A variety of circumstances may change the schedule of this hike. Unsubscribe anytime by clicking the link at the bottom of your email. We came in late October and there was just enough snow for it to be pretty to look at without being a slog to crawl through. great walk. Super simple, highly groomed well maintained dirt / hard packed trail around Sprague Lake. Short but very sweet. . FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. The trail is essentially level and it has several viewing locations with benches. Sprague Lake Trail is a 3,520 ft green singletrack trail located near Estes Park Colorado. https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/fees.htm, https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/road_status.htm. Some areas are covered in snow but you can follow along with other peoples footsteps. The aspen leaves are yellow to golden. Nice views, lovely lily pond, all downhill. This is a pretty chill hike and some of the aspens are starting to turn, making the walk in the heavily forested sections even better. Youll reach Trail Ridge Road a lot faster than those waiting in line at the Beaver Meadows Entrance during the summer and fall seasons. Length: 3.2 miles. You could be hurt or issued a fine. Want to report conditions for this trail? If you are looking for a great hike with wildlife, breathtaking scenery and a peaceful view of one of Rocky Mountain National Parks most scenic lakes, consider taking the East Portal Trailhead to Sprague Lake. It also happens to be one of the most scenic hikes in Colorado. Its thin in places, and the water is definitely flowing underneath. Very nice trail, was hoping to see moose (as frequently sighted here) but no luck today. What you will find is an old-fashioned charm combined with recreational opportunities like relaxing at the beach, paddle boarding, paddle boating and kayaking on Grand Lake and visiting the park. Nice easy hike! Half way through the hike we ran into Rachel and Ian from Sweet Memorial. You can also purchase a park-specific annual pass. Get inspired with tips about where to go and what to see on your national park vacation, delivered right to your inbox. From the trail head area, go to the left and take the trail towards Glacier Gorge. Mills Lake, Black Lake, Frozen Lake Trail, Shelf Lake and Solitude Lake via Glacier Gorge Trail, East Portal Trailhead: Wind River and Glacier Basin Loop, Sprague Lake, Glacier Creek and Storm Pass Loop, Wind River, Storm Pass, Sprague Lake, and Glacier Creek Loop, Glacier Creek, Bear Lake, Bierstadt, Switchbacks Loop, Boulder Brook, North Longs Peak Trail, and Glacier Creek Loop, Bear Lake Road to Cub Lake and Fern Lake Trail, Granite Pass and Chasm Lake via North Longs Peak and Storm Pass Loop. The route is virtually flat, travels over a hard packed gravel surface, and is considered to be wheelchair accessible and suitable for the entire family. Super busy, had to park next 4 miles down. and/or its affiliates and licensors. Kids / stroller friendly. insights, ACTIVE Works is the race management Beautiful day! Can take the park & ride bus if there is no parking. She was explaining to me that she had to really learn the trail from the YMCA of the Rockies to Sprague Lake, since she would be leading natue walks Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 14 min to complete. Do Not Sell My Personal Information A nice walk. Saw a few duck as well as some impressing rainbow and spotted trout! It is imperative that all hikers check in at the Sweet Memorial hiking desk no later than 5 pm the day before the hike. This is a great trail for families and for those that require accessibility. Ha! This one was located in the current parking area for Sprague Lake. Though this valley is the centerpiece of Rocky Mountain National Park, drawing thousands every year to watch the bull elk bugle and battle over rights to their harem of . Ample parking; an accessible backcountry camping site is located in the area. Entire trail is snowpacks. This is a very popular area for hiking and running, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. Discover this 5.5-mile out-and-back trail near Estes Park, Colorado. Dream Lake was also amazing. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. A little snowy and some ice. Not super. Half of this route is on road unfortunately; however if you can find a spot at the trail head, the total hike is only ~2mi, it is an out and back trail. There isnt much to see after the creek crossings in the first .75 mile. Took a side trip up Boulder Brook to the stream. A Timed Entry Permit will cover one vehicle and all passengers in the vehicle. Sprague is one of my favorite lakes in the park. Wish I would have brought poles for descent. Bear lake was still frozen, but Alberta falls was beautiful! The trail around Sprague Lake is a 0.5 mile (0.8 km) loop that goes around Sprague Lake. Brought to you by Prairie Mountain Publishing, Board of Ed denies charter school application, Six candidates filed self-nomination papers for hospital board seats, UPDATED JAN. 28: Owner of Full Throttle Saloon to open boutique distillery, restaurant in Estes Park, Construction begins in March for US 36 and Community Drive roundabout, Construction begins on the Elkhorn Avenue water main replacement, Nine Reasons Not to Miss Frozen Dead Guy Days, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Really great hike. Trail Ridge Road Information Recorded Message 970-586-1222 (available 24 hours a day, updated when conditions and/or road status change) Easy trip around the lake, 11/11/2022 There are 82 miles of paved roads, and 28 miles of unpaved roads. Experience this 1.3-km loop trail near Estes Park, Colorado. Perfect short trail that is handicapped accessible with gorgeous views all around. The Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is the best place to get information, books, maps and backcountry permits, as well as catch the park bus. It was pretty easy on the loop around. I have a knee injury and the small bit of elevation allowed me to do this. Trail Ridge Road (highway 34), crosses the park and rises to 12,183 feet, with ten miles of road above tree . Camp Tapico: Tall Pine Council (Michigan Crossroads Council) Kalkaska: Closed: Camp Tapico is located in the eastern region of Kalkaska County just north of M-72 between Grayling and Traverse City. With dark approaching we made for the Y, with darkness falling about us as we arrived on site. While at the lake we ran into an old friend of mine from a few summers ago. Nice easy hike! A different and lovely way to get to Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain Park is by using the East Portal Trailhead. Its thin in places, and the water is definitely flowing underneath. The half-mile walk around the lake is wheelchair accessible and features boardwalks and bridges with views of Flattop Mountain and Hallet Peak. Abner Sprague homesteaded in this area more than a century ago and created a trout pond by damming a stream. Follow Highway 66 past the YMCA by about a mile. Most of this hikes elevation is in the beginning and then there are other trails off this one so make sure to follow the signs to Sprague lake. We were out looking for moose but found rainbow trout instead! This gorgeous, wheelchair and stroller accessible stroll is great for hikers of all abilities. Travis and I have taken out many of the same people over the course of our short stay at the YMCA and this group was made up of several of our past hikers. Sprague Lake itself is a wonderful brilliant mountain lake that is the centerpiece of this hike. The forest is denser at this point, dotted with burgeoning Charlie Brown Christmas trees and towering pines. Jan 2020. Nicely maintained path. On the east side of the park lies the Beaver Meadows Entrance, the most direct entrance from Estes Park, Colo.,which lies right outside Rocky Mountain National Park. Turn left at the junction and drive roughly 1.9 miles to the Fern Lake Trailhead. Weather was awesome. Sprague Lake is accessible year-round, and especially beautiful in winter when the lake is frozen over. However, walking spikes or crampons are recommended in winter. An hours drive from Boulder and two hours from Denver, the lively Estes Park is the closest town to the park on the east side of the park. The trail quickly levels out and winds through a delightful grove of lime green aspen trees. Sprague Lake is only 7.0 miles from the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and 5.0 miles from the Moraine Park Discovery Center. The trails and perfect shape today. Perfect bluebird skies, cool temps and very few people out. This 5.3 mile loop begins at the Moraine Park Discovery Center and follows a clockwise route around the outer rim of Moraine Park. In an Emergency, contact the park's dispatch center at 970-586-1203, No conditions reported in the past 7 days. Copyright This hike primary trail can be used both directions and has a easy overall physical rating. We were out looking for moose but found rainbow trout instead! FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Trail signage in that direction isn't good but coming back was fine. Estes Park, CO 80517-8397 Not as clear of a view due to snow showers in the higher elevations. Walked around Christmas Day, 12/25. Plenty of parking in the lot, even when we returned at 1pm. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). it would be possible without spikes, but I found spikes very helpful. The side trip up Emerald Mountain made the trip hard, but the spectacular view made it absolutely worthwhile! The first mile is where almost all of your elevation gain is. Amazing views and lots of trout and Salmon sightings in the clear shallow streams and edge of the lake. This 6.3-mile moderate hike takes you up a series of switchbacks on a rocky and sandy trail on the side of Emerald Mountain. Very windy but still enjoyable. Incline at the beginning then evens out most the way. That road ends at the East Portal. No need for snowshoes. Patent trader. The National Park Service purchased the property in 1932, but gave the Sprague's a twenty year lease before razing the buildings in 1957. Although the park sign at the trailhead states that the trail is a "half-mile walk" around the lake, the length is actually closer to nine-tenths of a mile. Route: Out and back. Barely any snow or ice. Snowy but tall waterproof boots will work. First Name. Amazing views and lots of trout and Salmon sightings in the clear shallow streams and edge of the lake. Enjoy the view - mountain peaks along the Continental Divide can be seen clearly from the east shoreline. Today Snow showers likely, mainly before noon. Very nice, just a few people. Copyright Policy 1 Available. Call for more information, 970-586-3341 ext. @ document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); RockyMountainHikingTrails.com. Excellent trail. Easy trip around the lake, 11/11/2022 Good for snow shoeing. Maybe a little snow and ice in places. The trail is icy and pretty darn slick!***. Change). Really windy & trail partially covered in snow. 2 Bedroom 1 Bath 2nd Floor Apartment in 4 plex. Definitely windy make sure to layer up and some areas of deep snow, trekking poles help with not losing balance but a lot of people hiked around without the use of poles. We started at Sprague Lake in RMNP. 3 Bd, 2 Ba. This means a C hike is the prerequisite for an A hike*; a D hike is a prerequisite for B hike; an E hike is a prerequisite for a C hike, and an F hike meets the requirements for D Hike. Walked around Christmas Day, 12/25. To feel like you are really in the heart of the mountains, head to the only entrance on the parks west side, the Grand Lake Entrance. https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/fees.htm, https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/road_status.htm. There are several routes off the main trail that would require snowshoes. I can now fully imagine how hikers on the Appalachian Trail feel when they hike up and over mountains which is a good thing because I want to hike the Appalachian Trail in the spring of 2024that is my new date for a thruhike. You can also purchase a park-specific annual pass. ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. is: contains: Weapon. Sitemap 100%. We wore micro spikes and that helped because there is some ice. Sadly, I forgot to take pictures for most of the hike because I was so exhilerated by the opportunity to trek through snow. This is a very popular area for fishing, hiking, and snowshoeing, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. Rocky Mountain National Park charges a fee to enter. Closed in the 1980s and reverted to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. With benches placed strategically so you can enjoy views of Flattop Mountain and Hallet Peak, this is a great place to stop and have a snack. Follow a well-kept and non-challenging walking trail around the lake's edge to appreciate the magnificent mountain vistas. Campground Reservations 877-444-6777 Snow is packed and easy to walk with only boots or light traction devices. Parking (limited) & restrooms at the trailhead. While many are prepared to go that distance to climb Longs Peak, very few venture that far for Sprague Mountain. Turn around and look for the trailhead on your left. The last mile before reaching the top, hikers will climb . Only saw 4 people on the trail on a busy summer Sunday! Nicely maintained path. First 2 miles snowshoes. Nice experience with no one else on the trial today. Icy around the lake. The hike around Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park begins from the Sprague Lake Trailhead, located off Bear Lake Road roughly 5.5 miles from the turn-off at Highway 36. 100%. Lots of deer. Lots of people today just casually strolling or taking photos. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. 1000 Highway 36 This is for safety reasons. Great workout, beautiful trees. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 14 min to complete. Explore Community Lots of picnic areas before the trailhead too. Difficulty: moderate. Its a pleasant enough walk but I guess the app assumes youre going to walk to Sprague Lake and then walk back to the Glacier Gorge Trailhead I misunderstood and thought it was a one way hike. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. There were not many people at Sprague, surprisingly. You can also purchase a park-specific annual pass. Estes Park, CO, USA Eaglecliff Cir Dr, Estes Park, CO, USA St Moritz Trail, Estes . Actual product and specifications may vary in dimension or detail. YMCA of the Rockies is a campsite inside of Rocky Mountain National Park. Most direct from Estes Park (#1 on map) The Beaver Meadows Entrance provides quick access to Sprague Lake (pictured), Glacier Gorge and Bear Lake Deposit Photos.