8 Best Easy Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park caters to hiking enthusiasts, but you don’t have to be ready to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to enjoy everything Rocky Mountain offers.

The park contains 355 miles of hiking trails, enough to keep you busy for weeks. However, just a small portion of those trails (closer to the visitor centers and roads) offer accessible paths. So, if you’re looking for a stroller path, you will want to hit specific hikes during your stay. 

Keep in mind that higher-elevation trails may have snow on them (even during the summer) and you can encounter an afternoon thunderstorm. Unfortunately, we did experience an afternoon thunderstorm in the middle of a trail. (Gulp.) We were completely unprepared for it and it was scary! They happen on most summer afternoons, so stay away from peaks at that time of the day — it’s the last place you want to find yourself.

Here’s our list of the best easy hikes at Rocky Mountain National Park: Bear Lake Trail, Sprague Lake Trail, Copeland Falls, Cub Lake, East Inlet Trail, and the Glacier Gorge Trail. We’ve also included a few moderate hikes as well: Bear Lake to Emerald Lake and the Colorado River Trail.

8 Family-Friendly, Easy Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park 

Here’s our list of easy hikes at Rocky Mountain National Park (and a few moderate hikes for good measure!) I’ve hiked several of these trails myself and can vouch for them. My favorites were… drumroll, please…! 

• Bear Lake Trail
• Sprague Lake
• Bear Lake to Emerald Lake

Trust me, they won’t disappoint in any season. I hiked these during the summer, but they may look even more stunning when the aspens turn yellow in the fall!

1. Bear Lake Trail

Bear Lake Trail is a beautiful hike around Bear Lake, and it’s easy for excited toddlers and curious older kids to make the trek. It’s a virtually flat, easy, one-mile walk accessible for a wheelchair or a stroller. 

The tranquil lake, surrounded by spruce, fir and pine trees, is known for its beauty, particularly when the aspens turn gold in the fall.

When we were there, we took so many pictures of the lake and its jaw-dropping backdrop. We even took a picture of this tree with giant slashes on it — was it from a bear? We wished a park ranger was around to tell us, but we didn’t see one close. Darn it.

2. Sprague Lake Trail

With virtually no elevation gain, this one-mile, pine-lined path near a popular backcountry campground is wheelchair accessible and provides stunning views of Hallet Peak and Flattop Mountain, the gorgeous peaks that form the Continental Divide.

3. Copeland Falls

This less-than-a-mile delight will thrill the entire family with its flat terrain to the Wild Basin Area falls with only a 15-feet elevation gain.

Kids will be awestruck by the upper and lower falls, and who can’t resist sticking little fingers in water? However, watch for fast-moving water and moss covered, slippery rocks.

You can keep going to view more beautiful waterfalls, including Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls.

4. Cub Lake

Here’s a lengthier option, and it should take three hours round trip through aspens and meadows. You’ll access 540 feet in elevation gain and end up on a beautiful lake with water lilies growing on it.

Beautiful? You bet! However, note that the area is still recovering from the Fern Lake Fire that happened in fall 2012. 

5. East Inlet Trail 

The East Inlet Trail gives you almost instantaneous access to a waterfall. It’s an easy hike of 0.3 miles from the East Inlet trailhead, just outside the park in Grand Lake.

You can reach Adams Falls in just 15 minutes. You can continue on to Mount Craig from near the East Meadow campground, but you’ll gain elevation up to 1,900 feet — a much larger challenge ready-made for older kids.

6. Glacier Gorge Trail

Whew, this one is crowded during the summer months, but you get to see a breathtaking view of one of the most beautiful lakes in the park.

Don’t forget that flanking the back of each lake is — yep, you guessed it — mountains! On this particular trail, you can stare in wonder at Longs Peak, Pagoda Mountain and the Keyboard of the Winds.

7. Bear Lake to Emerald Lake

This was one of my favorite hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park, and you’ll feel it in your buns. If you go on the Bear Lake Trail, you can continue on to Emerald Lake from there.

Note that this hike is not for young children. Keep it in your back pocket for teenagers who crave a challenge. Why? You have to hike through a waterfall to get to the top of Emerald Lake, and you face a 605-foot elevation gain. It’s worth it!

Let’s break the hike stages down a little bit. First, you start out with a half-mile hike to Nymph Lake. From there, you hike a moderately steep (okay, I was breathing hard!) 425 feet to Dream Lake.

The last stretch is a 0.7-mile hike (this is where the waterfall comes in, but it’s small — we’re not talking Niagara Falls here) to Emerald Lake. Emerald Lake is the azure blue you expect to see in a mountain lake. It is beautiful, peaceful and gives you the feeling that you want to stay forever.

Note that you’ll start whacking mosquitoes in the summer almost immediately — something about mosquitoes who love those alpine lakes, so don’t forget the bug spray!

8. Colorado River Trail

Have you ever wondered about touring a ghost town? Do your kiddos love history? Well, here’s your chance.

This ghost town walk to Lulu City, an abandoned city from the 1800s, was part of the former stagecoach route from Granby to Walden. You can still see the foundations of the saloon and former businesses.

How to Identify Hike Difficulty at Rocky Mountain National Park

So, how do you know whether hikes are easy or difficult? Determining difficulty beforehand can mean the difference between “My leeeegs hurt!” and “That was so fun!”

Easy

“Easy” means different things to different people, but in terms of picking trails for families, consider choosing short trails and those that don’t gain a large amount of elevation. 

Is there a “rule” for beginning hiker distance? Absolutely not!

However, it’s easier to start small and work your way up to a lengthier, steeper trail. Consider starting with five-mile hikes or less, depending on your kids and your personal comfort level and general physical condition.

Moderate

Moderate hikes typically gain up to 500 to 800 feet per mile and often steadily increase at an incline. Moderate hikes can be rocky and steep and can be up to eight miles long.

If you have older kids raring to hike, a moderate hike may be just the ticket for your budding adventurers. We’ll include a few moderate hike ideas on this list just in case you check all the easy hikes off your list and need a challenge.

Difficult

You’ll need to have experience under your belt to hike difficult trails. It may be hard to get your family energized about a difficult hike, which may gain more than 3,000 feet and nine miles or more. The major elevation gain and long distance can make this a no-deal option for most families, but if you think your family’s up for it, good for you! 

Most trails will list the elevation gain and length at the trailhead so you can make the best decision for your family.

Where to Learn About the Best Hikes for Your Family

Personally, I like to read everything I can about the best hikes in the national parks, so I tend to pick up a book about the area I plan to visit.

However, you can wait till you get there. Rocky Mountain National Park has seven wonderful visitor centers, historic centers and information stations: 

• Beaver Meadows Visitor Center in Estes Park on Highway 36
• Fall River Visitor Center, west of Estes Park on Highway 34
• Kawuneeche Visitor Center, north of Grand Lake on Highway 34
• Alpine Visitor Center along Trail Ridge Road — the highest elevation visitor center in the National Park System at close to 12,000 feet only open during the summer months (we saw lots of pika and bighorn sheep here!)
• Holzwarth Historic Center on the west side of Trail Ridge Road and Highway 34, where your kids can learn about homesteading and ranching
• Moraine Park Discovery Center on Bear Lake Road, 1.5 miles from the Beaver Meadows Entrance
• Sheep Lakes Information Station in Horseshoe Park on Highway 34, west of Estes Park

Depending on what you’re after, whether it’s the most beautiful waterfalls, the best easy hikes, short hikes, most popular hikes over alpine tundra, beautiful lakes, panoramic views — whatever it is! — a ranger will help you decide on a great choice for you and your family.

Shuttle Services

Since Rocky Mountain is so busy, the parking areas get full fast. Therefore, shuttle buses connect at a large park-and-ride facility at the Glacier Basin Campground. From there, you can get to the following trailheads:

• Cub Lake
• Fern Lake
• Glacier Gorge Junction
• Sprague Lake
• Bear Lake 

The shuttles run between mid-June and mid-September (and on weekends between Memorial Day and mid-June), 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Bear Lake shuttle runs every 10 to 15 minutes; the Moraine Park shuttle runs about every 30 minutes.

What You May See on Your Hikes

We’ve tried choosing the showiest hikes that offer a definite destination, such as beautiful mountain backdrops (hello, Longs Peak!), a stunning lake or waterfall. However, keep an eye out for other things, including the following:

• The Continental Divide, which slices through the western edge of the park
• Wetlands
• Streams and lakes
• Subalpine forests
• Alpine tundra
• Elk
• Bighorn sheep
• Moose
• Otters
• Black bears
• Birds (including woodpeckers, owls, ptarmigans)

Don’t forget to drive Trail Ridge Road, one of my favorite drives through a national park and the highest continuous highway in the U.S. and climbs almost 700 feet above the treeline. (Don’t forget a coat!)

Choose the Right Hike for Your Family

When you’re on the hunt for a great hike, consider your skill levels, choose a great time of day, which views you prefer — mountain views, waterfall views, etc. Note that you’re probably going to choose some of the most popular areas because short loops and accessible hikes attract the most interest. 

Even if it’s busy, it’s worth plugging along on a trail for the guaranteed gasp at the end. Even if your kids don’t appreciate the scenery as much as you do, you’re doing exactly what you should do on vacation — making wonderful memories.