Bear Lake Day Trip
Text By The Chamber Of Commerce Estes Park © All rights reserved.
Moraine Park, Moraine Park Museum (970-586-1206), Sprague Lake & Bear Lake are included in this experience which takes place in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Always check opening and closing times and seasonal schedules for museums and other activities as many places are open only during the summer months
You might want to pack a picnic lunch for this experience depending on how much time you plan to spend enjoying the area and the wildlife.
As you visit each of these areas try to visualize what it might have been like to stay for a week or so in one of the great log lodges or cabins that at one time were prominent in Moraine Park, Sprague Lake and Bear Lake. As park policy changed with a desire to return the park to its natural beauty, these properties were either sold to or purchased by the Park. By the mid 1950's most of these facilities had been removed.
You can approach Bear Lake in RMNP from Hwy.34, through The Fall River Entrance or from Hwy.36, The Beaver Meadow Entrance.
After getting on the Bear Lake Road you will wind around until you reach the Moraine Park area which looks like a very big meadow. Moraine Park is a true glacial moraine with the last meltback occurring about 12,000 years ago.
On the hillside to the east is The Moraine Park Museum. The museum building was at one time part of the former Moraine Lodge of 1910. The museum's displays emphasize natural science and the geology of the area.
Also on the east side of the road is the former summer home of William Allen White who was the Editor of The Emporia Gazette. This home is now the residence for the selected Artist in Residence program sponsored by the national park..
In Moraine Park you will see some log homes from the early 1900's. These homes are still privately owned and are a good example of Rocky Mountain Rustic architecture.
Continue to drive along the road until you reach the Bear Lake parking area. (During the summer you may have to take a shuttle to the Bear Lake parking lot.) It is a short walk to Bear Lake. This area is the premier starting point for many popular hikes in the park. You can snowshoe here in the winter. This beautiful clear lake with Hallett's Peak in the background is an easy walk around as it is a handicapped trail.
The lake has been a success story in the propagation of the native Greenback Trout which at one time was an endangered fish species. You can pick up a trail guide book ($2.00) at the ranger station or in a box at the beginning of the lake.
As you come down the Bear Lake road towards Estes Park, you will see the turnoff for Sprague Lake which has a nice picnic area with tables and grills. After you have enjoyed the special lunch from your picnic basket, take a leisurely walk around the lake enjoying the beautiful views and wildlife before returning to Estes Park.
Since there was a lodge on this lake for many years, the lake was stocked for fishing for their guests and is still the home of many Brook Trout.
Hope you enjoyed this destination experience and have captured the beauty of the area on your camera.
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