Hiking Bear, Nymph, & Dream Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park has no shortage of breathtaking views. Some of the most picturesque places within the park include gorgeous lakes. In fact, the park contains 450 miles of streams and 156 lakes! During our visit to the park, we walked around Bear Lake and then hiked to Nymph Lake and Dream Lake. There is an option to continue all the way to the scenic Emerald Lake, but we unfortunately ran out of time…we wanted to catch the sunset from the top of mountains! Hiking to Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lake is also known as the “Emerald Lake Hike.”

Viewing these lakes and hiking up to the views was so memorable. It can be confusing at first to know where all of these lakes are located + how to reach them. Luckily, we’ve made this experience easy for you, so follow along with our guide to have a blast in Rocky Mountain National Park!

General Hike Info

Here are the round-trip stats if you plan to walk the full Emerald Lake Hike

Distance: 3.6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Total Elevation Gain: 605 feet
Length of Time: 2-3 hours; 4 hours if you stop often for photos

You can easily turn back around after any lake, though we recommend seeing each one.

Getting There: Bear Lake is the starting point of all the lakes. It is located at the end of Bear Lake Road, 9 miles from the turn-off at Highway 36. Due to the extreme popularity of the area, the main parking lot will fill up quickly. If you’re visiting during peak tourist season, consider parking at the Park and Ride on Bear Lake Road and ride the free park shuttle to reach the trailhead.

Bear Lake

Main Parking Lot | Trailhead | Bear Lake Loop

Bear Lake is the central location where everything begins. Not only is it a view all on its own, but it is also where the Emerald Lake Hike begins. From the parking lot, you can easily reach the lake and immediately take in the beauty. We recommend walking the short 0.6-mile loop around Bear Lake. The walk around the lake is very easy and is wheelchair accessible. We loved Bear Lake and could have easily enjoyed the scenery for multiple hours.

After you finish walking the Bear Lake Loop, head back to the trailhead and follow the signs to Emerald Lake. This will begin your scenic hike to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and finally, Emerald Lake!

Nymph Lake

1st Lake on Emerald Lake Hike | 0.6 miles from Bear Lake Trailhead

The first place you’ll reach on this incredible hike is Nymph Lake. While it is not the most jaw-dropping lake, it still is a good place to rest for a few minutes before continuing on your hike. I loved all of the lily pads and saw plenty of chipmunks around this area.

From the Bear Lake Trailhead, Nymph Lake is an uphill walk, gaining about 236 feet in elevation. This doesn’t seem like much, but honestly, the uphill walk left us pretty winded! We took multiple breaks and it was actually the most tiring part of the hike for me (sadly, lol). To reach the other lakes, there are some definitely steep uphill climbs…but there seemed to be more natural breaks, whereas the hike up to Nymph Lake was a steady incline. Don’t let this stop you – the views ahead are so rewarding! Next stop: Dream Lake.

The Hike from Nymph Lake to Dream Lake

Lookout Points | Waterfalls | 0.5 miles

Dream Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park

As you walk from Nymph Lake to Dream Lake, be sure to soak up all the beauty that surrounds you. After all, you are in Rocky Mountain National Park – one of the most gorgeous National Parks in the country.

I loved capturing images of the rocky trail as the sunlight hit. My personal favorite view on the hike up to Dream Lake was Long View. It is about 0.2 miles from Nymph Lake and will be on your left. Take a few minutes to explore the lookout point. It’s barely hidden behind some trees, but you should be able to spot the mountain views pretty quickly and take an awesome photo of yourself!

Throughout your hike, you will also come across countless chipmunks, as well as a few waterfalls and streams. I was able to come pretty close to this little guy without him running away. While you should never disturb wildlife, the chipmunks didn’t seem camera shy 🙂

The walk from Nymph Lake to Dream Lake is definitely more scenic. Yes, it’s still an uphill climb, but there are more opportunities to stop and enjoy some views. Because of this, I found this portion of the hike easier.

Dream Lake

2nd Lake on Emerald Lake Hike | 0.5 miles from Nymph Lake

The name “Dream Lake” perfectly describes this stunning site because it is, in fact, dreamy. There are several viewpoints around this lake. Our favorite perspective came from near the water and shooting up towards the mountains. We arrived midday to Dream Lake, so the sun was very bright. If you come during sunrise or sunset, or when the sun is hitting the mountains, I’m sure it would be absolutely magical.

We had to turn around and walk back towards Bear Lake at this point. However, we would have LOVED to continue the climb up to Emerald Lake!

Emerald Lake

3rd Lake on the Emerald Lake Hike | 0.4 miles from Dream Lake

Image is not my own; image via trailoutfitter.com

Even though we did not get to hike up and experience the final lake – Emerald Lake – I still wanted to include the stunning landscape on this post. As I was enjoying the scenery at Dream Lake, I asked a few passing hikers how difficult it was to reach Emerald Lake. They responded that it is the steepest and most difficult portion of the hike, but SO worth it!

If you have the time, you should definitely venture up to the Emerald Lake. The views seem breathtaking and well-worth the effort.

No matter how many of these lakes you encounter, you will have an amazing time experiencing this part of RMNP!

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