The Lake of Many Rocks is a short but spectacular hike in the busy Bear Lake area of RMNP. It's a little more strenuous than the more popular lakes, so you may be the only person there if it's "off season." There are incredible views along the way and the multitude of large rocks leading up to the lake provides for an excellent foreground in photos. It's one of John Fielder's favorite in RMNP. There's some slight avalanche danger as you climb the last hill to the lake

Located in the Rocky Mountain National Park this route begins at Bear Lake. It wraps around Bear Lake and continues with a moderate but steady ascent to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake and then ends at Emerald Lake. Fishing is popular in Emerald Lake but is not allowed in Bear Lake. If Dream Lake is frozen solid you can snowshoe across.

The Bear Lake Trail is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The route is short with little elevation gain. The views are pristine during the winter. This is an excellent choice for families or beginners.

Situated in Rocky Mountain National Park, Emerald Lake lies in a glacially carved valley east of Hallett Peak. This short and popular hike offers incredible mountain scenery with relative ease. The trail gently ascends through a forest of lodgepole pines, Engelmann spruce, and subalpine fir to Nymph Lake. Beyond the small lake the trail climbs out of the thick forest and into a more exposed terrain as it skirts the edges of Dream Lake and continues on to Emerald Lake.

This is a fairly strenuous hike up the Long's Peak trail to the junction of Chasm Lake. It begins in the beautiful alpine forest and has spectacular views the entire way.

This is a strenuous hike up the historic Flat Top Mountain Trail. Is trail was used by Arapaho Indians before Europeans arrived. It was also the site of a major battle between Arapaho and Apache, with the Arapaho pushing the Apache up over the Continental Divide. This trail continues to the top of the divide, but it was too windy above tree line to continue this day. This trail starts at Bear Lake but I forgot to track it from the beginning, so it starts where I stopped.

Located in Rocky Mountain National Park, the Gash is the wide open area of the valley at the base of Andrews Tarn, where the retreating Andrews Glacier left debris. The trail continues up to the glacier, but with breaking trail in 2-3 ft of new snow we couldn't get any farther. This hike requires more effort that the neighboring Sky Pond/Lake of Glass route, but it's worth the effort. You'll enjoy views of Andrews Glacier, Andrews Tarn, and The Sharkstooth once you get past The Gash.

If you want to get away from the crowd at Gem Lake consider continuing your journey out to Balanced Rock. This entire area of RMNP is known for its climbing routes and interesting rock formations. The trail is well maintained and you'll have views toward the Mummy Range. You'll spend most of your time below tree line, and walking among numerous species of trees.

The hike to Cub Lake crosses a creek and heads into Moraine Park where the most beautiful wildflower displays are found within Rocky Mountain National Park. It winds through open meadows to Cub Lake where it then enters a thick forest of evergreens on its way toward Fern Lake Trail. It follows the creek as the trail weaves in and out of the forest back to a dirt road leading to the parking lot.

This short and easy hike loops around Sprague Lake through open meadows on the outskirts of the lake and through bordering evergreen forests. On this trail, you'll find view of Otis Peak, Hallett Peak, and Flattop Mountain which are all part of the Colorado Front Range.