Glacier Gorge Junction Trailhead — Attraction in Estes Park

Horrible, terrifying and scary aggressive molester on the parking lot. Name Mike. I pick up a couple of hitchhikers few miles before the parking lot. I go there every week. In the beginning of the trail I put my flashlight in order to drop off the two people I was giving a ride to. A male aggressively approach my car walking around like a crazy person. The boy try to open my car door as he was scared so was all of as. The man was screaming:" you can't park here! Bus is coming!" Obviously I know that because I go there every week. From the stress and fear the man behind pressure so hard the car knob, that it broke it. As results they couldn't get out of the car and this man keeps walking around the car and shouting. The two hitchhikers were finally out of the car but the level of harassment was extreme. I decided to drive once more trough this parking lot in order to get the name of the molestors. He was walking after my car. Once he comes again he was trying to hide his name tag. Screaming again. I said I am aware I can't park here. I just got back to take your name for my review. Once I open my camera he got slightly less aggressive but it was still scary. He got even angry and more aggressive. He looks like he wanted to kill me. I was very scared. I also was looking at my phone for alternative hike, as I didn't have good service it didn't work properly. This Mike- ranger man walk after my car screaming and taking pictures of me and my car from the behind. I left and went up the road to Bear lake (dream lake) road parking lot.. At approaching the Parking lot and women stopped me. While talking on her radio and give me very nasty looks. She was there with another male. Then let me enter the parking , while I was pulling the male took pictures of my car. I park on the side of the parking lot. Soon after two women's in ranger uniform walked towards my car giving me nasty looks the passed by my car and one of them turned towards me and make a gesture with her hand pointing to her head imitate a shot of a firearm. It was very buzzar. After less than a minute another ranger women walk around my car looking very angry. I said mam, mam 2 SE but she acted like I didn't exist and walk away. I was wondering if it was legal to take pictures of me and my car without my permission. Another male ranger approach towards my car. I asked him, excuse me Sir is there any park policy that allows rangers to photograph visitors? His answer was:" you probably made a crime and you are being reported right now!" I asked why kind of crime? He said well very probably you violated the law and you are being reported to the police!!! I was scared. I feel very uncomfortable by the entire stuff and how they treated me. I drove 4 hours and I was afraid of those people damaging my car. I was afraid of them braking something or fallowing me in the forest. I never feel so scared for my life. If my phone had service I would have called 911. This was very scary and horrible experience. I have never seen anything as nasty as those people today. Previous week there was nobody at the parking lot and honestly it was running great. It is owful to be alone and harassed, by aggressive molester in a remote parking lot. I am posting this because I really fear for my life. I am not going there anymore. I stop further on for a small walk but I was really scared to leave my car. Just be aware some psychological unstable people are around those parking lot so keep yourself and loved once safe. I...

From this trailhead, we hiked the short distance out to Alberta Falls and back. The hike itself was excellent. From the trailhead, you gain less than 300' in elevation, so it's only about a 6% average grade, with no painfully steep sections. The scenery along the way is beautiful, but the main attraction are the falls themselves. Thanks to the relatively short & easy hike, this is one of the most popular attractions along Bear Lake Corridor.

With 20/20 hindsight, we should've skipped this trailhead altogether. We hiked Bear/Nymph/Dream/Emerald Lakes in the morning, then headed back to the Park & Ride to grab our lunch, then back up to Glacier Gorge for this trail. It would've been nearly the same amount of hiking, and less time waiting in line for and riding on shuttles, had we just gone straight from the Bear Lake lot back toward Alberta Falls. Oh well, live and learn. Still a nice trail.

The one complaint I would have would be with the organization of the shuttle riders heading from Glacier Gorge back down toward Bierstadt Lake and the Park & Ride. There was no effort to keep a decent queue the way it was up at Bear Lake or at the Park & Ride. It was just a free-for-all, with the volunteer directing buses only saying "let people here first on first" but not actually doing anything to keep late-comers from getting on before people...

This is a great spot to consider parking if you bring a personal vehicle because Bear Lake is definitely within an easy walking distance I’ll be at uphill. That said, if you use the public transportation, it can be a little dicey on whether or not the bus will already be full by the time it reaches this location. If you are traveling with a large group, you kind of have to roll the dice here. The bus drivers were very accommodating, however, and my large group of 20 people including nine kids were able to get on. Make sure you understand the bus schedule if you use their transportation, which I would recommend. this particular trailhead is kind of an exposed one and although they do have a covered set of benches, it was a little hot at mid afternoon. They do have a rustic restroom, but it is there if you need one. I don’t believe there are any water sources...