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There’s nothing like hiking to a hidden place that feels dreamy, tucked away, almost enchanted. And that’s exactly what you’ll find on your next trip to Colorado, if you hike to the hidden treasure of Rocky Mountain National Park’s Ypsilon Lake, a serene and secluded little alpine lake in the middle of a dense forest. This is the sort of place where you’re likely to make friends with the local chipmunk population or even sight a grouse.
Just two hours from Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park is an outdoor adventure gem with some of the best camping in Colorado, and Ypsilon Lake is one of its treasures. With its still, reflective water, Ypsilon Lake perfectly frames its view of the peaks of both Mount Chiquita and Ypsilon Mountain. Toward the lake’s east end, you’ll see Ypsilon Creek, with another alpine creek running to the west. Roaring River Valley and Bighorn Mountain are also visible along the Ypsilon Lake Trail.
Although well worth the journey, the path to Ypsilon isn’t as easy as some of Rocky Mountain National Park’s other, more accessible trails, like the easier Bear Lake and Nymph Lake trails. Reachable by an intensely steep and rocky 9-mile trail (4.5 miles each way), Ypsilon Lake lies at 2,180-foot elevation. To get there, hikers travel along the edge of a ravine carved out by the dramatic explosion of water when the Lawn Lake Dam burst in 1982 before traveling up a steep path of switchbacks, meadows, and forest trails.
Plan ahead for a safe trip to Ypsilon Lake
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Even if you feel fairly confident in your hiking capabilities, it’s easy to underestimate the intensity of the Ypsilon Lake Trail or to fail to plan ahead adequately. Plenty of YouTubers and Reddit users who visited the site testified that they missed the warning signs that the hike was not beginner-friendly and ended up regretting it. “My legs were toast after this hike!” shared one Reddit user, later adding that they had run out of water towards the latter end of the hike.
Another Redditor who had traveled with his wife recalled the pair completing the trail after several failed attempts due to either snowy conditions or fellow travelers becoming too fatigued. Describing themselves as “beginner to moderate hikers,” the user recounted that the pair had run out of water en route and had to pause fairly frequently to catch their breath.
The National Park Service also warns that mountain weather can change rapidly without notice. Park visitors are advised to check the forecast before visiting, to immediately return to the trailhead if they hear thunder, and to try to return to the trailhead by noon regardless of the weather conditions.