Gem Lake: Estes Park, CO
Date Hiked: May 28, 2018
Length: 3.1 mi
Elevation Gain: 990 ft
Starting Elevation: 7,856 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance from Denver: 1 hr 30 min
Sarah’s Ranking: 8/10
Total Hike Time: 2 hr
Parking: Large paved lot
Best Time: Early morning, late spring or early autumn
Features: Lake, Views
Additional Information: AllTrails
About the Area:
Gem Lake is located inside Rocky Mountain National Park, but you will not cross an entrance gate to find the parking lot. Instead, you will enter the park while on the trail. This hike is a great hike for beginners looking for a bit of a challenge. This is also a great hike for people looking to get into backpacking. Here, camping and overnight stays are allowed, but a permit is required (for more information, check out this article).
This hike was made popular by a 9News article that described Gem Lake as a “beach at 8,500 ft.” Rightly-so! There is a large sandy side of the lake that allows for easy access to the lake. Other great features of this hike include the beautiful lake, gorgeous rock formations and erosional patterns of the beautiful phaneritic granite. You will also catch stunning views of Estes Park and surrounding areas.
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How to Get There:
The trailhead and the parking lot is located HERE. Depending on traffic conditions, usually, the quickest way from Denver is to drive north on I-25 until you hit CO-66. Take this west all the way to Estes Park (it will turn into US-36). Continue through Estes Park. Just passed the Stanley Hotel, take a right onto MacGregor Ave. Follow this for about 1.25 miles until your reach Chasm Drive. Here, you will see the sign for Gem Lake. Take this left and follow it into the parking lot.
During the busy season, you will often need to pay a $10 parking fee. We lucked out and didn’t have to pay at all.
Pin this post for later reference!
What to Bring:
For every hike, always be sure to bring the ten hiking essentials and a good pair of sturdy hiking boots. The ten essentials are crucial to a comfortable and safe day of hiking and have saved me in a few extreme cases!
For this hike, in addition to the ten essentials, you should also consider bringing:
- Rock Climbing Shoes
- Rock Climbing Chalk
- Chalk Bag
- Hiking Sandals (to put your feet in)
- Quick Drying Hiking Towel
Related: The Ten Hiking Essentials
Hiking to Gem Lake:
Gem Lake may be a short distance, but the high elevation makes the climb a moderate difficulty. However, this doesn’t stop the large amounts of people from visiting this location. Be aware you will be sharing the trail with quite a few people if you don’t arrive early.
The Gem Lake trail begins at a large, paved parking area. Here, you will find two main trailheads: Twin Owls Trail (to the left) and the Lumpy Ridge Trail (to the right) which leads you to the Gem Lake trail. Once on the trail, you will see the information sign about 50-100 feet into the trail. Be sure to check this out for the latest warnings.
Moving up the trail about a half of a mile, you will wind up at a fork. Follow the sign to Gem Lake (to the right).
This hike is truly Colorado's hidden gem!Click To TweetAnother quarter of a mile and you will begin to reach some great viewpoints of Estes Park and the surrounding area. Be sure to snap a shot! Once you reach the lake, the views are not as great.
The last quarter of a mile of the trail is a real stair stepper but there is a bathroom located here if you need a break!
The lake is located just passed the “Gem Lake” sign. If you’re looking for a great view of the lake and the surrounding areas, follow the trail around to the left and climb up the large rock formation on the back side of the lake! Pretty easy climb when it is dry and a great view! Be sure to watch your footing though.
If you’re looking for a bit more adventure, continue on this trail for another four miles or so. This will lead you to the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls.
What’s Nearby?
Estes Park is our favorite Colorado town. It is a gorgeous area, not too crowded, and has so many activities and areas to explore! The first and most obvious attraction is the Rocky Mountain National Park. It is located just outside of Estes Park and has hundreds of trails and activities to choose from year round! Our favorite trails so far are Alberta Falls and Bear Lake. Two quick, easy, and rewarding hikes.
Another can’t-miss destination is the Stanley Hotel. This hotel is not only a gorgeous destination to visit or stay at, but is incredibly famous and well-known. This is the hotel that inspired Stephen King’s The Shining novel. They offer both day and night time tours and have a wonderful restaurant anyone can visit.
There are many more great things to visit in this area including:
Tips:
- Arrive early to ensure a close parking spot and less trail traffic.
- Don’t forget your ten hiking essentials.
- Take advantage of all the local activities in and around Estes Park after your hike!
- Pin this post to refer to later on!
Looking for other hikes near Estes Park? Check out Alberta Falls and Bear Lake! Better yet, check out the Ultimate Colorado Bucket List.
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