Although Grand Lake is outside the park, an excellent view of it can be obtained from within the park.
Certain rules covering trails should be observed:
To avoid getting lost stay on designated trails. Repeated short cuts damage the trails, necessitating repairs.
If you are hiking, yield right-of-way to horses by standing quietly off the trail as the riders pass.
Deposit trash in receptacles; keep trails free of litter.
If you plan to cook out, obtain a fire permit from a park ranger. This is a fire-protection regulation.
Leave dogs behind. Their presence on trails disturbs wildlife.
With some 200 miles of trails in the park, beginning at a dozen different points and ending at scores of destinations, you may have difficulty planning your trail trips before you arrive. Information on the various trail trips is best obtained after you get to the park. The park rangers, the museum attendants, the naturalists, and the saddle-horse operators can help you outline trips.
A short hike from Bear Lake takes you to Dream Lake, with its matchless view up Tyndall Gorge.
A brief description of a few of the popular trips follows:
Trails from Bear Lake.
One of the trail hubs of the park is Bear Lake. A “must” is the 1-mile hike to Dream Lake, near the foot of Hallett Peak. From Dream Lake you can take a primitive trail another mile to Emerald Lake in Tyndall Gorge or a developed trail to Lake Haiyaha in Chaos Canyon. Each trip is an excellent half-day hike. You may want to go along the big moraine to Bierstadt Lake, or to the top of Flattop Mountain from Bear Lake—a long, uphill climb, with a reward of marvelous views. The splendid all-day hike to Odessa and Fern Lakes begins here, too. This can be a loop trip, via Cub Lake, returning to Bear Lake; or, if you can arrange to be met in Moraine Park, an excellent 9-mile “through” hike with a minimum of uphill walking is possible.