Lumpy Ridge Trailhead
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We visited on 9-20-21. The Lily lake trail was very easy and relaxing. There are two other trails that you can take off this trail. One is to the South, the other is to the north, and the trails have a crescent form off of the Lily lake trail. The trail to the north I took was pretty amazing with it's views of the lake and other mountain peaks. If you take this trail, start it closer to the parking lot section of the Lily Lake trail. This is helpful because at the other end of this upper trail when it connects back to the Lily lake trail the trail becomes hard to make it out. You will see many other paths that hikers have traveled which can kind of be disorienting. However you always have Lily Lake in view as a bearing so you won't get lost. There are some trees marked with blue paint which appears to take you in various difficult and perhaps long term trails. These trails get difficult, but they were awesome because it's just you and the mountain at that point. If you come to this area at Lily Lake between 9am thru 3pm, you are required to purchase a ticket online thru the park service. However, if you do your hiking before 9am or after 3pm, you do not have to purchase a ticket.
David ShepherdDavid Shepherd
40
This was a beautiful trail and not a terrible amount of elevation climb to the pool (~1300ft) but as a midwester, it was a push being at a base elevation of 7700 ft higher than our typical elevation of 500ft. The views were amazing, and you could see all of Estes Park from various points on the trail. It was a well marked trail with most areas having enough room to pass as necessary. The stairs were well maintained. You will need a park pass to park in the park, but after talking to some locals, there were areas outside the main parking area to park along the road that others were parking at. While all of the signs said, "No Parking" he said they never ticketed so I'm guessing these were more for revenue generation for the park. But... Park at your own risk, I was out there along with 30 other cars for 4 hours and didn't get ticketed. The parking lot was small and full and was patrolled quite a bit while we were out there. Weather changes pretty dramatically this time of year and we ended up getting snowed on. It was warm at the bottom and cooler at the top. It was fall when I went, so the colors were amazing and very busy! I would recommend this hike to anyone!
Joseph McGieJoseph McGie
80
Beautiful views for such an accessible trail close to Estes Park. This hike is part of the Rocky Mountain National Park, so you technically need timed entry. However, we went on a weekday with the parking lot half empty, and the volunteer said they don't check for having timed entry. The hike is moderately difficult, but my kids were able to complete it with minimal whining. You are basically hiking straight up to gain 1000ft in 1.8 miles. The end of the hike is a half mile of steep stairs to reach the lake. If you push through the quad-burn, you'll be rewarded with a cute lake for a lunch/snack and beautiful views of Estes Park. There are also great mountain views and cool rock formations throughout. I'd definitely recommend this for a quick morning or afternoon hike.
Mark SeymourMark Seymour
00
So my review a bit different from most of what I see as I hiked this recently in a small snowstorm. The uphills are definitely noticeable ha but navigable and well worth the effort. My goal was to reach the end where it runs into private property and not Gem Lake. So my hike was in and back. The trail has literally dozens of awesome photo opps including unfettered views of the Twin Owls. You don’t need a pass to hike this and there is a well marked info board w/ facilities at the trailhead lot. Even in 1-2 ft of snow was able to go in and back out in just a few hours. A great hike for those with only a little time or beginning to build up for more strenuous altitude challenges.
Dave WittDave Witt
10
Well, most books say this trail is moderate. 😳 I'm no beginner at hiking, and this trail is only about 4 miles in and out. BUT, it is ALL, and I mean ALL uphill. I am not sure of the elevation gain, but this is like walking on a stairmaster for 2 hours. My Garmin said 15000 steps for the whole hike. Maybe I was not used to hiking at elevation being from Las Vegas, but this hike kicked my butt. Gem Lake at the top is more like a big pond, but very pretty. The chipmunks at the lake are extremely friendly, almost begging for food, so please do not feed them. Oh, and going down is tough on the knees. Last thing, they do have timed entry 9am to 2pm. 🤐🤐🤐
Carl ClaytonCarl Clayton
00
We hiked the Gem Lake trail on a Wednesday in mid August with our toddler in a hiking backpack. We arrived at 8:05 AM and 2/3 of the parking lot was empty. There is no entry fee to this trail and there are bathrooms at the trailhead. 1,000 feet of elevation and around 3.7 miles. It took us around an hour to get to the lake with a few stops for pictures. There are great panoramic views throughout the ascent. Similarly to others, the lake was a little underwhelming at first but we recommend going to the opposite side of the lake to relax and take in the views. We enjoyed this hike and recommend you hike it.
Steven SedaSteven Seda
10
Nearby Attractions Of Lumpy Ridge Trailhead
MacGregor Ranch Museum
MacGregor Ranch Museum
4.7
(21)Click for details
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Estes Park, CO 80517
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