Best Hikes Rocky Mountain National Park

Timberline Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park

Daily writing prompt

What are your daily habits?

This summer I’ve gotten into the daily habit of taking an evening walk after dinner with my husband (and our dog). I love this habit because it’s a healthy thing to do physically and it’s a great way to connect. It feels like a mini-date.

Another habit I’m focusing on this summer is getting out in nature as much as possible. Our favorite way to do that is to go on family hikes. Today I wanted to share a hike we did last July in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The hike to Timberline Falls is 8.1 miles round-trip. You can start at the Bear Lake trailhead or Glacier Gorge. Both require a timed-entry permit from May 24 through mid-October.

From the trailhead, the first major landmark is Alberta Falls which is less than a mile. We started our hike around 7:30 in the morning. This area of the park fills up fast, so the earlier you get there the more enjoyable the falls will be. (Unless you are a big fan of crowds with selfie sticks).

We continued our hike up towards Loch Vale, a clear and serene alpine lake. This was a great spot for us to take a snack break. There are beautiful trout in the lake. I imagine this would be an idyllic fishing spot.

The trail follows alongside the Loch – which is much longer than it initially looks. Eventually, we walked through a marshy area where we spotted a deer right off the trail. That last bit of this hike is a rock staircase that goes straight up. It’s a thigh burner.

Our final obstacle was an unexpected snow field that stretched before the quick scramble to Timberline Falls.

But we didn’t make it to Timberline Falls. With all the snow, ice, and flowing water we decided it wasn’t worth climbing up. It’s always slightly disappointing when you turn back early, especially when the end is in sight, but I’ve never regretted my decision to do so.

My girls thought it was epic to slide back down in the snow.

I hope you enjoyed reading about one of our favorite hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. I’ve posted links below that would be helpful if you are interested in exploring this awesome trail yourself.

Helpful Links:

Timerline Falls trail info from RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

AllTrails.com trip reports from fellow hikers.

Rocky Mountain National Park Timed Entry

Rocky Mountaion National Park Fishing guidelines

Our Hike to Sky Pond which goes up, over, and through Timberline Falls

Hike to a Sandy Beach in Rocky Mountain National Park

Daily writing prompt

Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.

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One simple thing that has brought me joy this week is changing my iPhone home screen to Photo Shuffle. Now when I pick up my phone, I see a different featured photo which are mostly pictures of my daughters over the past years. You can also select ‘nature’ so the pictures are from nature photos you’ve taken.

Another thing that is bringing me joy this week is planning our summer vacation to Rocky Mountain National Park. Last year we hiked several trails that I haven’t written about yet, so I want to share some of our new favorites including Sandbeach Lake.

Sandbeach Lake

Sandbeach Lake is located in the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park near Allenspark, Colorado. This is an area that is lower in elevation compared to popular spots such as Bear Lake. The area is also more remote, so sometimes you can luck out with less traffic on the trails. We hiked this on a holiday weekend (July 3rd) starting a little before 8:00 in the morning.

Route Stats:
The Sandbeach trailhead starts at 8,312 feet of elevation. On our route we hiked a total of 9.15 miles and gained 2,090 feet of elevation. Our moving time was just over four and a half hours, but with stops it took us five hours and fifteen minutes. With kids our average pace was 29:49.

This website was named after my oldest daughter, our original ‘Rocky Mountain Tot’. We started taking her on hikes when she was only a few months old. When she hiked to Sandbeach Lake she was eight years old and my younger daughter was six. I honestly didn’t expect them to be able to hike over nine miles, but with snack stops and a promise of a sandy beach waiting at the top, they made it!

When we reached the lake, I enjoyed walking along the shore taking in different perspectives of the lake. My girls loved the cool feeling of squishing their toes in the sand in an unexpected location.

In summary, this is a magical destination where you can put your feet in an alpine lake at over 10,000 feet of elevation. If you are looking for a unique adventure, I highly recommend Sandbeach Lake.

Are Dogs Allowed in Rocky Mountain National Park?

National parks are wonderful places to experience nature, but not ideal places to bring a dog. In fact, according to Rocky Mountain National Park’s website, ‘Pets are prohibited on ALL Rocky Mountain National Park trails, tundra, and meadows.’

Old Fall River road

Pets can go along established roads or in parking areas. The best place we’ve found to walk our dog in Rocky Mountain National Park is up Old Fall River Road when the road is closed during the winter season.

According to the park’s website, ‘During the times when snowplowing operations are not in effect, the road is is open to bicycles, leashed pets and pedestrians.’ Right now snowplowing is taking place Tuesdays to Fridays from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. The road is likely to open to vehicle traffic around July 4 weekend and will close for the winter in early to mid-October. The road status depends on the weather conditions.

We parked in the Endovalley picnic area. The loop around the picnic area would also be a nice place to take a short walk with a dog.

ticks in rocky mountain national park

We kept our dog, Sky, on a short leash, but she still managed to walk through brush and pick up a half dozen (or more!) ticks. Rocky Mountain Wood Ticks are mostly found in the spring and early summer.

Chasm falls

We took the dirt road up to Chasm Falls. My daughters and I went down to the viewing platform while my husband hung back with our dog. We didn’t want to crowd other hikers or take away from their experience viewing this impressive waterfall.

According to AllTrails.com, this hike is a total of 4.7 miles and gains 531 in elevation. It is a good choice if you are looking for a bike friendly or dog friendly early season hike.

Nymph Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Today I wanted to share a short post about a short hike. Nymph Lake is located in the Bear Lake area of Rocky Mountain National Park. Known for the pond lilies that float on its surface, Nymph Lake is located only a half mile from the trailhead.

Nymph Lake is one of our favorite short hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. You can find more short hike suggestions here. Continue the trail beyond Nymph Lake to amazing destinations including Dream Lake, Emerald Lake, Lake Haiyaha, and more.