Pets allowed
Not Allowed
Elevation Gain
582.00 ft (177.39 m)
Trail type
Loop
Distance
3.10 mi (4.99 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The loop around Bierstadt Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park is a welcome getaway from the more popular and more congested trails accessible from Bear Lake Road. This 3 mile out-and-back loop offers some great views of the Bear Lake Road valley and the surrounding mountains while switchbacking up to the lake.

After taking switchbacks up the open side of the mountain, you'll enter the densely wooded area where the lake sits. If you stay strictly on the loop trail, you'll quickly learn that there are no clear viewpoints of the lake on the trail. However, there are no shortage of quick side routes leading to the lake. The best of which (at least at dusk) is located about 1.5 miles into the hike on the north east side of the lake.

The entire loop around the lake is almost exactly a mile and is virtually flat. If you are looking for a longer hike or hoping to explore the other accessible hikes in the area, there are well marked intersections leading to Mill Creek Basin (1.2 miles), Bear Lake (1.7 miles), and Hollowell Park (2.9 miles).

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

High

Parking Pass

National Park Pass

Pros

Short lake loop hike. Access to many other trails.

Cons

Must venture off trail for lake views. Might need to take shuttle to trailhead.

Trailhead Elevation

8,875.00 ft (2,705.10 m)

Features

Bird watching
Wildlife
Big vistas
Wildflowers
Fishing

Suitable for

Horseback

Location

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Comments

Have updates, photos, alerts, or just want to leave a comment?
Sign In and share them.