A Glistening Emerald Lake Awaits At This Beginner-Friendly Rocky Mountain National Park Hike

Gazing at a blue-green alpine lake can make you feel thirsty down to the roots of your soul, especially if you've hiked all day over rugged terrain for the privilege of seeing it. It's not often that a lake as high as the tree line is as accessible as the perfect Emerald Lake (pictured) in Rocky Mountain National Park. It's just a 1.8-mile hop, skip, and jump over a well-groomed trail to the pristine granite shores of this literal gem — its name comes from the glistening deep green of its icy waters.

The hike is so popular you'll need to obtain a permit just to access the road, but it's loved for a reason. Few trails anywhere in the world pack this much scenery into such a short and sweet route, and it's perfect for introducing kids or significant others to the pleasures of hiking. You'll climb a mere 771 feet and see four lakes, each seemingly prettier than the last. Just make sure you're acclimated to the altitude before you set out. 

The trailhead parking lot sits at a dizzying 9,475 feet, so if you're a sea level-dweller on vacation, be sure to spend a day or two in Denver first to let your body adjust to the thin air, and be aware of what to do if you experience altitude sickness on a hike. Then go for it. "The payoff is well worth it as Emerald Lake is breathtakingly beautiful," one out-of-breath Tripadvisor visitor writes.

Fancy starting out with a warm-up? Take the 0.7-mile paved nature trail around Bear Lake for a gorgeous introduction to the hike. Next, set out on the Emerald Lake Trail. Your first stop is the delicate little Nymph Lake, which is dotted with lily pads so precious you'll want to squint to make sure there aren't fairies sunning their wings on them. Soon, you'll catch a glimpse of deadly Longs Peak, the tallest mountain in the park. 

Dream Lake is a picture-perfect body of water ringed by pine trees and embraced by a circle of granite crags — it appears as if conjured out of a mountain god's imagination. There's no trail around it, but a bit of scrambling along its shores yields even more views. You might get lucky and even see some elk having a swim. One nice thing about a hike as short as this one is that you can take your time exploring. Eventually, you'll be eager to press on, and you're more than halfway to your destination.

Emerald Lake is so high that the foliage embroidering its shores is sparse and rugged — you've topped 10,000 feet and reached the tree line, so everything above is bare. Sunlight has a silvery quality at this high altitude, and it bathes the granite while the depth of the lake lends the water its shocking green glow. Relax and have a picnic; just don't feed the obstreperous squirrels, even if they chatter and beg for crumbs.

The trailhead is about a two-hour drive from Denver, but you can count on it being crowded no matter how early in the morning you set out. To enter after 5 a.m., you'll need a timed entry permit for the park and an additional one for Bear Lake Road since the main park permit does not include this popular area. However, these don't guarantee a parking place at Bear Lake. You can drop your car off at the Park & Ride, which is a little farther away, and take a free shuttle to the trailhead. If you don't want to bring your car into the park at all, reserve your spot on the Hiker Shuttle at the Estes Park Visitor Center for $2.

If you want to keep going at the end of your hike, there are ways to add to your trip. The hike to Alberta Falls starts at the same trailhead. It's a short but sweet 1.6-mile, there-and-back trail where you can feel a refreshing mist on your face. You can also make your Emerald Lake hike part of a far grander tour called the Four Lake Loop Trail, which includes the hike to Emerald Lake, a side spur with a final scramble over boulders to milky, jade-green Lake Haiyaha (pictured), and a circuit past rivers and waterfalls.

Not keen on hiking at all? Worry not, as Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the best National Parks for non-hikers. It has incredible sights accessible from scenic roadways like the epic Trail Ridge Road, which will take you above 12,000 feet for mountain views galore.