top of page
Search

Top 5 Snowshoe Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park

Whether it’s your first visit to Colorado’s Rocky Mountains or you’ve lived in the area for twenty years, there’s no other adventure like snowshoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park. Snowshoeing is the perfect way to experience the winter wilderness: quiet enough for wildlife spotting, easy to learn, and it lets you wander into even the deepest powder snow! Rocky Mountain National Park has dozens of trails you can snowshoe every winter, but a few rise above the rest. Our experienced guides have picked these five trails as the best snowshoe hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park. 


Emerald Lake

The quintessential Rocky Mountain National Park hike, Emerald Lake takes you through a winter wonderland of icy peaks, frozen mountain lakes, and picturesque alpine forest. A well-established route with just a couple steep pitches keeps it fun for beginners and experienced snowshoers alike. The winter trail crosses frozen Nymph and Dream Lakes–check out the ice-ripples and air bubbles locked in beneath your feet!--before heading over the last ridge to Emerald Lake. Add in a view of Longs Peak, and this trail is an easy favorite. Plus, it’s short enough that you can do it on one of our half-day guided snowshoe hikes.


  • Round trip distance: 3.6 miles

  • Elevation gain: 771 feet

  • Average time to complete: 3-4 hours

  • Why we love it:

Crossing Dream Lake on the Way to Emerald Lake
Crossing Dream Lake on the Way to Emerald Lake

Lake Haiyaha

Starting from Rocky Mountain’s Bear Lake Trailhead, the Lake Haiyaha snowshoe starts on the same trail as Emerald Lake but splits off just before Dream Lake. From there you climb further into the evergreen alpine forest, contour around the mountainside, and drop into the next drainage over where this spectacular lake sits in a cirque of soaring peaks with views up into Chaos Canyon. Often less-traveled than the Emerald Lake trail for winter snowshoers, the route to Lake Haiyaha is a great chance to really test out your snowshoes in soft new snow, sidehills, and the occasional bit of icy hill. There is a section of the trail that passes through avalanche terrain, so make sure to check the Colorado Avalanche Information Center reports and pick another spot if conditions don’t look good. Not sure you’re ready for trailless winter navigation to this amazing spot? Book a trip with one of our highly experienced snowshoe guides! 

  • Round trip distance: 4.2 miles 

  • Elevation gain: 745 feet

  • Average time to complete: 3-4 hours

  • Why we love it: Forests, alpine, and frozen lakes–you get a bit of everything on this trail

Standing on the swirling ice of Lake Haiyaha
Standing on the swirling ice of Lake Haiyaha

Sky Pond

Well-named Sky Pond sits at almost 11,000 feet, framed by granite spires and 10,000-year-old glacial moraines. At 7.8 miles round-trip, this one is definitely a full-day hike, but the experience is well worth it. On the way to Sky Pond the trail winds past two frozen waterfalls and two other lakes before scrambling up to this cirque. This section does go through avalanche paths, so make sure to check the latest reports and carry avalanche gear if needed. Keep an eye out for ice skaters on The Loch! Expansive views of the peaks arrayed across the valley from Glacier Gorge, plus glimpses all along the trail of the alpine peaks you’re heading into, make this trail an adventure from start to finish. If you’re visiting Denver or Estes Park and you want a full adventure day in the mountains, snowshoeing this trail with our local guides is nearly impossible to beat.

  • Round trip distance: 7.8 miles

  • Elevation gain: 1780 feet

  • Average time to complete: 5-6 hours

  • Why we love it: amazing views the whole way

Celebrating the arrival to Sky Pond
Celebrating the arrival to Sky Pond

Black Lake

Another top-notch full-day snowshoe, Black Lake starts at the same trailhead as Sky Pond but takes the other branch of the trail to head up past Mills Lake, Jewel Lake, and finally to Black Lake. The views start early and only get better, culminating in McHenry’s Peak and The Arrowhead soaring above Black Lake. Frozen waterfalls dot the upper part of the trail, while views up and down the gorge highlight the lower half. Any of the lakes make an excellent destination for a day of snowshoeing!

  • Round trip distance: 9.6 miles to Black Lake

  • Elevation gain: 1480 feet

  • Average time to complete: 5-7 hours

  • Why we love it: spectacular frozen lakes and towering peaks

Returning form Black Lake during a Stormy Day
Returning form Black Lake during a Stormy Day

Cub Lake

This beginner-friendly half-day snowshoe starts in Moraine Park, where you can often spot elk and deer browsing the winter grasses in front of an immense backdrop of snowy peaks. The trail soon heads into those peaks, too, traversing evergreen forest and a wildfire scar quickly filling with young aspens. Cub Lake itself sits in a lovely subalpine basin, the perfect setting for some hot chocolate and a snack.


  • Round trip distance: 4.6 miles

  • Elevation gain: 540 feet

  • Average time to complete: 3-4 hours

  • Why we love it: wildlife spotting, Continental Divide views, and fun for every skill level



Comments

bottom of page