Arch Rocks

Fern Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

“Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.” James Clear, author of Atomic Habits.

I still can’t believe my 6-year-old and 8-year-old daughters hiked the 7.6-mile roundtrip trek up to Fern Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park AND enjoy it.

We’ve been coming to Rocky Mountain National Park since they were babies. For a long time, it felt like we would never be able to hike beyond a mile or two. That’s one of the reasons I liked the Fern Lake trail when they were younger. There are several destinations along the way including Arch Rocks, The Pool, and Fern Falls. I’ve posted pictures of each below. When we had a fussy baby, or an impatient toddler, we could turn around at these points and still feel like we accomplished something.

Another reason I like the Fern Lake trail is because it tends to melt out earlier in the season compared to other higher hikes. The trail begins at 8,155 ft.

In early June, we spotted several elk and moose. Spotting three moose on a trail was a first for us. Other hikers who posted on AllTrails.com also reported ‘moose traffic jams’.

Between the animal spotting and wildflowers, the trail was wonderful even before we arrived at Arch Rocks. The journey to Arch Rocks is 1.2 miles from the trailhead.

The trail follows the Big Thompson River. In spring and early summer, it is common to spot extra waterfalls flowing in.

The pool

At 1.7 miles from the trailhead, you reach a wooden bridge that crosses over The Pool. This destination is one of our favorite 2-4 mile hikes in the park.

We continued beyond The Pool to Fern Falls which is a little under a mile and gains 400 feet of elevation.

Rocky mountain national park fire damage

This section of the hike gets pretty sad because a lot of the forest was damaged by wildfires.

Fern Falls

I wish I could insert a special effect that would allow you to feel the cool mist. Even a video of Fern Falls doesn’t do it justice.

We’ve never made it past Fern Falls, but after a quick snack break, we decided to continue hiking up to Fern Lake. There were small patches of snow along the way, but we were able to do it without equipment beyond waterproof hiking boots. Hiking poles would have been helpful in some spots.

Our girls love hiking in snow! We packed layers that we could easily take on and off along the trail as we went. The temperature dropped noteably right before we reached Fern Lake. We gained a total of 1,380 feet of elevation.

I love hiking to lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park, and this new-to-me lake was stunning.

My older daughter’s advice to kids who want to hike is ‘Don’t give up. Keep on trying – it will be worth it.’

On our way back down the trail, we spotted a couple moose and a elk. Can you see the elk hidding among the trees in the photo of my daughter below? When I asked her advice to other kids who want to hike she said, ‘there is still beauty on the way down’.

This Father’s Day weekend, we want to give a gold star to my husband whose ‘commitment to the process’ is starting to pay off. We appreciate him getting us out in the mountains and among the trees!

helpful inforMation

How do you get to Fern Lake Trailhead?

The National Park Service provides directions to the trailhead as:

From Beaver Meadows Visitor Center follow Hwy 36 west to Bear Lake Road (approximately 1.3 miles). Turn left onto Bear Lake Road and follow for 1.3 miles, then turn right onto Moraine Park Campground Road. After a short distance turn left at a sign indicating that Riding Stable and Trailheads are ahead. This road will take you along the edge of Moraine Park to the TH. The TH is at the end of the road.

What entrance should I use into Rocky Mountain National Park?

As of 6/16/23: NPS states that Fall River Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park is under construction so only one lane is open to enter. Visitors are encouraged to avoid the Fall River Entrance and use the Beaver Meadows Entrance via U.S. Hwy 36.

Do I need a reservation to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park?

The Fern Lake hike is in the Bear Lake Corridor, so you must have both a pass into the park and a timed-entry permit called Park Access Plus between 5am and 6pm. The reservations can be made at Recreation.gov. Reservations typically open a month in advance. Some of the reservations open up the night before at 5:00 pm. When we are hoping to get a pass for the next day, we set an alarm on our phone so we can get on the site right at 5:00 before they all sell out. This video helps explain the system in more detail.

Where should I go if I can’t get a Park Access Plus reservation?

There are a lot of great options! Some of our favorites include:

Lily Lake, Gem Lake, Calypso Cascades in Wild Basin, Deer Mountain, Twin Sisters Peaks, or the Ute Trail.

Hike to Arch Rocks and The Pool in Rocky Mountain National Park

The hike to The Pool in Rocky Mountain National Park is one of our favorite early season hikes. It’s lower starting elevation (8,150 ft) typically means there is less snow than other areas of the park.

The hike begins at the Fern Lake trail head. There is a small non-paved parking area. The road is narrow for two-way vehicle traffic. There is shuttle service and some additional parking .8 miles away from the trail head.

On our late-May hike we enjoyed spotting spring wildflowers, a busy humming bird, and a garter snake.

Arch rocks

40 foot vertical rocks called Arch Rocks are a main attraction along the way to The Pool. The rocks are 1.2 miles from the trail head.

big thompson river

Walking along the Big Thompson River is another highlight of this hike.

The Pool

A wooden bridge crosses over the river. This video shows the water gathering and powerfully flowing into the Big Thompson River. The Pool is 1.7 miles from the Fern Lake trail head. If you turn around at this point, the hike is a total of 3.4 miles. On this trip, we chose to turn around at this point.

Love loop hikes? From The Pool you can split off towards Cub Lake and head back around to the Cub Lake trail head. The final section of the hike between the Cub Lake trail head and the Fern Lake trail head is on a connecting road. This loop is 6 miles.

Fern Falls

Another option to continue the hike is to make your way up to Fern Falls. To hike to the waterfall, you will add approximately 1 mile each way. Most of this section is uphill. If you are up for the challenge, the waterfall is worth the effort!

Fantastic Family Hike to Fern Falls

Fern Falls with a Fussy Baby

fern lake

The name sake of this trail is Fern Lake, which is 3.8 miles from the trail head. It has spectacular views of Notch Top mountain.

The Fern Lake trail head is a launching point to many memorable destinations in Rocky Mountain National Park including Arch Rocks, The Pool, Fern Falls and Fern Lake.

on my mind: Ticks in Rocky Mountain National park

Well, it happened! After five years of living tick free, we found several ticks on my daughter during our most recent trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, Colorado. We were playing in some areas that had tall grass, so it’s not very surprising, but I just wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone who is out enjoying the great outdoors to be checking themselves and their kids. Here is some additional information about ticks found in RMNP.

Make your reservations now: Trail Ridge Road is Open

Trail Ridge Road is a scenic highway that connects Estes Park, Colorado to Grand Lake, Colorado. The road is located within Rocky Mountain National Park, so a park pass and time-entry permit are required to travel on this scenic roadway which will take you above tree-line and into the alpine tundra. Trail Ridge Road opened on June 4, 2020. Here is an article from Estes Park News about the annual ribbon cutting celebration.

New! Visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park can obtain a time-entry permit through Recreation.gov.

Fern Falls with a Fussy Baby

The longer I’m a Mom, the more I appreciate back up plans!

We arrived to Rocky Mountain National Park on a popular summer weekend so we couldn’t find a parking spot near the Fern Lake trailhead. The park had a great backup option. We were able to park at the Fern Lake Park & Ride lot (added a .7 mile walk each way on narrow, gravel road).

The hike begins on pretty flat terrain and follows the Big Thompson River. The area is lush with several access points to fish or picnic.

Cecy didn’t sleep well the night before our hike, so she started out pretty fussy. If she didn’t settle down and fall asleep in her carrier, our backup plan was to cut the hike a little shorter by stopping at either Arch Rocks or The Pool. Arch Rocks are 40ft vertical boulders that lean towards one another. They are huge!