Parka

Rocky Mountain National Park hiking guide

Emerald Lake Trail

A 3.2-mile out-and-back with 660 ft of climbing in East Side, rated moderate.

Emerald Lake Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park
Photo: aparlette · CC BY 2.0

Key facts

Length
3.2 mi (5.1 km)
Elevation gain
660 ft (200 m)
Route type
Out and back
Difficulty
Moderate
Area
East Side
Highest point
10,130 ft
Lowest point
9,473 ft

About Emerald Lake Trail

This scenic trail passes through aspen groves and pine forests, offering breathtaking views of Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and finally, Emerald Lake. The trail follows Tyndall Creek and provides stunning vistas of Hallett and Flattop Mountains. Wildlife such as chipmunks and squirrels are common companions along the way.

Route map

Route map of Emerald Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park0.25 miN
Start and finishNorth is up. Drawn from the route in the Parka app.

This route was checked by Parka editors.

Elevation profile

Elevation profile of Emerald Lake Trail9,6009,80010,0000123Distance (miles)Elevation (ft)High 10,130 ftLow 9,473 ft
Elevation runs from 9,473 ft to 10,130 ft over 3.1 miles of mapped route. The profile is sampled from elevation data along the route.

Nearby in East Side

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