I consider myself very lucky to only live 2.5 hours away (on a good drive through Denver) from the Most Magical Place on Earth. Yes, that’s right, it’s not Disneyland like most people believe – it’s the Rocky Mountain National Park. I would imagine it’s a little overwhelming trying to plan a trip to RMNP if you don’t live around the area. There are so many hikes, lakes, waterfalls, scenic drives – and you only have so many days to see it! When it comes to hiking I would definitely suggest choosing your hikes so that you get the most bang for your buck…i.e., hikes that have multiple scenic spots! I for one am a sucker for lakes and waterfalls, and I can assure you there is no shortage of these at RMNP. Last August I went on an amazing 8.5-mile hike that started at Bear Lake and ended at the Fern Lake trailhead. It was a long hike clocking in around seven hours, but we saw four amazing alpine lakes, an impressive waterfall, beautiful vistas, and pristine forests. The best thing about this hike is that it wasn’t nearly as crowded as some of the other lake hikes, such as Emerald Lake, Dream Lake, etc. I definitely recommend this hike to anyone planning a trip to the RMNP. It’s long, but if you start early you can end by early afternoon, and maybe even snag a parking space at the actual trailheads! It wasn’t as crowded as some of the other hikes – in fact, we were often the only ones on the trail until we got closer to the Fern Lake Trailhead! The lakes are seriously gorgeous and I really doubt that you would regret choosing this hike! I will be writing a series of posts that detail the various aspects of this hike, but I wanted a short and sweet post to get you interested in going on this hike versus one that’s more touristy! (Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that when you click on the link to buy a certain product, I will receive a small commission off the sale. It doesn’t affect the price that you pay, and the commission I receive doesn’t have any bearing on my recommendation! Regardless, I hope that you like the products and give them a try whether you use my links or not, cause I truly suggest only what I use and love!) What You Need to Know: Directions: (From Estes Park) Take US-36W/Moraine Ave through Estes Park. This will quickly take you to the entrance of the park. Ask for a map of the park and follow signs for Bear Lake. Directions to trailhead: As with many well-known hikes in the RMNP, our trailhead is located at Bear Lake. From the parking lot, you will follow the signs to Bear Lake and enter the trail that goes around the entire lake. Follow this trail to the right. You won’t make it halfway before you see signs for Fern Lake. Restrooms: Yes, in the Bear Lake parking lot. There will not be restrooms again until the very end of the trail at Fern Lake Trailhead Distance: 8.5 miles from Bear Lake to Fern Lake trailhead, and then another 0.8 miles to the shuttle pickup location Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult Pets OK? Dogs are not allowed on trails in RMNP Crowds: Heavy around Bear Lake, and then low once you get further away. Traffic will pick up again around Fern Lake Camping allowed: Camping is allowed in designated campsites throughout the park Fees/Permits: Fees are subject to change. Check out this link for current prices. Tips: Bring lots of water!! Not only is this a long hike, but the elevation tops out over 10,500 ft on this trail! You will need to make sure you are taking in adequate amounts of water – especially if you aren’t used to the elevation. Bring sun protection: hat, sunglasses, etc. Again, the sun is very direct at this elevation and you will want to make sure you are protecting yourself. Check the weather before you go. This is not a hike that you should be negotiating poor weather in. Be aware that some sections of this trail are still covered in snow into June!! Call the Ranger station and check trail conditions before committing to this lengthy hike. Make sure someone knows your itinerary. Accidents happen, and it’s best to be safe and have someone expecting you home and who knows where you were hiking. Be aware that there are wild animals in the area. Black bears had been sighted on this very trail about two weeks before we went! Make sure you are aware of your surroundings and that you are keeping a close eye on any kiddos present. (Bear Safety Products wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have on hand) Make sure you bring plenty of snacks! You’re gonna need the energy 🙂 Dress in layers! We did this hike at the very end of August. If you are here in June it could still be pretty cold due to the elevation. Once you get to Bear Lake, always follow signs for Fern Lake and you won’t go wrong. Make sure you get a map from the entrance stations. The trail is well marked on the map and helps you know that you are on the right track! Start this hike early, preferably in the morning! Unless you have two vehicles that are able to find parking at Bear Lake and Fern Lake trailhead, it would probably be best to park in the shuttle parking lot. The shuttle will drop you off at Bear Lake and pick you up close to Fern Lake trailhead. Again, make sure you have a map when you visit to verify the pick-up and drop off locations. If you do use the shuttle, make sure you know their hours of operation! You’d hate to get done with your 8.5+ mile trip only to find that you do in fact have to walk to your car. That would be probably the worst thing in the world. When you are near Lake Helene, keep your eyes peeled for the footpath that takes you to the shore. If you stay on the trail you will never see it except for through the trees at a distance. I would not recommend starting this hike from Fern Lake Trailhead and ending at Bear Lake. From Bear Lake, it’s uphill until you get close to Lake Helene, but then it’s downhill the rest of the way…I would guess around 5 miles! I can’t imagine hiking 5 miles uphill, so unless you’re just into self-masochism I’d go ahead and start at Bear Lake. What You Need To Bring: (If you want to see ALL the gear I recommend, check out my Resources & Store page!) Now that we’ve got that out of the way, take a look at all the sights there are to see on this hike! Osprey Hydration Pack – I know these are a little pricey, but they are so worth the money if you regularly go on long hikes! Hydration is so important, especially at this high altitude! Hydration Packs redistribute the weight of carrying water much better than bringing multiple water bottles – so treat yourself! Merrell Women’s Hiking Shoes – For the ladies, I’ve gotta say…I love my Merrell’s and I don’t care who knows it! You’ll want comfortable and sturdy hiking shoes for this one. High Ponytail Hat – I seriously love this hat so much, I wear it everywhere!! Here is another high ponytail hat I like that has better color options. prAna Men’s Clothing & prAna Women’s Clothing– For the guys out there, this is the brand my husband and my sometimes blogging partner Amanda’s husband use. She and I use them as well. This company sells quality products and are Fair Trade Certified, meaning they support the farmers and factory workers they work with by helping to bridge the gap between living wage and minimum wage…so you can feel good about supporting this brand! These clothes work really well outdoors. First Aid Kit – Never a bad idea to be prepared, especially on a hike this long. Bear Safety Products – Because as I mentioned above, bears are definitely in the area!!!!! You don’t want to be caught empty-handed, so make sure you purchase some sort of bear safety gear before your trip! Osprey Poco AG Child Carrier – For those of you hiking with toddlers! Ergobaby Infant Carrier – For those of you hiking with infants! Rain Jackets for kids, especially if visiting during the summer months as afternoon showers are a regular thing! Rain Ponchos for Women & Rain Ponchos for Men for the above reasons. Tripod for Phones – You’ll want to travel light for this hike so I suggest the tripod for your phone…because believe me, you’re going to want to get some shots of yourself and your group in this awesome scenery! Nikon D3400 – Forever and always love my Nikon. I take it on every hike and every trip! My husband calls me the “Paparazzi of the Forest” if that tells you anything! Scenic Spot #1: Bear Lake Bear Lake is arguably one of the best areas for hiking in all of RMNP. There are a ton of trailheads as well as access to trailheads from this one spot! Foot traffic is always very heavy in this spot but becomes less so the further you hike. Parking can be an issue, so consider taking the shuttle when coming to this location. Bear Lake in itself is beautiful and breathtaking, but it’s only the beginning when it comes to this hike! Scenic Spot #2: Lake Helene Lake Helene would be easy to miss if you’re not the type to go off trail! The actual trail never affords you a close or unobstructed view of this lake. You have to keep your eyes peeled for an unmarked footpath that goes off from the left when beside the lake. My friend and I sat on the shores for a while munching and resting, and we had it all to ourselves!! Definitely was worth the effort. Here’s an awesome overlook in between Lake Helene and Lake Odessa: Scenic Spot #3: Lake Odessa Lake Odessa was pretty breathtaking. My mind was blown as soon as I turned off the main trail to head to the lake! The walk to the lake is in a small canyon next to the river with a massive mountain as the backdrop. We’re talking Valhalla status here. Then the canyon opens up to Odessa Lake and you just have to sit there a minute to take it all in!! We had a hard time choosing which one was better between it and Lake Helene….still not sure! Scenic Spot #4: Fern Lake Fern Lake is definitely the largest of the lakes on this hike! It’s beautiful on its own, but our minds were already so blown that we were just kind of like, “Yea that’s really pretty” by the time we saw it! Fern Lake is an awesome spot and has a cool historic Lodge close to the shores. We were running out of time to get to the shuttle so we didn’t stay long here, but it’s quite a destination! Scenic Spot #5: Fern Falls This was a nice break in our trip to the trailhead from Fern Lake. Fern Falls is a 60 ft waterfall that cascades down the side of the mountain right next to the trail. The waterfall seemed a lot larger in real life than this picture portrays! It made for a great photo op. Scenic Spot #6: The Pool The area known as “The Pool” is a nice rest spot that serves as a junction with other trails, notably Cub Lake. My understanding is there is a lot of fire damage around this area and towards Cub Lake, but we didn’t see any evidence of it by sticking to the trail. This is an area where you can fish...