Trails · Rocky Mountain National Park · Bear Lake Road
Bierstadt Lake Trail
A short, switchbacking climb up a glacial moraine to a quiet, tree-ringed lake with a grand Continental Divide backdrop — far enough from the road to escape the Bear Lake crowds.
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Bierstadt Lake sits atop the Bierstadt Moraine, a long ridge of glacial debris on the east side of the park's Bear Lake corridor. From the Bierstadt Lake trailhead on Bear Lake Road, the trail climbs steadily more than 600 feet up wooded switchbacks through lodgepole and aspen; as you gain the top of the moraine, big views of the peaks along the Continental Divide open up behind you.
The lake itself is ringed by trees rather than bare rock, so it trades a little drama for a lot of peace — and because it's a bit of a climb from the road, it stays quieter than nearby Bear and Sprague Lakes. Many hikers make it a roughly 3.2-mile lollipop loop around the lake, or link it with the Bear Lake and Hollowell Park trails for longer days. It's a great snowshoe in winter. National Park land: no dogs, and a timed-entry permit is usually required for Bear Lake Road in summer.
Trail Facts
Difficulty
Moderate
To the lake
1.3 mi one-way (~3.2 mi loop)
Elevation Gain
~+600 ft
Bikes
Not allowed (National Park)
Stock / Horse
Allowed
Dogs
Not allowed (National Park)
Season
Year-round (snowshoe in winter)
Surface
Dirt
Manager
Rocky Mountain National Park
Getting There
From Estes Park, enter RMNP and follow Bear Lake Road about 6.5 miles to the Bierstadt Lake Trailhead (on the north side of the road). A timed-entry + Bear Lake Road permit is usually required in summer — reserve ahead; the corridor also has a free shuttle. No water at the trailhead.
| 0.0 mi | Bierstadt Lake Trailhead (Bear Lake Road) |
| 0.5–1.0 mi | Switchbacks up the moraine — Divide views open behind you |
| 1.3 mi | Bierstadt Lake — tree-ringed, quiet |
| ~3.2 mi | Loop around the lake & back |
Know Before You Go
- National Park rules. No dogs; a timed-entry / Bear Lake Road permit is usually required in summer.
- Use the shuttle. The Bear Lake corridor has a free shuttle — handy for one-way routes to Bear Lake or Hollowell Park.
- Quiet by design. The climb keeps crowds down — a good pick when Bear and Sprague lots are jammed.
- Carry water. None on the trail.
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- Poudre Wilderness Volunteers — trail patrols & the official trail description Donate →
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- Google & USGS — trailhead location, ratings & topographic maps
Trail details compiled by the Red Feather Lakes Travel Guide from the sources above. Photography by us — more of our own trail images coming as we hike them.