Finally, at around the 4-mile mark, you reach a rock outcrop and a beautiful view of Gem Lake below. Gem Lake was a gorgeous spot with tons of good spot to camp. Gull Lake trail is one of my favorite hiking spots in the June Lake Loop area. We set up our tent on a nice flat area and filled and hung up our Platypus water reservoir on a nearby tree. As I settle into the hammock, gently swaying back and forth in front of Opal Lake, the sun shines down and warms my skin. Gr. Gem was a natural lake that was dammed in the early 1920's to create a much larger lake. I looked back behind me while watching the sunrise and saw smoke heading our way. Gem Lake is nestled above the very popular Snow Lake, but below Wright’s Peak. Beautiful colors surround the lake in autumn as … Gem Lake fills a shallow granite depression atop Lumpy Ridge - expect crowds at this popular destination. Although the trailhead is away from the main park, there are rangers stationed there to monitor passes and reservations. The trail follows the north shore with plenty of ups and downs. It fills a shallow depression near the top of Lumpy Ridge, a massive granite rock complex home to numerous raptor species and world class climbing. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from April until September. About half a mile into the hike the gloves come off halfway, as the trail tackles the steep mountain flank with the help of a few switchbacks. Gem Lake is a popular trail that originates at the Lumpy Ridge Trailhead. Gem Lake - 3.3 Miles Round-Trip Gem Lake is located 1.65 miles from the Lumpy Ridge Trailhead on the northeast side of Rocky Mountain National Park. We couldn’t have done it without your guidance. The parking lot was emptying out as backpackers were trickling back to their cars after their Labor Day weekend trips, so I was looking forward to a few quiet, people-less days with the trees. This is a difficult loop trail to No Camping in Stanislaus National Forest. The Gem Lake Trail is located 3.5 miles from Estes Park, Colorado (CO) in Rocky Mountain National Park. Starting from Silver Lake along SR158 (the June Lake loop) in Inyo National Forest, the Rush Creek trailhead provides efficient access to some of the most spectacular scenery in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. The parking lot has lots of space and a compost restroom. Although the entire trail is only a 5.5 km loop, we’ve chosen to stay overnight because of the stories we’ve heard about the seven kettle lakes at the bottom of a series of winding ridges. We drove here and the entrance was blocked, then checked RMNP Facebook. This section of trail, all the way to Gem Lake, is a steep slog. After taking in the views, continue back down to Lawn Lake, but do not turn left on the Black Canyon Trail. Not only do you get to visit a pretty lake but you also get sweeping views of Estes Park with Longs Peak in the distance. Within an hour, the lake looked much different than it did during our lakeside sunrise. Gem Lake Trail and Lumpy Ridge Loop is a 4.4 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Estes Park, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. See the Gem Lake entry for details. Gem Lake is a bit of an overstatement Very nice 3.8 mile hike. You'll need a permit for this loop so make sure to stop by the Summit District Ranger Station in … You will start a descent and head east. Overview This is a moderate loop trail to Gem Lake in Stanislaus National Forest. We packed up quickly and started the 9 mile hike back to the car. Then the gloves come off completely, and the trail heads straight up. This trail goes by Gem Lake Trailhead. It fills a shallow depression near the top of Lumpy Ridge, a massive granite rock complex home to numerous raptor species and world class climbing.. Not only the locals but also people around the world come to enjoy an amazing hiking trip. On Wednesday, I’m driving south for some Thanksgiving camping at Castaic Lake and to backpack a short section of the PCT that I’d skipped last year due to the Tick Fire. We arrived at the trailhead around noon on a Monday. The Gem Lake Trail is located 3.5 miles from Estes Park, Colorado (CO) in Rocky Mountain National Park. The scenery will forever be etched in my brain. The Black Canyon section is drier and not as picturesque as the Gem Lake section, but is the road less travelled. And in that moment, among the trees of the Boreal forest and along the edge of a gem lake, I feel like I am twinkling and glittering too. This trail goes by Camp Lake, Piute Lake Campground, Piute Lake, Grouse Lake, and Crabtree Camp. They must have had a really terrific guide! The Lake when frozen and covered is very underwhelming but if you go around the lake and climb the rocks you get a great view of the mountains on the North end with distant smoke in the background. That granite! Gem Lake is a popular trail that originates at the Lumpy Ridge Trailhead. Download the free Estes Park topo map. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from May until October. I would love to go back and hike the section we did on the last day, but without smoke. That landslide though….. From the parking lot, follow the trail as it ascends through rugged rock outcroppings and take in the sweeping views of Estes Park and the surrounding mountains. Gem Lake - 3.3 Miles Round-Trip Gem Lake is located 1.65 miles from the Lumpy Ridge Trailhead on the northeast side of Rocky Mountain National Park. This is a good spot for a break. There is a parking lot near the RV park as well as street parking across the road from the trailhead. Gem Lake trail 554 starts out treacherously easily, meandering at the slightest of inclines beneath a thick canopy of fir. Definitely do this hike, keep your mask handy when you see other hikers approaching who put theirs on, and enjoy not being indoors! Gem Lake: 246 acre lake at 9050 feet and is about 2.6 miles from the trailhead. We got back to the car and drove to the Pinecrest, hoping to find a place to stay for the night, but the whole down was closed. But it was really nice to have the place to ourselves. overview. Well kept trail. I'd check there before you drive to the entrance, take the twin loop trail that's 2 mile round trip, in between take the climbers access loop thts 0.5 mile loop but super elevation.. v difficult.. the twins loop otherwise is easy. Lovely little hike. It is named "Gem" due to Theodore Agnew's reference of this lake being the "Gem-O'-the-Mountains" and referenced as such in McClure's mapping of the area in 1896. I loved this hike. ... June Lake is a hidden gem in the Eastern Sierra, just north of Mammoth Lakes. The location of Gem Lake Trail is a beautiful and easily accessible spot in Glen Haven, Colorado. A rough trail drops steeply from Gem Lake for 1.65 miles through an aspen-ponderosa forest back to the trailhead to complete the loop (11.05 miles : 7,870'). Length: 1.6 miles to Gem Lake; 3.8 miles to Balanced Rock or 4.6 miles to Cow Creek. There will be several points where you’ll think the climbing is finished, only to discover that they were only "false summits". The lake is underwhelming right now, but the views make this hike so worth it. Luckily the Emigrant Wilderness looked like a relatively smokeless/fireless option, and there was no quota for permits, so I filled out the permit application online and off we went. After just under two miles, you'll emerge at Gem Lake. Photos and blog post to come soon, and hopefully it won’t take me as long to post about that trip as it took me to post about this one. Trail Map | … If you feel up to it, you can continue on the trail all the way to Waugh Lake. The wilderness was ours alone the next day. Gem Lake Trail is a 3.4 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Estes Park, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Loved the boulders. We had beautiful weather the whole day – mostly blue skies, which was a nice treat after the previous day’s hazy skies. Trail Map | Photo Gallery. Gem Lake Hike Posted on November 17, 2020 December 9, 2020 by jim The very nice thing about Rocky Mountain National Park being mostly closed – fewer tourists! You'll take this all the way down to Route 34. The Gem Lake Trail is an out-and-back trail, but it does meet up with another trail between Gem Lake and Balanced Rock if you want to do a much longer loop hike. See the Gem Lake entry for details. Not only the locals but also people around the world come to enjoy an amazing hiking trip. We’d planned to stay out for three nights, but the shift in the winds made it too smokey for us to spend another night outside. Snow is packed to the point of ice in a few parts, but we didn't need any traction. Gem Lake Trail and Lumpy Ridge Loop is a 7.1 kilometer heavily trafficked loop trail located near Estes Park, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Browse photos, see new properties, get open house info, and research neighborhoods on Trulia. Balanced Rock is interesting, but again nothing spectacular (especially compared with all the beauty elsewhere in RMNP). The only downside is the no dogs but that comes with the territory. Explore the best trails in Gem Lake, Minnesota on TrailLink. From panoramic views to rocky climbing you can enjoy everything at Gem Lake Trail. If you are entering on foot, horse, or bike the fee is $15 per person. This is a moderate loop trail to Gem Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. You will start a descent and head east. With more than 73 Gem Lake trails covering 734 miles, you’re bound to find a perfect trail like the Gandy Dancer Trail - Southern Section or Interlink Trail. Your Mom & Aunt Nancy look like season pros. As of 10/12/20 Lumpy Ridge entrance is closed because of the fires. We didn’t see a single person until we made it to Gem Lake that evening. Download the free Estes Park topo map. This trail goes by Gem Lake Trailhead. Zillow has 1 homes for sale in Gem Lake MN. I passed out 6 groups and 3 didn’t wear masks. The Gem Lake Loop is located in Emigrant Wilderness, which borders Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park, and offers incredible views, smaller crowds, and diverse terrain. Gem Lake is a short but strenuous hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Emigrant Wilderness: Gem Lake Loop Skip to entry content. These pictures are breathtaking! We did not get to hike this, it is closed right now due to fires, so wanted to say something for others looking to do it right now. 693 Trip Reports for this trail, below Gem Lake is nestled at the foot of Wright Mountain and is about two miles beyond the trail junction at Rock Creek trail #1013.1 that intersects with the Snow Lake trail starting at Alpental. Turns out that just a couple of hours after we started our backpacking trip, the forest had closed, along with pretty much every forest in the state, due to fire danger. Compare elevation, range, calories and other trail metrics. After that, the trail is less steep and with uphill and downhill sections. The hike up to Gem Lake is the most strenuous part of the trail. Beautiful Aspens at this time!! Length 3.4 miElevation gain 990 ftRoute type Out & back Then the gloves come off completely, and the trail heads straight up. 10 miles partial loop to all three Elevation change: 1,100 feet to Gem Lake; other paths descend a little Difficulty: Easy to moderate Type: One way, or partial off-trail loop Usage: High to the lake, low thereafter Season: Spring, summer, fall Trailhead: Lumpy Ridge, off Devils Gulch Road Discover trails like Gem Lake Loop Trail Colorado, find information like trail length, elevation, difficulty, activities, and nearby businesses. The aspen were starting to change color and the trail is wonderfully maintained and without litter. This was was certainly the case for our recent backpack into the Seven Devils of Idaho’s Hells Canyon Wilderness. Compare elevation, range, calories and other trail metrics. It is named "Gem" due to Theodore Agnew's reference of this lake being the "Gem-O'-the-Mountains" and referenced as such in McClure's mapping of the area in 1896. The location of Gem Lake Trail is a beautiful and easily accessible spot in Glen Haven, Colorado. Download an official Rocky Mountain National Park map for basic road and attraction locations. Beautiful trail full of woods, mountains, snow-capped peaks and so many beautiful sights and sounds. Enjoyed seeing Paul Bunyan's boot. View listing photos, review sales history, and use our detailed real estate filters to find the perfect place. Rocky Mountain National Park charges a fee to enter. The fires last September squashed our original plans of hiking the Thousand Island Lake loop, so I spent hours trying to find a last minute, not smokey/not on fire backpacking trip that my mom, my aunt and I could go on for their first backpacking trip. This segment of the trail, all the way up to Gem Lake, was added to … Conditions were good. Used spikes but didn't really need them. Gem Lake: 246 acre lake at 9050 feet and is about 2.6 miles from the trailhead. Bing Maps has a collection of great trails with directions to trail heads as well as photos. This is a moderate loop trail to Gem Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. This was a two days trip going out to Gem Lake via the Crabtree Trail and back via the Bell Meadow Trail. I loop and secure the ropes around each tree. Amazing views, good workout, a little steep at times but nothing too hard. Difficult – You can make a large 11 mile loop by starting with the easy portion above and continuing up and around in a clockwise manner until you reach a branch in the trail that take toward the Cow Creek Trailhead. It is a very scenic trail that goes through varying terrains from meadows to marshes to aspen and conifer groves. Luckily the hike out was 90% flat or downhill. short section of the PCT that I’d skipped. However, we continued on to Gem Lakes (10,915 ft), only a mile further up the trail and 4.2 miles from the start of the hike. If you are looking for a short, family-friendly hike, and don’t mind a bit of a stair climb at times, this is a good hike to add to your to-do list. Gem Lake Loop, Emigrant Wilderness The fires last September squashed our original plans of hiking the Thousand Island Lake loop, so I spent hours trying to find a last minute, not smokey/not on fire backpacking trip that my mom, my aunt and I … The steep Clark Lake Trail … But you get some good views along the way of the mountains in the South. This trail goes by Camp Lake, Lily Lake, Piute Lake Campground, Piute Lake, Gem Lake, No Camping, Grouse Lake, and Crabtree Camp. Difficult – You can make a large 11 mile loop by starting with the easy portion above and continuing up and around in a clockwise manner until you reach a branch in the trail that take toward the Cow Creek Trailhead. My sister has forged ahead, however, toward Gem Lake. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from April until September. This hike starts next to Silver Lake in the June Lake Loop, located just north of Mammoth Lakes, CA off HWY 395. Author & photographer: Ashlyn George We lucked out and had the lake to ourselves, and we’d find out why when we got back to cell phone reception. Spikes helpful, but not required. From panoramic views to rocky climbing you can enjoy everything at Gem Lake Trail. From the parking lot, follow the trail as it ascends through rugged rock outcroppings and take in the sweeping views of Estes Park and the surrounding mountains. After just under two miles, you'll emerge at Gem Lake. 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