Hiking to Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes – Rocky Mountain National Park’s Most Popular Day Hike
The hike to Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park is one of those things that ends up on most people’s to-do list while visiting the park. It’s a great bang- for – your – buck hike that’s relatively short and easy but goes past three beautiful alpine lakes with some gorgeous scenery – so scenic, in fact, that the backdrops seen from Dream and Emerald Lakes are often what you see in park brochures or when you google images of the National Park.
There is a catch, of course. Because of its relative ease and accessibility for such a high reward, the hike is quite popular, and very crowded. But, if you can overlook that, hiking to Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park is a great choice for those looking to experience some of the park’s best scenery with little time and effort!
The Emerald Lake hike can also be used as an acclimation hike for those looking to do some more challenging higher altitude hikes in the park, such as the hike to Sky Pond - our favorite alpine lake in the park.
In this post, we’ll go over everything you need to know for this quintessential Rocky Mountain hike, so let’s get started!
Article Contents
Emerald Lake hike statistics
Emerald Lake Trailhead
Rocky Mountain National Park shuttle
Overview of the hike to Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes
Add-ons to the Emerald Lake hike
Best time to hike to Emerald Lake
What to pack for the Emerald Lake hike
Tips for hiking to Emerald Lake
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The Nymph Dream Emerald Lake Hike Statistics
Trail type: Out and back
Distance: 3 miles round trip*
Elevation gain: 630 feet
Time to hike: 1.5 hours (plus time to hang out at each of the lakes)
Notes on these stats: Since we did this hike as part of a larger loop hike, we do not have the trail profile of this individual hike. But if you’re interested in seeing it as part of that larger hike, check out our guide to the Emerald Lake - Sky Pond loop and see if you want to tackle it!
*This distance is based on what our Garmin watch tracked. The park’s signs say that the hike out to Emerald Lake is 1.8 miles (so 3.6 round trip). Not sure which is most accurate, so plan on hiking somewhere between 3 to 3.5 ish miles.
How to Get to the Emerald Lake Trailhead
The main trailhead for Emerald Lake is the Bear Lake parking lot found at the end of Bear Lake Road – the park’s main corridor. This lot is the most popular and busy parking lot in the park since many of Rocky Mountain National Park’s best hikes start here.
Because of its popularity, the lot fills early. We would recommend getting here between 6:30-7:00 am to guarantee a parking spot. However, cars do filter in and out throughout the day as people who started their hikes super early finish up and leave, or for those who are just visiting for a quick stop to walk around Bear Lake itself come and go. We would usually advocate for starting hikes pretty early in this park, but if the Emerald Lake hike is the only one you plan on doing today, you can start it as late as mid-morning. Since it’s a short hike, you can still finish the hike before afternoon thunderstorms become a concern (more on that in a bit). We arrived at this trailhead around noon one day and were able to find a spot with no problem…there were still about a handful of them open.
The Rocky Mountain National Park shuttle
If the lot is full or you just don’t want to deal with parking (I don’t blame ya!), then you can take advantage of the super awesome and convenient park shuttle. This shuttle operates all along the Bear Lake Road corridor. I’d recommend parking at the huge Park and Ride lot about half way up Bear Lake Road (across from the Glacier Basin Campground) to catch the shuttle up to the trailhead. Shuttles leave every 15-30 minutes…check out the times on the NPS website.
The Hike to Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park
From the Bear Lake trailhead, follow signs towards Emerald Lake. Each junction has clear signs and the paths are very well maintained in this area, so it’s pretty easy to navigate.
Nymph Lake
Elevation: 9.725 feet
From the trailhead, the trail has a gradual steady incline up a well- maintained trail through the forest. You’ll climb just about 300 feet over a half mile up to the first of the day’s three lakes – Nymph Lake. The cool thing about this hike is that each lake is better than the last. So while Nymph lake is pretty and peaceful, they only get better from here.
The trail goes by a nice little viewpoint and bench to admire the lily pads and modest mountain backdrop of Nymph Lake. I sat here for approximately 10 seconds to admire the views and get this picture…not because I didn’t like it, but, if you look carefully at the water, you can see that it was raining out at the time! We were actually hiking this trail in reverse as part of a larger loop, and by the time we had gotten to this point in the trail, the afternoon rain had started (and eventually led to a downpour, and some hail!). Hopefully you’ll get more time to enjoy this peaceful lake.
Dream Lake
Elevation: 9,940 feet
Next, you’ll continue the gentle climb up through the trees – climbing another 200 or so feet over another half mile to the next lake. You’ll emerge above tree line to gorgeous views out over towards Long’s Peak.
The trail will flatten out just before reaching Dream Lake. Just before the lake, there will be a junction to go up to Haiyaha Lake, but you’ll continue straight here for just a minute or so to see the gorgeous Dream Lake. You’ll see that famous backdrop come into view, and you’ll know you’re just a few steps away.
The view from this lake is one of the most quintessential views in the entire park, so enjoy it! Of course, you’ll be enjoying it with crowds, and it’s not really possible find any spot with both solitude and views. But there is a nice rocky platform from which you can capture those postcard-worthy photos.
Emerald Lake
Elevation: 10,121 feet
To get to the last and final lake, you’ll hike around the right side of Dream Lake and continue along a rocky trail, with some rock stairs incorporated into it. It’s another almost 300 feet of climbing in just over a half mile, but nothing too strenuous except for the altitude as you crest over 10,000 feet. The trail will end right at the foot of Emerald Lake, giving you super up close views of the gorgeous mountain backdrop.
There’s actually just a small rocky space at the base of the lake (right at the end of the trail) from which to enjoy these views, so it gets a little crowded. We found an empty spot to sit and have lunch, but we definitely were not alone… and were not just talking about the people.
There are tons of little chipmunks up here, and let me tell you, they are bold. They’re aggressive little critters in this park with one mission…to get your food, so be very vigilant and don’t leave any food lying out or unattended. Oh, and don’t leave your bags open either…because they will try to get in those, too! (We speak from experience, as you can see below.) As cute as they are, it’s for their own good!
Why do they have to be so cute?
This little guy was quick and clever.
When you’re done enjoying the views, simply retrace your steps to head back to the trailhead and revisit the beautiful Dream and Nymph Lakes on your way back.
Add-ons to the Emerald Lake Hike
Because the Emerald Lake hike is pretty short, it’s easy to add on some more mileage to your day if you’re up for it! Check out some of these hikes that you can easily tack onto the Emerald Lake hike:
Haiyaha Lake - the junction for this lake is just before Dream Lake and after about 1 mile and another 300 feet of climbing or so, you’ll end up at another gorgeous lake, but much, much less crowded. Haiyaha Lake is a great spot to enjoy some backcountry solitude in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Sky Pond - If you’re really looking to add on some mileage, check out the complete Sky Pond-Emerald Lake Loop…our absolute favorite hike in Rocky Mountain National Park! The total hike is about 11 miles but it will take you by 7 alpine lakes and a few waterfalls (and it even has you scramble up the side of one!).
Bear Lake – this is an easy add on to the end your hike. Bear Lake is right at the Bear Lake trailhead and is an easy flat 0.6 mile loop around the lake.
Best Time to Hike to Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park
The best time to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park is mid-summer to early fall. Depending on the snowpack from the winter, the snow can linger in the higher elevations into June, and sometimes even July. And snow can fall as early as September (it did the year we were there, closing down some park roads temporarily!). Be sure to check the conditions on the NPS site before you go.
If you are looking to do some winter hiking or snowshoeing, the hike to Emerald Lake is a popular choice for the winter. We haven’t done it personally (yet!), but it looks gorgeous covered in snow!
What to Pack for the Emerald lake Hike
Sturdy hiking boots or shoes – good grip, ankle support, and waterproofing is always a plus in our book
Rain gear – a rain coat and pack cover in case you get stuck in the pouring rain (like we did almost every day we hiked in the park!)
Trail map – the trails are well marked and well signed but always a good idea to have to see how far you have left and help you plan
Hat and sunscreen – a good portion of the hike is exposed and the summer sun can be strong
Lots of water and snacks
Tips for Hiking to Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park
Don’t expect solitude. This trail is one of Rocky Mountain National Park’s most popular - it’s pretty easy and short but with a great payoff - so expect the trail to be busy pretty much any time of day. Just look at the crowds on the trails below!
Afternoon storms. When people say the Rockies have a lot of afternoon thunderstorms, they mean it. Pretty much every day, storms develop over the mountains like clockwork at around 1 or 2 pm. Plan on being below tree line, or better yet, off the trails, by this time if storms are in the forecast. Always check with a ranger (there should be one at the Bear Lake Trailhead at the ranger station there) before starting, and plan out your time on the trail. Know your pace so you know how early you need to start.
Don’t feed the critters! The animals (I’m looking at you, chipmunks) at RMNP are some of the most bold and aggressive ones we’ve ever encountered! Don’t give into to their cuteness and offer up your snacks, and don’t leave food unattended out or bags open…they won’t be afraid to crawl right in! Always practice Leave No Trace principles and pack out all your waste with you.
Have you hiked to Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park? What did you think? Let us know in a comment below!