Bierstadt Lake, Colorado, United States
4.5 (116 reviews) Spent Ranking #15 in Rocky Mountain National Park Bodies of Water
Tough hike but fabulous view
We did a morning 1-1/2 mile hike in mid-August to Bierstadt Lake from the shuttle bus stop. Pls note that there are two other trails available for this lake: from Bear Lake, 2 miles and from the Park & Ride point, 1.5 miles. The bus stop trail was a moderate one, basically hugging the mountain, going uphill (566 ft) via switchbacks. Not only was the incline challenging but the exposure to the sun made the trek “more than moderate”. However the last 10 percent of the hike was under tree cover and flat which was a great culmination to a fabulous view of the lake, the surrounding trees and the mountains in the background. IMO, one of the best photo ops in the RMNP.
Address
Bear Lake Road, Colorado, United States.
Mobile
Website
http://www.rockymountainhikingtrails.com
Current local date and time now
Friday, May 10, 2024, 4:41
User Ratings
4.5 based on (116 reviews)
Reviews
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4Bub1958 5:00 PM Sep 21, 2022
Hiking options here
Bierstadt Lake can be reached from three places; Bear Lake, the trail off the main road (bus stop), and the Park and Ride lot. We did the trail off the main road, which is a steady switchback climb up for about mile. For the other options check out other reviews. The lake itself is almost completely surrounded by marsh so there is very little access to get right to the water. An easy trail surrounds the entire lake so you can see it from multiple spots. It's not one of the more scenic hikes but we're glad we did it. Also, make your day easy and take the Park and Ride bus to your hiking start point, unless you're starting from the Park and Ride.
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4Kathrine 5:00 PM Oct 21, 2022
Moderate hike with views
We took hike up from parking lot (shuttle bus stop lot). It’s a moderate hike up a mile with 600’ elevation gain and many switchbacks. Add the 9,000’ elevation and it could be very difficult for many. Take time to look at the views of the mountains going up or down. Very pretty. The lake itself is surrounded by marsh and perhaps not as gorgeous as others have said.
