Rocky Mountain National Park's Bear Lake

Bear Lake - Mill Creek Trail

Description:
The Bear Lake-Mill Creek Trail begins on the Bear Lake-Fern Lake Trail at an elevation of 9,765 feet and travels 1.65 miles to the Mill Creek Trail at 9,000 feet. Horses are permitted on this trail but must access it via the Bear Lake Horse Bypass or the Mill Creek Trail. This is a popular trail for traveling to Bierstadt Lake.

The trail leaves the Bear Lake-Fern Lake Trail and heads northeast through a spruce forest. It is a fairly easy walk with a few short climbs. As it travels along an east-facing ridge, the forest becomes predominately lodgepole pine. The trail drops down into Bierstadt Moraine, getting more rocky as it descends. Once on the bench where Bierstadt Lake is situated, the trail levels out. It soon intersects the Bierstadt Loop Trail (a loop around Bierstadt Lake), about a mile from Bear Lake. Most hikers go to Bierstadt Lake. It's about .6 miles over to Bierstadt Lake.

The trail continues to descend toward Mill Creek through a spruce forest. This section of the trail is long and straight. It soon intersects the north leg of the Bierstadt Loop Trail. From here the trail gets more rocky due to water erosion, making for more difficult walking. You'll hear the rushing waters of Mill Creek as you approach Mill Creek Basin. At the creek, it turns northeast and follows the creek for a little over a tenth of a mile. It intersects the Mill Creek Trail on the south side of Mill Creek.

Features:

Length:	1.65 miles (2.66 kilometers)
Elevation Range:	9,003' - 9,780'
Elevation change:	793 feet
Season:	Jun 1 - Nov 1
Difficulty:	Moderate
Use:	Low to moderate
USGS maps:	McHenrys Peak
Trailheads:	Bear Lake
Restrictions:	No pets are permitted
Suitable for mountain bikes:	No (not permitted)
Suitable for horses:	Yes

Vicinity Map

Altitude Profile

Directions:
The Bear Lake - Mill Creek Trail begins from the Bear Lake - Fern Lake Trail on the south and ends at the Mill Creek Trail on the north.. It can be accessed from the Bear Lake Trailhead. Take Highway 36 from the Beaver Meadows Entrance to the Bear Lake Road. Follow Bear Lake Road to its end to the trailhead. The trailhead has room for about 250 vehicles but fills up early. There are restrooms and trash bins at the trailhead. Follow the Bear Lake Trail to the beginning of the Bear Lake - Fern Lake Trail. Take this trail for about .3 miles to the beginning of the trail. Turn right on to the Bear Lake - Mill Creek Trail.

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