Emerald Lake — Attraction in Four Corners States

Emerald Lake and the Bear Lake area is hands-down one of the best spots in Rocky Mountain National Park, especially if you’re into alpine lakes and stunning views.

We were there on May 31, and even though snow was still hanging around in the higher elevations, the hike to Emerald Lake totally blew us away. The trail is just under 4 miles round-trip, and you pass by Nymph and Dream Lakes on the way. Emerald Lake was still frozen when we went.

A few quick tips: •Definitely check recent trail reports on AllTrails before you go—it saved us from showing up unprepared. •Hiking poles were super helpful once we got past Dream Lake. The snow was packed and icy in spots. •If there’s still snow on the trail, crampons or microspikes are a good idea, and you’ll be glad you brought them.

Now, about permits: If you’re heading to Bear Lake Road between May 23 and October 20 (2025), you’ll need a Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road permit. You can snag one online through the park’s site or at recreation.gov.

Here’s a helpful tip: 40% of the permits are released the night before at 7 p.m. MT. These go fast, so be ready to hop online right at 7 if you missed the earlier release.

We had the 5–7 a.m. entry window and rolled into the Bear Lake parking lot around 5:30 a.m. and it was only about a quarter full. By 8:30, it was jam-packed. If you’re going later in the day, I’d definitely recommend using the shuttle service instead of trying to park.

There are bathrooms and a ranger station right at the trailhead, and they even sell hiking poles if you forget yours or realize you need some last-minute.

All in all, this spot is absolutely worth the early alarm and the permit hassle. The views are unreal, the lakes are peaceful and...

Almost hate to write this, as it will add to the crowds the RMNP has seen, since COVID (which honestly suck), but can't keep this trail to ourselves. Our 5 year old 'hiked' it, and by hiking I mean dancing, skipping and singing. The climb is only 600 ft in elevation and 4 miles, roundtrip. Bring snacks and drinks for the little ones. Better to keep pushing through to Emerald, as the crowds die down after the 2nd lake. Otherwise, did this solo in about an hour and half, with the crowds. Took 5 hours with kid, husband and Saturday crowds. Be prepared to use the shuttle. No parking in lot from 7-9. 10:30 will have openings through 11. Then after 11 you're not getting a spot, unless you sit and wait, which will be a very jerky thing to do, as it will congest traffic and make it terrible for those that did get there early to get out. It's a mess....

We visited on Friday, 6/20/25 and started our hike around noon. The landscape was amazing, trail was well done, snow still in spots, beautiful views. But, the crowds... The entire trail from the Bear Lake Trailhead was packed like Disney World. There's hundreds of miles of trails within the park. If you don't prefer the company of dozens of people while hiking for hours, then pick another trail. For us, the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. When we got to Emerald Lake, there was literally not an open spot to sit down without disrupting someone else. And, this is after navigating the timed-entry confusion. I couldn't imagine what the trails would look like without the efforts of the excellent park staff. Thank you...