Fern Falls And Fern Lake
From Coloradohikingtrails
Fern Falls And Fern Lake
This hike offers variety: River scenery, rock formations, pools, an impressive waterfall, forests and a lake backed by mountains
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Trailhead Information
Fern Lake Trailhead
Near To: Estes Park, Moraine Park and Cub Lake, Colorado
Driving Directions To Trailhead
From Estes Park, continue west on Hwy 36 to the Beaver Meadows entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. Just beyond the entrance, turn left and head south on Bear Lake Rd. for about 1.3 miles, then turn right (west) toward the Moraine Park Campground (the turnoff is just past a large stand of aspen trees, near the Moraine Park Visitor's Center). This road follows the north side of Moraine Park for about 1/2 mile to another junction. At this junction, turn left toward the Fern Lake and Cub Lake Trailheads. The Fern Lake Trailhead and parking lot is at the end of this road, about 1 mile past the Cub Lake Trailhead. Restroom facilities are available before you reach the parking lot; no water.
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Fern Lake Trailhead
Maps & Images Lat: 40.35505 Long: -105.630785
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Trail & Hike Description
For the first 1.6 miles, the trail is fairly level, following the Big Thompson River upstream. Ferns, maple, cottonwood nd willow are in abundance.
About 1 mile from the trailhead, you encounter a group of large boulders called Arch Rocks, worth taking a few minutes to explore, and to contemplate their origin. About 0.6 miles beyond Arch Rocks, a bridge crosses the Big Thompson. Here the trail splits, the left branch goes on to Cub Lake, and the right branch continues up along thr rocks toward the Falls and Lake. This is also The Pool, an area where the Big Thompson flows through a deep cut in the rocks, forming a large pool. It is visible from the bridge, and again from an overlook as you continue up the trail.
The ascent steepens now, as the trail leaves the Big Thompson, and switchbacks up the hillside parallel to Fern Creek. About 2.7 miles from the trailhead, you approach Fern Falls, first hearing it before you see it.
The final 1.1 miles from the Falls to Fern Lake climbs steadily through a forested area to the Lake. Like many of the lakes in Rocky Mountain National, this one is postcard-perfect, with Notchtop Mountain and Little Matterhorn forming a backdrop up the valley, to the southwest.
Fern Creek flows out of the lake from the northeast shore. A bridge crosses the creek at this point, again offering great views of the lake and surrounding peaks. The trail continues along the east side of the lake leading to Odessa Lake.
From here, you have several options:
- Return to the Fern Lake Trailhead, the way you came;
- Continue on to Odessa Lake, then either return, or continue on to Bear Lake. The Bear Lake Trailhead is several miles from the Fern Lake Trailhead, so you'll either need to ride the shuttle bus (check the RMNP for details), or leave a second car at the Bear Lake Trailhead;
- Return to The Pool, then take the trail over the saddle to Cub Lake. From Cub Lake, you can return via the Cub Lake Trailhead. It's an easy walk of under one mile from the Cub Lake Trailhead to the Fern Lake Trailhead. (When I hike this loop, I park in the parking lot with the restrooms, located midway between the two trailheads.)
Note: 10.3 Difficulty Rating is to the Lake according to a custom research paper, to essay help. Difficulty Rating to the Falls is 6.8 (2.7 miles and 700 feet elevation).
External Links & References
Suggested hike list on National Park Service Rocky Mountain National Park web site
Fern Falls And Fern Lake Picture Gallery
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 Fern Falls |
Fern Lake |
