bierstadt lake

What a beautiful National Park lake! This is a great exercise destination from trail head or Bear Lake. In the summer, it is a lovely hiking or picnic location.

My wife and I have hiked the trail to Bierstadt Lake from both trailheads. This is not an easy trail, the altitude can definitely get to you. We did it both times during the winter on our snoe-shoes. The trail is well marked, and the views are great....definitely recommend to anyone wanting to get away from the normal crowds.

We were here in mid Oct when the ridge road was closed. Glad we had this scenic area to visit since options were limited due to road accessibility. Really enjoyed our hike here after breakfast one morning. Snow was covering some of the peaks and it was a beautiful Oct morning.

This is beautiful and well worth the hike.The scenery is outstanding and the vistas are breathtaking. Hiking at above 7500 feet can be difficult for some people so make sure to acclimate yourself before hiking here.

We hiked this trail during the last week of October - it was very windy and cold along the exposed portion of the trail but well worth the effort (13+ switchbacks) as Bierstadt Lake was incredibly beautiful with just an inch or two of snow on the forest trail around the lake at the time. The mountain views and elevated views of Sprague Lake are breath-taking. Warning - part of this is a shared trail with horses so watch your step.

A great path for snowshoeing for the whole family! 18-24 inches of powder in late November. Beautiful views.

Off the beaten path with beautiful mountain views from the lake and protected from the wind most of the wa, also went in summer and were surprised to see a moose in the lake, not usual on the east side of RMNP.

Nice three-mile roundtrip hike from the trailhead parking lots. I especially like that for a November day in the 60s, it wasn't crowded at all. Lots of switchbacks and narrow paths to get up and down, but my wife, who is afraid of heights, didn't mind at all. Great views of nearby peaks and Sprague Lake on a clear day. There was some snow once we got up top, but it's that time of year. The path around the lake is nice, but I wish it would have stayed closer to the water. Still, you walk through some very beautiful, peaceful forests. One of my favorite RMNP hikes ever!

We took the longer up on this hike from the Bierstadt Lake Trail head. You can make this hike starting at Bear Lake and then finish at the Bierstadt Lake Trail head and ride the shuttle back to Bear Lake/ Glacier Basin. There are a lot of off-trails and a few lakes scattered around. It is a GORGEOUS spot to visit in the fall, lovely colors and not too hot. We happily suggest this hiking spot to all visiting friends and family.

We took the "hard way" up on this hike from the Bierstadt Lake Trailhead. Although longer, you can make this hike starting at Bear Lake and then finish at the Bierstadt Lake Trailhead and ride the shuttle back to Bear Lake. This way you avoid long climb up the switchbacks from the Bierstadt parking area and you would get to see some different terrain. As it happens we don't regret the route we took because the climb up provided some amazing views. Obviously you get this on the way down also, but since we had already seen them we booked it on the way down. My GPS tracked this hike at 2.88 miles and we completed it in just under two hours. I recommend taking the loop around the lake once at the top. You'll want to walk to the far (east) side of the lake for the best views anyway. The colors looking across towards Longs Peak and Sprague Lake in late September were spectacular. the higher up we went the more impressed we were. The view looking west across the lake itself was also amazing. We also made friends with a pair of Grey Jays next to the lake who kept following us through the trees.

We're from Dallas so the altitude was a little bit of an issue. Steep incline combined with the altitude on the way up meant we had to make frequent stops to catch our breath. The view on the way up was spectacular and the lake was beautiful. Hike down to the park and ride instead of back to the trailhead which was very pretty.

There are several trails up to Bierstadt Lake, we took the Bierstadt Lake trailhead in and went out down the eastern trail that ends at the main park-and-ride lot. The views from the trail are much like many of the other trails in the area, with broad mountain vistas all around, but where this trail shines is during the fall color change while you wind your way back and forth up the face of the mountain among the aspens. The lake is pretty, but is outshone by the other lakes in the area and the trail down the back to the park-n-ride is steep, rocky and mostly pines, but it is definitely worth the trip up the main trail in the fall.

A 1.3 mile walk to see a lake did not feel like a big deal. We manage to make the climb up almost 600 feet from the trail head with a lot of rest stops.So coming down, we thought it might be easier to go to Bear Lake via the forest.We did it. If we did it again we would start at Bear Lake for an easier decent to the Bierstatd Trail Head.

Bierstadt Lake is a beautiful lake, with mountains in the background. This was our favorite hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. There are two ways to get there, either from the Bierstadt Lake trail head, or from the trail to Bear Lake. We took the latter, having been advised by a fellow visitor to the B&B we were staying at that it was less steep, and were glad we did. The trail to the lake began steadily uphill, eventually leveling off. It was not a difficult trail, however, and had decent footing. We decided to return to the Bierstadt Lake trail head, and found the trail to be extremely rocky, with loose rocks that made the footing treacherous. It was quite steep and difficult. When we finally got down to the level of the road, the trail continued to more or less parallel the road for quite some distance, moving away at times, with no signage indicating how far away the trail head might be. Finally, the trail reached the road, but there was no trail head visible. A confusing sign pointed back the way we had come, indicating "Shuttle 1.2 miles". A trail continued on in the direction we had been going, but there was no sign indicating a destination or distance. We spoke to several people who were stopped on the road taking pictures, and one finally told us that the trail head was about a quarter mile further along the road, around a bend. We walked to the trail head on the road, and took the shuttle back to the Bear Lake trail head, where our car was parked. The signage could be much clearer, and the trail from the trail head could be made less treacherous. It was difficult going down, and would have been even more so going up. At the lake, we heard others complaining about having come up that trail. It is a shame that most people would probably hike to Bierstadt Lake from its trail head, which is by far the less enjoyable way to get there.

This is an easy hike for us, great views! Nice lake. Worth the time to hike it for sure. Take a lunch to enjoy by the lake. This was not heavily traveled which made for a very peaceful morning.