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Top 10 Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A couple people have emailed me recently, asking for suggestions on some great day hikes, or asked me what my favorite trails are in Rocky Mountain National Park. Based on many hikes over the years, I’ve compiled a list of my top 10 hikes in the Rockies. They are as follows:1) Hallett Peak
2) Sky Pond
3) Old Ute Trail
4) Emerald Lake
5) Chasm Lake
6) Bluebird Lake
7) Key Hole on Longs Peak
8) Black Lake
9) Twin Sisters Peak
10) Odessa Lake
You should also consider the hike up to Mount Ida Trail. Other hikes completed, for comparison purposes, include: Ypsilon Lake, Deer Mountain, Big Meadows, Lake Haiyaha, Fern Lake, Tundra Trail, Cub Lake and Poudre River Trail, among others.
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For more information on all the trails in Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit our new sister website at Rocky Mountain Hiking Trails.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Magpie: 
From the beginning, this hike is a steady climb for most of the way as it takes you through deep pine forest. During the first two miles or so you’ll catch sporadic views of Longs Peak and the mountains surrounding the Horseshoe Park area.
At just over 3.5 miles, the trail finally flattens out, peaking at roughly 10,760 feet. After descending a short distance you’ll reach a very beautiful pond known as Chipmunk Lake, which I found to be far more scenic than Ypsilon Lake. From the pond’s shore you’ll have outstanding views of Ypsilon Mountain, including the snow-filled Y-looking couloirs, from which the mountain derives its name.
After passing the pond, the trail begins to drop again, including a fairly steep decline just before reaching the lake. At 4.5 miles you’ll reach the western shore of Ypsilon Lake. To get the best views of the surrounding mountains, take the social trail to the opposite side of the lake.
The lake sits at the base of Ypsilon and Chiquita Mountains in the heart of the Mummy Range, and is fed by a waterfall close to where the trail intersects with the lake. It’s a nice waterfall; however, the park service is trying to rest the area and apparently doesn’t want you to visit it at this point in time. Unfortunately I didn’t notice the sign until after we left. A couple had stopped to chat with us as we were arriving, which is probably why I missed it. 
At roughly 3.5 miles you’ll begin to see the scars and awesome devastation from the Ouzel Fire in 1978. The lightning-induced fire burned more than a thousand acres, making it the largest fire in Rocky Mountain National Park history.
At 4.6 miles you’ll reach a spur trail to Ouzel Lake. Up to this point the trail has been a very pleasant hike through mostly pine forest. Above this point the trail becomes fairly rugged and steeper, with the last quarter of a mile becoming very steep (although nothing technical). At least you’ll have a lot of wildflowers to look at as you struggle up the climb.
At just over 6.5 miles and an elevation of 11,020 feet, you’ll reach Bluebird Lake. This is yet another incredibly beautiful alpine lake:
The Keyhole is the famous notch on the northwestern flank of Longs Peak. Hikers summiting the mountain pass through the Keyhole to reach the west side of the ridge and the final approach to the summit.
Beyond the Keyhole the trail becomes a bit more technical with moderate (frightening from my standpoint) exposure. You can see pictures of the path beyond the Keyhole by 
It took us about an hour and 45 minutes to do the 1.3 mile roundtrip up and down the Boulder Field (including about 5 minutes of picture taking). It was roughly half-way down that Kathy blurted-out her completely apropos comment. We were both pretty tired of negotiating the rocks at this point.
This is a relatively flat trail, with two short climbs that take you across Tombstone Ridge; the first at the very beginning of the hike, with the second beginning roughly at the one mile mark.
We passed a herd of elk near the beginning of the hike, and then another at about the half way point. Both herds, numbering maybe 20 in size, were a good quarter of a mile off the trail.
Once reaching the top, the trail begins drifting downhill. Eventually you’ll see a large rock just off to the side of the trail. This is your destination. From here you’ll have outstanding views of Longs Peak all the way down to Moraine Park and Estes Park.
This was a much needed short and easy hike for us so that we would have fresh legs for our 13-mile hike up to the summit of Mt. Lady Washington the next day.
Our next destination was the Lake of Glass. Just below a section of trail that makes the final climb to the Lake of Glass we were taking a break when we heard what sounded like a whistle in the distance. Not hearing anything else we proceeded on. As we got to within the half-way point of the climb, we rounded a corner and came face to face with a large male elk. We literally came within 30 feet of each other. I’m not sure who was startled more, but the elk moved off the trail – before I had a chance to snap a picture.
Once you get to the top, you’re just a short distance from the Lake of Glass, roughly 4.2 miles from the trailhead.
This hike became an instant classic for me, and is definitely one of the best in the park.
Roughly three miles into the hike you’ll reach an altitude of 10,670 feet, marking the highest point of the hike. As you begin descending, look for a cairn on the left side of the trail - roughly 100 yards from the top. This is your only indication of the short side trail to Lake Helene, which you definitely don’t want to pass up. Although the Park Service doesn’t officially mark this trail - for whatever reason - Lake Helene makes for a pretty awesome destination in and of itself. 
From Helene, the trail plunges more than 600 feet over the next mile before reaching Odessa Lake. As you descend, you’ll pass through the ruggedly beautiful Odessa Gorge. Make sure to look across the gorge to see Grace Falls cascading down Notchtop Mountain. From this point you’ll also see your destination long before reaching it.
Both my wife and I experienced a first at Odessa. We witnessed a guy jump into the frigid sub-alpine lake, maybe fifty feet away - buck naked – knowing full well that we were there and that we would be able to see him. Recalling the famous Seinfeld episode, Kathy couldn’t help but wonder if he experienced the same thing George Costanza did after his swim in the pool…..