Colorado

Fern Lake Trail

in Colorado · centroid 54 mi from Denver

Fern Lake Trail is hiking trail in Colorado. This page summarises what we have from public sources (OpenStreetMap and trail-association data); always verify current conditions and trail status with the maintaining organisation before heading out.

States: Colorado
Network: Regional (rwn)
Centroid nearest city: Denver, CO · 54 mi · ~1.6 hr drive
Centroid coords: 40.3357°, -105.6583°
OSM relation: 6747574

From Wikipedia: The Fern Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, runs 4.8 miles (7.7 km) from Moraine Park in the eastern part of the park westward to Fern Lake, the first portion of the trail following the course of the Big Thompson River. The trail was first informally established in the late 1880s as a way to get to "The Pool," a wide spot in the Big Thompson where a small lodge predated the 1915 establishment of the park. The trail was improved by the Estes Park Protective and Improvement Association between 1907 and 1912, with a new bridge at The Pool. Two years later the trail was rebuilt to maintain no more than a 10% grade and to provide better access to Fern and Marguerite Falls. In the 1920s Fern Lake became a popular winter destination for skiing, complete with a lodge. From 1933 the trail was rebuilt over three years with Civilian Conservation Corps labor, building retaining walls and adjusting the trail's alignment. Excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Fern Lake Trail, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Fern Lake Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

Stay nearby

Affiliate · disclosed

Driving in? The nearest documented metro is Denver, CO — 54 miles away (~1.6 hr drive). See accommodation in Denver on Booking.com → RoamFound earns a small commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we handle affiliate links.

Other trails within 50 miles

14 nearby

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2 miles from this trail's centroid

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Glacier Gorge Trail

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4 miles from this trail's centroid

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Tonahutu Creek Trail

6 miles from this trail's centroid

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Longs Peak Trail

6 miles from this trail's centroid

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East Inlet Trail

9 miles from this trail's centroid

Sources

Public data + curation

Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.