Adventures of David and Paul: Our Top Five Hikes in/around Rocky Mountain National Park

We've spent quite a bit of time in and around Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. We put RMNP among our favorite national parks. It has fantastic scenery and a wide range of good hikes - we've done over twenty hikes in the area. This post covers our five favorite hikes from our most recent trip.

Lets get ready to hike!

Honorable mention:
Lily Lake, while a very short and easy trail, was a great place for watching small wildlife. On the south side of the lake is a wetland area where we saw muskrats, snakes, and multiple species of birds.

5. Chasm Lake
Location - Longs Peak area, Rocky Mountain National Park
Length - about 9.5 miles
Elevation gain - about 2,600 feet
Difficulty - Hard
AllTrails

Chasm Lake is a fairly difficult but rewarding hike. It starts from the Longs Peak trailhead, and climbs upward about half a mile in elevation. The first half is steadily upward through a forest, and the second half crosses open rocky alpine tundra. There are some decent views to the prairies and farmland to the east, although it was quite hazy on the day we hiked. Near the top of the trail we faced two treacherous stretches of snow on the steep mountainside, and then a steep final scramble up rocks. The payoff was great views of still icy Chasm Lake, cradled in a narrow mountain canyon of Mount Lady Washington.

We started our hike at 6:50AM, and we highly recommend starting this early (or even earlier). You get out ahead of other hikers, and avoid the harsh afternoon sun or potential thunderstorms. Roundtrip took us about 4.5 hours, including sitting for a while by the frozen lake. Overall a great trail, although the views and diversity of scenery don't quite rise to the level of our favorites.

Crossing a stream early in the hike.

The view after emerging from the forest and crossing the tundra.

A large waterfall near the top of the trail.

Get ready to cross some snow!

Slow going. Don't want to fall here....

Made it to the top. We sat by the icy lake for a while before heading back.

A small part of the lake that was unfrozen.

David at the top.

View back across the valley and plains.

The moon make an appearance!

Brilliant colors and a setting moon as we hiked back down to the trailhead.

4. Tundra Communities
Location - Trail Ridge Road alpine area, Rocky Mountain National Park
Length - 1 mile
Elevation gain - 150 feet
Difficulty - Easy
AllTrails

Our fourth favorite trail is a bit different than the others. It's not a long hike by any means - it's a one mile round-trip paved path. What sets this apart is that is starts above 12,000 feet. The entire trail crosses open tundra with sweeping views across the mountains. Even on our short walk we experienced a range of weather conditions, including bright sunshine, intense winds, and sleet. We also saw several small tundra mammals (pika and marmots), elk, and a big horn sheep.

Amazing alpine views.

The start of the trail.

Here comes some weather! Conditions can change very quickly at this altitude.

An elk foraging for food.

Tundra and mountains.

David on the trail during a sunny moment.

It was much colder up here than down in the valleys. But the sun was also bright and intense.

Panoramic view - the scenery was other-worldly.

Look, marmots!

Beautiful blue sky.

We spotted a big horn sheep near the trailhead.

Big horn sheep.

3. Lily Mountain
Location - Off Highway 7, Rocky Mountain National Park
Length - 4 miles
Elevation gain - 1,280 feet
Difficulty - Moderate
AllTrails

This trail is all about the view at the top. The hike itself, two miles up the mountain and two miles back down, is nice enough. It makes its way through the rocky forest with some steep and strenuous sections, especially as you approach the top. The very last part is a short steep climb over boulders to reach the summit. The very top has sweeping views in all directions, overlooking the forests and mountains of the national park as well as the populated valley of Estes Park. It's particularly nice if you have the summit to yourself to enjoy peaceful solitude. The spectacular view alone puts this in our top three.

Views across the valley.

Amazing views of RMNP.

Paul at the top.

Dense green forests surround Lily Mountain on the national park side.

Lily Mountain's 360 degree views.

Looking over at taller mountains.

2. Red Mountain Open Space (Ruby Wash and Big Hole Wash Loop)
Location - North Central Colorado, less than a two hour drive north from Estes Park
Length - 8 miles
Elevation gain - 800 feet
Difficulty - Moderate
AllTrails

OK, this is cheating a bit, since this hike is not in Rocky Mountain National Park. It's about an hour and 45 minute drive north of Estes Park, on the border with Wyoming, but still within Larimer County. It's only 37 miles as the crow flies from the Red Mountain trailhead to the nearest major mountains in the national park (Stormy Peaks). We include it on this list because it offers a perfect counterbalance to the hikes in the national park, which can start to become repetitive forest/alpine hikes. Although Red Mountain Open Space is so close to the national park, it's a completely different ecosystem and offers diverse scenery and varied wildlife.

The drive there is an attraction in itself, through scenic Big Thompson Canyon, along the foothills and exurban farmland, and finally down about 10 miles of well-maintained dirt road as the soil shifts from brown to red. We did the approximately 8 mile loop trail that links together the Ruby Wash trail, Salt Lick trail, Big Hole Wash trail and Sinking Sun trail. It's a relatively flat and easy trail, although a few parts are a bit sandy and take a little extra effort. We started at 8:30AM and the whole loop took a little over three hours. This is another trail we recommend starting as early as possible. You'll be in full sunlight for almost the entire time. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen!

Traveling clockwise, you'll start through Ruby Wash. It's perhaps the most scenic part of the trail, as you follow a lush stream through a winding red canyon. Exiting the canyon, you spend a couple of miles crossing wide open prairie before entering another red rock canyon, this one completely dry unless it rains. Along the way you'll spot cacti, wildflowers, and butterflies. Around the halfway point the trail briefly enters Wyoming, and there are sweeping views across the plains and canyons with the Rocky Mountains in the distance. Continuing on the trail crosses a few more canyon areas (with white and red rock) with more great views to the south and west. Note this trail does allow both horses and mountain bikes, but we found the trail to be mostly secluded and only came across one group of equestrians.

We spotted a pronghorn in the farmlands near the park.

Entering Ruby Wash.

David on the trail. Very different than Rocky Mountain National Park!

Rock layers in Ruby Wash.

Exiting the wash and heading across open grazing lands.

The hike has a lot of interesting geological features and open blue skies.

Part of the path is an old jeep trail.

Camouflaged moths on a flower.

The trail passes some dramatic cliff faces.

Panorama of a section of trail that curves through a red rocky canyon.

First glimpse of the Rocky Mountains in the distance!

This is near the halfway part of the trial, with great views and a "wide open" feeling.

Like hiking across the top of the world.

More slanted canyons, with snowy mountains on the horizon.

Paul resting at a viewpoint.

Plenty of reds, greens, and whites make for a scenic trail.

We startled these two mule deer that were resting in a small shady spot.

A group of equestrians.

1. Sky Pond
Location - Glacier Gorge / Bear Lake area, Rocky Mountain National Park
Length - 8.1 miles +
Elevation gain - 1,760 feet
Difficulty - Hard
AllTrails

Sky Pond is our favorite trail in RMNP. It has a bit of everything - nice forested sections, multiple lakes, waterfalls and streams, mountain and valley views, and wildlife. It's also one of the most strenuous hikes, especially if there is any snow. While listed at a bit over 8 miles, we actually clocked 13 miles round trip (via our Fitbits which count steps instead of GIS-based distance).

The trail starts from either Glacier Gorge or Bear Lake and you should try starting at Glacier Gorge, if you can, to avoid having to finish with a long uphill section. However, parking is very limited at Glacier Gorge so plan accordingly. We began at Bear Lake. You start through pleasant forest, winding uphill before reaching Alberta Falls. Continuing on, there are some views across small valleys and Glacier Creek before you reach the largest lake along the trail, the Loch. There are good views here and some rocky outcrops to rest on before continuing. At this point the trail became very difficult, as it was completely covered with snow and ice. It's probably much easier later in the year, but in May it was an adventure trying to stay on the path and avoid postholing. We managed with just hiking boots. The trail eventually climbs above the trees and across a beautiful but difficult snowy hill to timberline falls. We were walking across the incredibly bright snow for some time, which resulted in Paul getting a bad sunburn on his arms. Don't underestimate the sun's strength at this altitude, especially when it's reflecting off snow. After a steep snowy climb, and a scramble up icy rocks, there are great views at the small Lake of Glass. The final stretch is a short walk across Boulders and snow to beautiful Sky Pond. The pond is framed beautifully by Taylor Peak and the dramatic Sharkstooth. We highly recommend this trail, but come prepared with plenty of water and proper footwear.