i am reviewing the places we visited.

It was raining and snowing and way too many people for such not big of a site. the trail was full of tourists and the lake is actually pretty small for such many tourists. and hard to find parking. trail condition not that good

It's been a couple of years since we've been up to Bear Lake. The park has done some great improvements on the road (wider lanes and better guardrails) and the amount of restroom facilities on the way up to Bear Lake. Of course, it didn't stop some skier from peeing in the parking lot in front of us, but what do you expect for a place with this much tourist traffic? Parking has improved as well, although I think we went up on a slow weekend...almost no traffic in Estes Park or in RMNP itself.

I was unable to simply select Rocky Mountain National Park so I selected the name of one of the locations in the park we visited. We drive through most of the park that was accessible by vehicle. It is an amazing site feeling that at one with nature. We walked around the bear lake trail just to get the experience. We were neither prepared nor dressed for the experienced, but we simply could not pass it up. The snow started coming down while we were there just adding to the experience.

We were in the area for only one afternoon in October. The colors of fall were fabulous! We didn't have a lot of time to hike and explore but I'm glad we did this short little walk to the lake. WOW! What a gorgeous view! Absolutely breathtaking! I'd love to go back one day and explore more of this amazing place! Just beautiful! Even in October, it was extremely crowded...and I certainly understand why!!

This is one of the most popular stops in the park but in the winter it is possible to experience the frozen stillness of the lake as a sanctuary. The trail is snowy/icy in spots but with the right gear, very enjoyable. The peak views are awesome.