Trails · Estes Park & RMNP
Gem Lake West Access Trail
A Easy 0.6-mile trail in the Estes Park country, brought into the guide from the official COTREX map — help us make its page richer.
Toggle Terrain / USGS Topo / Satellite / Street (top-right) · route © COTREX/CPW · tap a marker for waypoints
The Gem Lake West Access Trail is a roughly 0.6-mile trail in the Rocky Mountain National Park country of the Estes Park area. COTREX maps it on dirt tread, open to Hike, Horse, running between about 7,896 and 8,189 feet.
We're bringing this one into the guide from the official COTREX trail data, so we may not yet have verified trailhead directions, current closures, or on-the-ground detail — treat the map above as a starting point and confirm access and conditions with Rocky Mountain National Park before you go. Hiked it yourself? We'd love your photos and notes to flesh this page out.
Trail Facts
Difficulty
Easy
Length
0.6 mi
Elevation
7,896 → 8,189 ft
Elevation Gain
~+293 ft
Uses
Hike, Horse
Bikes
Not allowed
Stock / Horse
Allowed
Dogs
Not allowed (National Park)
Surface
Dirt
Manager
Rocky Mountain National Park
Getting There
This trail is in the Estes Park area under Rocky Mountain National Park. Use the map above to locate the trailhead, and confirm current access, parking, and conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Know Before You Go
- Confirm before you go. This page is built from the official COTREX map; verify trailhead access, seasonal closures, and current conditions with Rocky Mountain National Park.
- National Park rules apply. Dogs are not allowed on National Park trails; check RMNP for timed-entry, permits, and pet rules.
Built by Many Hands — Give a Little Back
Love this guide? Wear it. Every hat, tee, and cozy layer in our Red Feather Lakes collection helps us keep mapping trails and keeping this guide free — mountain apparel designed right here in the high country, with more trail gear on the way.
Shop the Collection →These trails don't tend themselves either. Every mile is watched over by volunteers and public stewards we lean on to bring you this guide — if you love these mountains, please pitch in for them too:
- Poudre Wilderness Volunteers — trail patrols & the official trail description Donate →
- Colorado Parks & Wildlife / COTREX — the mapped trail route & statewide trail data Donate →
- Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest (USFS) — the public land itself Support →
- OpenStreetMap contributors — the Street basemap Donate →
- 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.