Hiking Bear Lake to Fern Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

With the reopening of Rocky Mountain National Park, things have begun to feel a bit more 'normal' for visitors and residents of Estes Park. I recently enjoyed early morning hikes to Estes Cone, Chasm Lake and Mount Lady Washington. The trails were almost completely dry and uncrowded. Upon return to the Longs Peak Trailhead post-hike, the parking lot was about one quarter full on the days that I visited.

Rebecca Detterline with The Diamond from the summit of Mt Lady Washington.

The snowfield above Peacock Pool is in average shape for this time of year. I opted not to use traction, but hikers may appreciate microspikes and trekking poles for the traverse. I saw plenty of wildflowers, including Alpine Forget-Me-Nots, Old Man of the Mountain and Calypso Orchids. A local wildflower expert identified some flowers I saw near the summit of Mount Lady Washington as Alpine Kittentails. I had never seen them before! For folks who don't mind an early wake up call (no reservations needed before 6:00 a.m.), the Longs Peak area currently provides an uncrowded hiking experience with minimal snow and fantastic flora and fauna.

Chasm Lake and the East Face of Longs Peak

​On Friday, June 5, I completed the Bear Lake to Fern Lake Shuttle hike. The experience was quite different from years past for many reasons. Three of us girls made reservations for two cars and met at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center at 6:30 a.m., just as law enforcement officers were setting up two emergency vehicles and stopping all cars to make sure folks were aware of reservation requirement. We dropped a car at the Fern Lake Shuttle Stop and took the second car up to the Bear Lake Trailhead. There was plenty of parking at both locations. We encountered snow about one mile into the hike and the trail remained snow-packed until the turnoff for Odessa Lake. There is more snow in Odessa Gorge than I have ever experienced outside of winter. Microspikes are a must as the trail crosses several snow gullies. I worked hard to kick in deep steps and my sneakers got absolutely soaked. For those unfamiliar with steep snow travel, these crossings will likely be scary and dangerous. A lightweight ice axe would be a good idea for added security. We saw few people on this section of the trail: a group of campers at the Sourdough site who warned us about the treacherous snow and a solo female hiker who had come up from Fern Lake. The views of Grace Falls, Notchtop Mountain and the Little Matterhorn were especially stunning after such a long hiatus from hiking in RMNP.

The trail dried out above Fern Lake and several day hikers were enjoying the shores of this fine alpine lake which is completely ice-free. I did not visit Spruce Lake, but friends reported that it is also completely melted out and fishing well. It was an easy, snow-free cruise from Fern Lake to the Fern Lake Shuttle Stop. Fern Falls is absolutely raging, as is the Big Thompson River. Most hikers in these well-traveled areas wore face coverings and we put on our neck gaiters so we could cover our noses and mouths as we passed them. The driver of the first car headed out to get ready for work that evening while my other hiking partner and I decided to take the shuttle back up to Bear Lake to get my car. 

We were two of ​three people on the small shuttle to Park and Ride, but there was quite a wait to board the larger shuttle to Bear Lake. Eighteen people are allowed on each shuttle to provide for social distancing. Almost everyone at the Park and Ride wore face coverings. It was the largest group of people I had been around in quite some time. The sign on Bear Lake Road just before Park and Ride reported that Bear Lake Parking was full, which likely contributed to the crowds on the shuttle system. Upon arrival, we noted that the Bear Lake parking lot was about two-thirds full. It took an hour total to get from Fern Lake Shuttle Stop to Bear Lake via the shuttle system at 1:00 in the afternoon on a Friday.

​I would highly recommend hiking to The Pool, Fern Falls and Fern Lake from the Fern Lake Trailhead. I would suggest waiting a few weeks to attempt the Bear Lake to Fern Lake shuttle hike unless all participants are well-versed in snow travel.  

Policies, rules, and closures are changing as quickly as trail conditions. I hope we can all continue to be kind and patient, especially to our hard-working National Park employees. For the latest updates, visit Current Conditions - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service). Reservations to enter Rocky Mountain National Park can be made at Recreation.gov.

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