Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake
Activity: HikeDifficulty: Easy/Moderate
Distance: 2.2 miles
Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Bear Lake TH
Description:
Inside of RMNP head up towards Bear Lake. Park at Bear Lake if you can, there will be signs if the lot is full and you need to park in a shuttle lot. We took the shuttle after dealing with a little car sick 3 year old. Just a fault of our first trip into the mountains while reading the map given to us at the park entrance. The shuttle will take you right to the trailhead.
We did not know how much we were going to hike this day, we just wanted our first trip to be in the national park in our backyard. Our plan was to hike around Bear Lake and see how we were feeling. After hiking the .8 mile Bear Lake Loop Trail we decided to head towards Nymph Lake. The trail is popular and crowded but is worth it for the views. Nymph Lake is beautiful and is covered in lilly pads and is very photogenic. We were feeling good and our 3 year old alternated from hiking on his own to being carried. We only brought one carrier on this trip for our 1 year old.
When we reached Dream Lake we had our picnic. It was a crowded destination but had a rocky shore with space for everyone to stop and enjoy the view. Both Nymph and Dream Lake offer spectacular views of Hallett Peak. This holds a special place in our hearts, we hiked this summit as a 4 day backcountry hike long before we had kiddos. I also hiked this peak with my sister in college. These hikes will always be remembered fondly and I can't wait to take the kids all the way to the summit (when they are older).
We ended up having an enjoyable day in the park. We caught the shuttle back to our car and headed home calling it a successful first of our 52.
