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Day Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is defined by its high elevation. Longs Peak towers at over 14,000ft along a stunning ridge. Moisture from the west hits these mountains and deposits the rain on the wetter west side, leaving little for the east side.
This dynamic of mountains and moisture give you lush forests on the west, alpine meadows and rocky landscapes on top, and drier forests on the east side. A wide variety of experiences await as you explore up the drainages to sparkling lakes or traverse across windswept high country.
Below are 78 day hikes that I’ve identified and ranked for my Day Hikes of Rocky Mountain National Park Map Guide.
The ranking is my recommendation based upon what I feel gives you the most “bang for your buck”. Click each trail name to learn more about the hike. All of this information and more is included in the Day Hikes of Rocky Mountain National Park Map Guide. It’s the best map for day hiking in Rocky Mountain that cuts through the clutter of all of the options. It includes distances between junctions, color coded trail segments denoting slope steepness, and much more on one side and a guide on the back of the map. Pick one up to take with you on the trail!
Areas are as follows:
- La Poudre
- Colorado River
- Fall
- Thompson
- St. Vrain
Click on the table headers to sort by those columns!
| 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 |
