Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park is the best way to experience this Colorado park’s many faces. To some it is an peak-bagging paradise; to others it is a backpacker’s best friend. With 349 miles of Rocky Mountain trail to explore, you will have more than enough variety to decide for yourself. Stop by the park’s favorite hikes to get a glimpse into our local park. Or make it a stop along the way as you trek along the Continental Divide Trail, which runs across the park.
No matter where you go, mountains will not be far behind; Front Range peaks dot the landscape in every direction, with 14,000-foot Long’s Peak towering over them all.
Follow this loop mixing on- and off-trail travel through vibrant wildflower displays and past snow-fed streams to a huge alpine lake with unbeatable campsite views of Mount Meeker.
Summit peaks, swim lakes, and cross the Continental Divide on the best hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Negotiate a climb just shy of 14,000-feet. Hike MT. Meeker's solitary trails escaping the mobs of people across the valley on Longs Peak ridge.
Thanks to only a little elevation gain, this 7-mile loop offers flatlanders great rewards (big views, wildlife, solitude) without much suffering. Pack plenty of water and sunscreen.
Get high fast on this 9.1-mile, out-and-back to Fern and Spruce lakes, which sit in gorgeous alpine valleys beneath the Little Matterhorn and several other commanding peaks.
This 12.4-mile out-and-back sweeps under a giant evergreen forest to a blossoming burn zone, then ends at an alpine lake perfect for stargazing.
A wicked flood raged through this valley 20 years ago, carving wide furrows down the Roaring River from Lawn Lake. This hike is 11.6 miles round trip.
On this 8.4-miler, you'll climb well-marked trails to the tentacle-like flanks of Ypsilon Mountain and its namesake lake, then return off-trail by following a mountain stream past unnamed waterfalls.
This moderately challenging 7.2-mile hike to a photogenic summit proves that sometimes it's not how high you climb--it's where you climb.
Wander through lush forests and high-alpine meadows to a pair of secluded mountain lakes nestled at the foot of the Mummy Range.
Moose, knee-high flowers, two alpine lakes, and infinite views are just a few reasons to hike this 19-mile loop in the Never Summer Wilderness.
The must-see list for this 5.7-mile dayhike to Glacier Gorge is long: raging waterfalls, alpine lakes, and a skyline of humbling mountain views.
Connect subalpine waterfalls, gurgling creeks, and overlooks above Wild Basin on this 5.3-miler in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Lost Lake. Stormy Peaks. These places represent their names well on this 19.4-mile out-and-back in the northeast corner of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Go counterclockwise on this 10.2-mile loop touring the rocky cliffs and odd-shaped boulders of Lumpy Ridge to an alpine lake and several campsites in Rocky Mountain National Park.
This 5.9-mile loop is great for eager flatlanders who are acclimating to the thin Rocky Mountain air.
Summit a lesser-traveled 13,000-foot peak, then catch some summer alpine fishing at Timber Lake on this 13.4-mile out-and-back.
Following an ancient glacial retreat, this 13.5-mile out-and-back on the East Inlet Trail traverses moose country toward a couple of lonely alpine lakes.
Rushing waterfalls, mountainous views, and a healthy dose of altitude highlight this 6.3-mile loop in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Amble along rushing creeks, waterfalls, and lichen-covered rock outcroppings on the way to a secluded alpine lake in Rocky Mountain National Park's Wild Basin.
For the ultimate view of Longs Peak's 1,000-foot Diamond Face, climb to Chasm Lake on this 8.2-mile out-and-back that tops out above treeline.
This 18.8-miler follows the North Inlet through aspen groves, spruce stands, and marshland (feeding grounds of bugling elk) to a campground tucked beneath the Continental Divide.
Climb 2,400 feet to twin peaks on Rocky Mountain National Park's east side. Aspen-shaded trails and unobstructed views of Longs Peak are just two rewards of this 7.2-mile out-and-back.
A must-do for dayhikers, this 8.1-miler traverses windswept alpine tundra with dramatic overlooks and 360-degree views of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Trace a mountain stream through knee-high grasslands and shady aspen groves to a 20-foot waterfall on this moderate 6.2-miler in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Trek from a golden, mountain-rimmed valley to a ponderosa and lodgepole forest with towering rock formations on this 8.3-miler in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Waterfalls, alpine lakes, and mind-blowing scenery. It's all included on this 9.1-mile out-and-back hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.
This 8.1-mile hike skirts wind-scoured lakes and scrambles up the edge of a waterfall before arriving at Sky Pond, where crumbling spires stretch 2,000 feet into the air.
This 5.4-mile out-and-back in Rocky Mountain National Park leads to The Loch, a mountain lake ringed by spectacular granite cliffs.
Tour two mountain lakes en route to Emerald Lake, a picturesque tarn with stunning views of Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain, on this popular hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Traverse exposed ridgelines and thick pine forests for postcard views of Rocky Mountain National Park on this 20.6-mile lollipop loop.
Climb this iconic summit on an uncrowded sneak route.
Follow a well-established trail to Mount Ida before ducking into the rugged backcountry surrounding the Gorge Lakes on this 10.7-miler through Rocky Mountain National Park.
Discover solitude in busy Rocky Mountain National Park on this 8.7-mile out-and-back leading to a pristine lake perched beneath the Mummy Range.
Cross elk-filled woods and bighorn-busy flats on this park's quiet side.
Find unusual solitude at this popular alpine park on a 16.4-mile peakbagging overnight to the Continental Divide.
Feel like you've notched a first ascent.
Connect two remote lakes on this challenging off-trail alpine adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park.
This rolling, 20.6-mile lasso, only a few miles from Longs Peak, climbs to views on Granite Pass, drops down Boulder Brook, then ascends to forested Storm Pass.
Hike cross-country to explore this secluded chain of hanging lakes on this challenging point-to-point in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Tour glacial valleys and navigate to off-trail lakes and waterfalls on this six-day circuit in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Tour glacial valleys and navigate to off-trail lakes and waterfalls on this six-day circuit.
Hike cross-country to explore this secluded chain of hanging lakes.
Scramble up a 12.7-mile sneak route to Rocky Mountain National Park's highest peak.
Cross elk-filled woods and bighorn- busy flats on this park's quiet side.
See some of the Rockies' most iconic mountains.
Scramble to a remote refuge on this peak's secret side.
Fly the Rockies with our 3D video, then download the GPS track to do the route yourself.
Pick the gear I can carry on a trip to determine how low one man can go.
Read these real-life tales from five survivors who made it out alive, and learn what they did wrong–and right.
Retracing the route to people's accidents can help us prevent our own. These 10 trips lead you to the exact locations of disasters from Denali to the Grand Canyon.