While there are countless beautiful alpine lakes to see in Rocky Mountain National Park, none are as easy to access as those on the Bear Lake Corridor.

These lakes include the popular Dream Lake, Nymph Lake, and Bear Lake, as well as the less traveled Lake Haiyaha.

Unless you’re visiting during winter, the Lake Haiyaha trail is fairly easy with only 846 feet of elevation gain over 4 miles.

Lake Haiyaha Trail Info

Distance: 4.0 miles roundtrip
Difficulty: Easy
Location: Bear Lake Corridor
Time Needed: 2 hr
Dog-friendly: No
Permit-required: May-Oct. (5am-6pm)

The trailhead for Lake Haiyaha is accessed from the same parking lot as Bear Lake and Dream Lake trails.
Check the current conditions for road and trail closures. They change often.
The parking lot for the trailhead is full by 7am during peak season.
You need a timed entry permit from May to October between 5am and 6pm to access Bear Lake Road.

You do not need a timed entry permit if you are camping at Glacier Basin or Aspenglen Campgrounds, but you cannot access Bear Lake Road until 1pm the day of your reservation.

Bear Lake Colorado — *Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park*

Directions to Lake Haiyaha

Lake Haiyaha Trail is located in Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, CO.

From Estes Park the Beaver Meadows Entrance is only 3.8 miles away and the closest entrance to Lake Haiyaha Trailhead. Be aware during peak season there can be an hour+ wait to enter the park.

Once you’ve entered the park, within a quarter-mile you will turn left onto Bear Lake Road where you will go through another entrance station to confirm you have a permit or campsite reservation for this area of the park.

From here, you’ll drive the entire 9.4 miles of Bear Lake Road where you’ll end at a large parking lot.

If the parking lot is full, there is another parking area 1 mile going back up Bear Lake Road to Glacier Gorge Junction Trailhead. This parking lot isn’t as big, but you can take the trail located here to meet up with the trail to Lake Haiyaha.

Another option would be to drive back to the Park and Ride near Glacier Basin Campground to utilize the free shuttle bus that runs from 630am-730pm daily, May-October.

Trail Map - Lake Haiyaha

When to Visit Lake Haiyaha

Depending on which time of year your plan to visit Rocky Mountain National Park the trail and weather can vary significantly.

During Summer (June-August), it is the most popular time of year to visit RMNP and access Lake Haiyaha. Temperatures are much warmer ~ 70F during the day, and afternoons thunderstorms are very common so be prepared or plan to wait out the storm. Additionally, flies and gnats are very common once you’re near the lakes.

If you wait until Fall (September-November), the evening rainstorms are rare and temperatures start to drop. Seeing the aspens change from bright yellow to golden rust is an incredible sight to witness amongst the turquoise lake.

Another incredible time to visit the park is during Winter (December-April) when the crowds have left and there is nothing more than a serene blanket of snow covering the surrounding of icy Lake Haiyaha.

Hiking Lake Haiyaha

We started our hike around 6pm in early July, since we couldn’t there before the crowds started at 6am.

Hiking in popular places- if you can’t before 7am, go in the evening when most people are packing up for the day and bring a headlamp just in case you are out after dark.

We average 20 minute miles and only stopped for about 30 minutes in total to take pictures so we were able to complete the 5 miles (we added Emerald Lake to our hike) in 2.5 hours.

Dream Lake Rocky Mountain National Park — *Hiking to Dream Lake adds an easy 1.2 miles RT (240’ elevation gain) to Lake Haiyaha Trail*

Here are the one-way trail distances:

Trailhead to Bear Lake viewpoint: 0.10 miles
Bear Lake View to Nymph Lake: 0.5 miles, 230’ elevation gain
Nymph Lake to Dream Lake: 0.5 miles, 200’ elevation gain
(optional) Dream Lake to Emerald Lake: 0.6 miles, 230’ elevation gain
Dream Lake to Lake Haiyaha: 0.95 miles, 354’ elevation gain
Lake Haiyaha to Trailhead: 1.85 miles , no gain going back

All of these distances are one-way only and you will have to go out and back (the trail does not loop around).

During summer, the gnats and flies can be thick once you’re close to the lakes.

Once you get on the Lake Haiyaha Trail from Dream Lake, you’ll start hiking uphill for about a half mile before you come to this stunning viewpoint (pictured below) of Dream Lake, Nymph Lake, Bear Lake and Longs Peak in the distance background.

*Stay right at the fork once you get down to the river.*

The last half mile can be very slick if it’s raining, we know from experience as it started pouring raining right at this point for us. Thankfully we were wearing our favorite hiking shoes that have a solid grip and had a rain jackets in our packs.

As you get closer to Lake Haiyaha, don’t be fooled that you’ve made it to the end quite yet once you cross the creek and can spot an opening, keep going!

The last tenth of a mile you’ll have to scramble over large boulders to get front and center of Lake Haiyaha but take your time and look for the best route, because it is definitely worth the front row view!

Lake Haiyaha Colorado — Soaking in the upper hot springs along the Piedra River.

Keep in mind, summer evenings have frequent rain and thunderstorms so make sure you have a rain jacket with you.

Always wait out a thunderstorm. If you are caught in a thunderstorm get away from exposed areas and find a lower point or trench. Do not seek shelter is a rocky cave or lone tree. Try to sit in a ball with only your feet touching the ground to minimize your surface area and risk of being struck.

Our Favorite Hikes in CO:
- Piedra River Hot Springs
- Telluride in Summer [+5 Epic Hikes]
- 5 Best Hikes in Durango

Hiking Lake Haiyaha in Winter

lake haiyaha winter — It’s a completely different experience if you want to hike to Lake Haiyaha in the winter and should be trekked by experienced hikers only.
The beauty of Lake Haiyaha frozen over in winter is truly magical and a rare sight most will never get to experience.
Some years it is even possible to ice skate on top Lake Haiyaha which puts it in a bucket list category all on it’s own!
You can find the current snow report for the nearby Bear Lake.

Again this experience is best left reserved for experienced hikers as there is no visible trail to follow. You will have to be comfortable and able to read topographic maps or follow a downloaded maps route.

Even more important, avalanches can happen anytime here during winter so you will need to be experienced on how to spot a possible avalanche and be prepared what to do in case one does occur.

It is the same trail route to access Lake Haiyaha in winter as it is in summer, but depending on recent snowfall or conditions you may have to go off-route in some areas to avoid possible avalanches or deep snow. You will need to bring crampons and/or snowshoes depending on recent snow or icy conditions.

Hiking Essentials - Lake Haiyaha

mens+hiking+backpack+-+gregory-citro.jpg

Hiking shoes: the men’s Brooks Cascadia and women’s Altra Lone Peaks are our favorite. Plus, the most comfortable hiking socks with a lifetime guarantee.
Rain jacket: the women’s Black Diamond Jacket and men’s OR Foray Gore-Tex Jacket, both are water-proof, wind-proof, durable, and packable.
Sun hat: I love a great hat that is versatile enough to wear in town or on a hike.
Bug Spray: you don’t want to be without this heavy-duty repellent.
Sunscreen: the UV rays in CO are strong! Coola is our go-to sunscreen since it’s incredibly lightweight and never feels greasy.
Electrolytes: we swear by this no sugar electrolyte mix to help prevent dehydration from high altitude. It tastes amazing too!
American the Beautiful Pass: If you plan on going to any U.S. national park at least 3 times a year then save money by purchasing the national park pass for $80/year.