American pika
Ochotona princeps
MorningMiddayAfternoon
Talus around the lake holds a healthy pika population — listen for the alarm call.
Photo: NPS Photo, Rocky Mountain NP — public domain
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Front Range · Easy
Nymph Lake
Lily-pad alpine lake — the first stop on the Bear Lake corridor
Rocky Mountain National Park
Distance1.1mi round trip
Elevation245ft gain
High point9,720ft summit
Typical time0.5–1hours
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Daylight
Today
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Lily-pad alpine lake — the first stop on the Bear Lake corridor. Editorial intro forthcoming.
Trip facts
Typical duration0.5–1hours
Trailhead9,475ft elevation
High point9,720ft summit
Dogs: not allowed.
How you'll find it
Same trailhead as Bear Lake — drive to the end of Bear Lake Road in RMNP. Nymph Lake branches from the Bear Lake Trail at the half-mile mark. RMNP Timed Entry+ permit required May 22 – October 18, 2026.
Drive time
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What you'll get
- First stop on the Nymph → Dream → Emerald progression from Bear Lake
- Surface often covered with yellow-flowered lily pads in summer
- Paved + improved trail surface for the first half mile
- Wildlife viewing — pikas and chipmunks common around the lake edges
What locals know
Practical-craft notes for this specific trail — timing, route, photo, etiquette.
Trail tips
- Route
Branches from Bear Lake at the 0.5mi mark
Start at Bear Lake trailhead, follow the Emerald Lake trail signs. The Nymph Lake spur branches LEFT at 0.5mi at an unsigned junction (most hikers continue past to Dream Lake without noticing). Add 0.1mi to reach Nymph proper.
- Photo
Lily pads in July — RMNP's most photographed wildflower
The yellow pond lilies (Nuphar polysepala) cover the lake surface in mid-July. Best photographed mid-morning when the sun lights them from above. Use a polarizer to cut surface glare.
- Food
Lakeside snack break — bears active
Black bears occasionally raid food at Nymph Lake — store snacks in your pack with the top zipped. Day-use bear canisters not required but eating on a rock 20ft from your pack is safer than at-pack.
- Timing
Family-friendly under 1 hour
1.1mi out-and-back with only 245ft of gain — doable with kids 5+. The 9,720ft elevation means even short hikes feel longer than at home; pace accordingly.
- Etiquette
Pika viewing — quiet approach essential
The talus around Nymph Lake hosts pikas. Their alarm call (high-pitched 'eep!') means they've seen you; freeze, stand still 30+ seconds, and they often resume foraging in view. Loud groups will never see one.
Where you'll start
Nymph Lake shares the Bear Lake trailhead — RMNP Timed Entry+ permit ($2 reservation, recreation.gov) required May 22 through Oct 18. The 1.1-mile out-and-back is doable in an hour, so book the earliest permit slot you can get; the free Park & Ride shuttle is the no-permit fallback. RMNP entrance fee ($30/vehicle/day) is separate.
Permit dates verified 2026-05-17 · Verify on recreation.gov before your trip
Parking cost
$2 permit (timed entry)
Overnight
Not allowed
Day-use only. Backpacking requires a separate RMNP wilderness permit.
Park entrance
$30/vehicle/day
Restrooms
Vault toilets
Fills by
Permits sell out within minutes of 8am release
Cell service
Spotty
What's at the trailhead
- Restrooms — Vault toilets
- Water spigot
- Information kiosk
- Ranger station
- Park shuttle — RMNP Bear Lake Park-and-Ride shuttle — free, no permit needed, runs every 10–15 minutes during the May 22 – Oct 18 timed-entry season.
- Spotty cell service
If the lot is full
Free park-and-ride shuttle from RMNP's Park & Ride lot — no permit required.
Alternative access
- Free RMNP Bear Lake shuttle from Park & Ride
- Hiker shuttle from Estes Park (paid, summer weekends)
When to go
Highlighted months offer the best conditions.
Who shares the trail
Nymph Lake's lily-pad surface is a frog and pika favorite in summer. The half-mile approach is paved enough that the lake-edge feels like a wildlife viewing platform — quiet families spot pikas, mule deer, and the resident pair of mountain bluebirds.
- Common
OccasionalRocky Mountain elk
Cervus canadensis nelsoni
Year-roundDawnDuskPhoto: Diana Robinson, CC BY 2.0 — Wikimedia Commons
OccasionalYellow-bellied marmot
Marmota flaviventris
MorningMiddayAfternoonPhoto: USFWS — public domain
CommonMountain bluebird
Sialia currucoides
Cavity-nesters in the dead snags between the trailhead and Nymph.
Photo: USFWS — public domain
What to watch for
What to watch for
- Lightning exposure above treeline — start early; descend by 1 PM in summer
- Altitude at 9,720ft — allow time to acclimate from lower elevations
- Icy patches persist into June on shaded sections — microspikes recommended
- Wildlife distance regulations strictly enforced — 75 ft elk, 120 ft moose/bear
- Pets prohibited on all RMNP trails — leashed pets allowed only along paved roads and in established campgrounds
On the map
Overnight camping
Day-use only — overnight not permitted
Day-use only at Nymph Lake — RMNP wilderness backpacking zones (e.g. Mill Creek Basin) are accessed from different trailheads.
Trail-tested picks for Nymph Lake
Curated for this trail's terrain, elevation, and typical conditions.
More routes from the same lot
Same parking, same logistics — if your plans need to flex, here's what else is reachable from Bear Lake Trailhead.
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