Ypsilon Lake Trail

Ypsilon Lake is one of the northern park's great big-day rewards. From the Lawn Lake trailhead in Horseshoe Park, just west of Estes Park, the route follows the Lawn Lake Trail northwest, tracing the Roaring River up a deep valley (this is the same valley reshaped by the catastrophic 1982 Lawn Lake Dam flood). At a Y-junction you cross the river and turn onto the Ypsilon Lake Trail for the northern push.

From there it climbs steadily through heavy timber — a reasonably strenuous ascent totaling about 2,000 feet over roughly 4.4 miles — before dropping you at Ypsilon Lake, tucked in a confined, forested basin on the east slope of Ypsilon Mountain (13,514 ft), whose great face and couloirs (including the Y-shaped snow gullies that name it) rise straight out of the far shore. It's a full day of about 9 miles round trip. National Park land: no dogs, and a timed-entry permit is often required in summer.

Trail Facts

Getting There

From Estes Park, enter RMNP at the Fall River entrance (US-34) and go to the Lawn Lake Trailhead in Horseshoe Park. Follow the Lawn Lake Trail northwest to the Ypsilon Lake Trail junction, cross the Roaring River, and climb north to the lake. A timed-entry permit is often required in summer; the lot fills early. No water at the trailhead.

0.0 mi	Lawn Lake Trailhead (Horseshoe Park)
1.4 mi	Ypsilon Lake Trail junction — cross the Roaring River
~3.5 mi	Steady climb through timber
4.4 mi	Ypsilon Lake — beneath the east face of Ypsilon Mountain

Know Before You Go

• National Park rules. No dogs; a timed-entry permit is often required in summer — reserve ahead.
• Strenuous day. ~9 miles and 2,000 feet — carry food, water, and layers, and start early.
• Flood history. The lower valley was scoured by the 1982 Lawn Lake flood — the Roaring River still shows it.
• Afternoon storms. Be mindful of weather on the higher, more open stretches.
• Carry water. Treat any you draw.