Rocky Mountain National Park is a collection of alpine lakes, sweeping meadows, dramatic peaks, and high-elevation trails. Hiking here offers beautiful and classic mountain scenery.
But the park’s varied terrain, altitude, weather, and the layout of regions can make planning and decision making more complex.
- Which hikes are right for me?
- How many regions of the park should I visit?
- Where can I see elk and other wildlife?
Plan, hike & explore with confidence
Rocky Mountain is home to sparkling lakes, abundant wildlife, and breathtaking beauty— and we’re here to help you make the most of every moment.
Whether you’re here for a day or a full week, these planning resources will help you choose the right hikes and navigate the park with confidence.
We’re here to help!
Jake’s ranking of every day hike
After hiking the trails in Rocky Mountain National Park, Jake created a ranked list of every day hike. The ranking system is based upon which hikes Jake feels will give you the most “bang for your buck” — starting with Sky Pond, an alpine lake crowned with majestic spires.
Use the table below to learn more about the park regions and corresponding hikes.
Trip reports & trail videos
See what the hikes actually look and feel like. Our RMNP trip reports and videos show trail conditions, scenery, and what to expect before you step foot on the trail.
Day Hike Map guide
Your all-in-one planning and hiking resource!
All the visual information of a topographic map paired with expert recommendations and all the trail and park specific details of a guidebook — it’s waterproof, lightweight and fits into any backpack.
Regions of Rocky Mountain National Park:
- La Poudre
- Colorado River
- Fall
- Thompson
- St. Vrain
Note: All of this information and MORE is included in the Day Hikes of Rocky Mountain National Park — make sure you have it in your backpack when you hit the trail!
- Click each trail name to learn more about the hike
- Click on a table header to sort by that column
Rank Name Distance Group Area 1 Sky Pond 5-10 Thompson 2 Chasm Lake 5-10 St. Vrain 3 Dream Lake and Emerald Lake 0-5 Thompson 4 Gem Lake 0-5 Fall 5 Bear Lake Loop 0-5 Thompson 6 Alberta Falls 0-5 Thompson 7 Bluebird Lake 10-15 St. Vrain 8 Mills Lake 5-10 Thompson 9 Crystal Lake 15+ Fall 10 Twin Sisters Peaks 5-10 St. Vrain 11 Lily Lake Loop 0-5 St. Vrain 11 Lily Ridge Loop 0-5 St. Vrain 13 Lake Verna 10-15 Colorado River 14 Odessa Lake 5-10 Thompson 15 The Keyhole 10-15 St. Vrain 16 Ouzel Falls 5-10 St. Vrain 17 The Loch 5-10 Thompson 18 Flattop Mountain 5-10 Thompson 19 Bridal Veil Falls 5-10 Fall 20 Lawn Lake 10-15 Fall 21 Lake Nokoni and Lake Nanita 15+ Colorado River 22 Ute Trail West 0-5 Fall 23 Timberline Pass (Ute Trail East) 0-5 Fall 24 Tundra Communities Trail 0-5 Fall 25 Black Lake 5-10 Thompson 26 Lake Helene 5-10 Thompson 27 Lion Lake Number 1 10-15 St. Vrain 28 Haynach Lakes 15+ Colorado River 29 Dutch Town 10-15 Colorado River 30 Mirror Lake 10-15 La Poudre 31 Sandbeach Lake 5-10 St. Vrain 32 Pear Lake 10-15 St. Vrain 33 Big Meadows 0-5 Colorado River 34 Chasm Falls 0-5 Fall 35 Alpine Ridge Trail 0-5 Fall 36 Deer Mountain 5-10 Fall 37 Lake Haiyaha 0-5 Thompson 38 Shadow Mountain Lookout 10-15 Colorado River 39 Bierstadt Lake 0-5 Thompson 40 Granite Falls 10-15 Colorado River 41 Copeland Falls 0-5 St. Vrain 42 Upper Beaver Meadows Loop 5-10 Thompson 43 Andrews Glacier 5-10 Thompson 44 Holzwarth Historic Site 0-5 Colorado River 45 The Pool 0-5 Thompson 46 Fern Lake 5-10 Thompson 47 Alluvial Fan 0-5 Fall 48 Estes Cone 5-10 St. Vrain 49 Thunder Lake 10-15 St. Vrain 50 Timber Lake 10-15 Colorado River 51 Lost Lake 15+ Fall 52 West Creek Falls 0-5 Fall 53 Adams Falls 0-5 Colorado River 54 Ouzel Lake 10-15 St. Vrain 55 Balanced Rock 5-10 Fall 56 Lone Pine Lake 10-15 Colorado River 57 Cascade Falls 5-10 Colorado River 58 Ypsilon Lake 5-10 Fall 59 Lumpy Ridge Loop 10-15 Fall 60 Cub Lake 0-5 Thompson 61 Calypso Cascades 0-5 St. Vrain 62 Fern Falls 5-10 Thompson 63 Columbine Bay 0-5 Colorado River 64 Finch Lake 5-10 St. Vrain 65 Little Yellowstone Canyon 10-15 Colorado River 66 Spruce Lake 5-10 Thompson 67 Coyote Valley Trail 0-5 Colorado River 68 Lookout Mountain 0-5 St. Vrain 69 Green Mountain Loop 5-10 Colorado River 70 Lake Irene 0-5 La Poudre 71 Lulu City 5-10 Colorado River 72 Poudre River Trail 5-10 Colorado River 73 Poudre River Trail – North 10-15 La Poudre 74 Sprague Lake Nature Trail 0-5 Thompson 75 Mill Creek 0-5 Thompson 76 Hidden Valley Trail 0-5 Fall 77 Ranger Meadows Loop 0-5 Colorado River 78 East Portal Loop 5-10 Thompson
