Current Fire Closures on the East Side of Rocky Mountain National Park:
"In the Bear Lake area, the trail past Lake Helene to Odessa Lake remains closed. The Flattop Trail is open to the summit of Flattop Mountain but is closed past this point to the west of the Continental Divide.
Trails that remain closed in the Bear Lake area include the Fern Lake Trail, Cub Lake Trail, the Mill Creek Basin, and Hollowell Park.
Park staff will continue to assess closed areas on both sides of the park for fire impacts, safety and downed trees, erosion and rock fall. It is unknown when park trails impacted by the fires of 2020 will reopen. Many will reopen this summer, a few will likely remain closed. Park trails and wilderness staff assessed most of these areas after the fires in November and before the winter, however snowfall impacted many of those assessments making it difficult to determine the conditions safely. Once the park's crews can assess any additional impacts from this winter (wind throw, new trees down etc.) we will have a better idea of when and which trails can reopen."
Current Trail Conditions
RMNP Trail Conditions Report as of April 9, 2021 Any Time of Year: Choose Your Destination Wisely. Always tell someone where you’re going, where you will be parked, what your intended route is, when you plan to be back home; and then let them know when you return.
LATE WINTER REMINDERS Some areas that are easy adventures in the summer can become more arduous and dangerous with late winter conditions. Most trails are icy and snow packed. Traction devices are always useful this time of the year as they make walking enjoyable and safer. Lakes are starting to thaw.
Route-finding is important, as RMNP trails are not marked in winter and following other tracks is not advised, as you don’t know where they lead and the wind and snow obliterate tracks.
Approximately 30,000 acres or 9 percent of RMNP has been impacted by the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires. Many park trails remain temporarily closed due to the level of fire impacts and ongoing safety assessments. Please see the interactive map Current Fire Information & Regulations - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) This map will be updated as trails reopen.
RMNP Roads are often icy and snowy, especially in shady areas. Be prepared with 4WD/AWD/snow tires and know how to drive in wintery conditions.
4/9/2021 Bear Lake Area Lakes and Falls
Bear Lake remains mostly frozen but slushy on top during the daytime. Sprague Lake has an open stream at the inlet and two outlets to the lake--would not advise venturing onto the lake. Dream Lake is very soft at inlets and outlets so be cautious near those areas. Alberta Falls is still covered in snow with no water yet showing.
By a Volunteer
4/9/21 West Side Trails
West side trails are icy in the morning and slushy-sloppy in the afternoon.
By a Park Ranger
4/9/2021 Boulder Brook Trail
Snowshoes are needed on the trail as it is quite soft in places. You can still cross the brook at the first bridge but it was starting to get quite soft. The second bridge can be walked across and the stream is open at that point. Snow gets deeper and trail less used the higher up you go.
By a Volunteer
4/9/2021 The Loch
The winter trail up to the Loch still seems quite firm. The summer trail is easily usable for those who do not wish to do the winter trail. Spikes are sufficient for either--it is quite icy in the morning and slushy by afternoon.
By a Volunteer
4/9/2021 Lake Haiyaha from Glacier Gorge
Going up the winter trail from Glacier Gorge is still solid and spikes were enough. At the junction with Haiyaha, The Loch, and Mills, there is a post-holed trail leading toward Haiyaha but the conditions were not good as it was easy to continue to post hole. We did not go more than 1/2 mile up that trail before turning around.
By a Volunteer
4/5/2021 Attempted Lake Helene and ended up at Dream Overlook
Tried to go up to Lake Helene. Traction needed to Banana Bowls and then snowshoes would have been helpful. We were sans snowshoes so turned around and went with spikes up to Dream Lake Overlook. The trail was easily done with spikes as long as you didn't step off the trail. The sign was covered at Dream Lake Overlook but you could peer over a snowdrift to see the action at Dream Lake. The trail went on but seemed to be less tracked beyond so we turned around.
By a Volunteer
4/3/2021 Emerald Lake Trail and Lake Haiyaha
Traction devices STRONGLY advised for trail to Dream and Emerald. Many people were falling and unable to navigate the trail on the way down without microspikes or yaktrax. Snowshoes not needed. The trail to Lake Haiyaha is manageable with traction devices and poles. Snowshoes may be helpful in spots near the lake where postholing is possible. Tracks off trail make route finding skills helpful.
By a Park Ranger
3/28/2021 Loop - Storm Pass parking/trail-Bear Lake-Bierstadt-down
This trail was nice to do in spikes most of the time and pretty protected from the winds. A bit of drifting in several places where some postholing occurred. Trail down from Bierstadt was extremely icy in spots and had spots where people were short-cutting.
By a Volunteer
3/27/2021 Chasm Junction
The trail is good up to Lightning Bridge where if you don't have snowshoes on, you probably will want them. The treeline drifting is pretty prevalent so a lot of postholing if in spikes. Above treeline, the trail is discernible most of the time although it doesn't always follow the summer trail. The winds have been fierce, so often wipes about the tracked trail. There is quite a bit of snow above treeline, so folks have been skiing up high. The trail veers a bit left of usual, and then pretty much straight up to the Battle Mountain/Jim's Grove junction. No one had been over to Chasm Lake (the steep slope is treacherous) and the trail over to the pass had not been broken yet either. Definitely recommend snowshoes and good sense (the white-outs were fairly intense with any winds).
By a Volunteer
3/26/2021 Mills Lake
As it has been most of the winter, the trail is snowy and not very icy. The snow can be packed, but route finding skills are still important.
By a Volunteer
LATE WINTER REMINDERS Some areas that are easy adventures in the summer can become more arduous and dangerous with late winter conditions. Most trails are icy and snow packed. Traction devices are always useful this time of the year as they make walking enjoyable and safer. Lakes are starting to thaw.
Route-finding is important, as RMNP trails are not marked in winter and following other tracks is not advised, as you don’t know where they lead and the wind and snow obliterate tracks.
Approximately 30,000 acres or 9 percent of RMNP has been impacted by the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires. Many park trails remain temporarily closed due to the level of fire impacts and ongoing safety assessments. Please see the interactive map Current Fire Information & Regulations - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) This map will be updated as trails reopen.
RMNP Roads are often icy and snowy, especially in shady areas. Be prepared with 4WD/AWD/snow tires and know how to drive in wintery conditions.
4/9/2021 Bear Lake Area Lakes and Falls
Bear Lake remains mostly frozen but slushy on top during the daytime. Sprague Lake has an open stream at the inlet and two outlets to the lake--would not advise venturing onto the lake. Dream Lake is very soft at inlets and outlets so be cautious near those areas. Alberta Falls is still covered in snow with no water yet showing.
By a Volunteer
4/9/21 West Side Trails
West side trails are icy in the morning and slushy-sloppy in the afternoon.
By a Park Ranger
4/9/2021 Boulder Brook Trail
Snowshoes are needed on the trail as it is quite soft in places. You can still cross the brook at the first bridge but it was starting to get quite soft. The second bridge can be walked across and the stream is open at that point. Snow gets deeper and trail less used the higher up you go.
By a Volunteer
4/9/2021 The Loch
The winter trail up to the Loch still seems quite firm. The summer trail is easily usable for those who do not wish to do the winter trail. Spikes are sufficient for either--it is quite icy in the morning and slushy by afternoon.
By a Volunteer
4/9/2021 Lake Haiyaha from Glacier Gorge
Going up the winter trail from Glacier Gorge is still solid and spikes were enough. At the junction with Haiyaha, The Loch, and Mills, there is a post-holed trail leading toward Haiyaha but the conditions were not good as it was easy to continue to post hole. We did not go more than 1/2 mile up that trail before turning around.
By a Volunteer
4/5/2021 Attempted Lake Helene and ended up at Dream Overlook
Tried to go up to Lake Helene. Traction needed to Banana Bowls and then snowshoes would have been helpful. We were sans snowshoes so turned around and went with spikes up to Dream Lake Overlook. The trail was easily done with spikes as long as you didn't step off the trail. The sign was covered at Dream Lake Overlook but you could peer over a snowdrift to see the action at Dream Lake. The trail went on but seemed to be less tracked beyond so we turned around.
By a Volunteer
4/3/2021 Emerald Lake Trail and Lake Haiyaha
Traction devices STRONGLY advised for trail to Dream and Emerald. Many people were falling and unable to navigate the trail on the way down without microspikes or yaktrax. Snowshoes not needed. The trail to Lake Haiyaha is manageable with traction devices and poles. Snowshoes may be helpful in spots near the lake where postholing is possible. Tracks off trail make route finding skills helpful.
By a Park Ranger
3/28/2021 Loop - Storm Pass parking/trail-Bear Lake-Bierstadt-down
This trail was nice to do in spikes most of the time and pretty protected from the winds. A bit of drifting in several places where some postholing occurred. Trail down from Bierstadt was extremely icy in spots and had spots where people were short-cutting.
By a Volunteer
3/27/2021 Chasm Junction
The trail is good up to Lightning Bridge where if you don't have snowshoes on, you probably will want them. The treeline drifting is pretty prevalent so a lot of postholing if in spikes. Above treeline, the trail is discernible most of the time although it doesn't always follow the summer trail. The winds have been fierce, so often wipes about the tracked trail. There is quite a bit of snow above treeline, so folks have been skiing up high. The trail veers a bit left of usual, and then pretty much straight up to the Battle Mountain/Jim's Grove junction. No one had been over to Chasm Lake (the steep slope is treacherous) and the trail over to the pass had not been broken yet either. Definitely recommend snowshoes and good sense (the white-outs were fairly intense with any winds).
By a Volunteer
3/26/2021 Mills Lake
As it has been most of the winter, the trail is snowy and not very icy. The snow can be packed, but route finding skills are still important.
By a Volunteer
Submit Your Own Trip Report
Send us an email, call (970) 586-1206, or stop by a park visitor center.