With the new timed entry system in effect at Rocky Mountain National Park [RMNP], it is harder than ever to get into the coveted Bear Lake Corridor. A popular place for hikers and those just wanting to see what the fuss is about. Timed entry is from 5AM to 6PM and can be really difficult to get. One work around though, and it does cost money, is to get a reservation at Glacier Basin Campground, located across from the Bear Lake Park & Ride. If you reserve and purchase a horseback riding slot at Glacier Creek Stables, you can get into Bear Lake as well. In this post, I will describe my stay at Glacier Basin as well as the hike to Lake Haiyaha which was gorgeous, and had a fun surprise near the end!
Moose at Sprague Lake
The moose population at RMNP is as active as ever. It was a unique occurrence to see a moose in the Kawuneeche Valley on the west side of the park. I’m no scientist but if I were to make my own educated guess, I would say that since the awful fire a few years back, a portion of the population started migrating to the east side of the park. This summer, I’ve more commonly seen two bull moose hang around Sheep Lake and the Old Fall River Rd entrance path (paved portion). Sprague Lake has also become a popular photographer spot as multiple female moose bring their babies to the lake for food.
After waking up at 6:30AM, my sister and I drove over to Sprague Lake. Now, there is a trail that you walk from Glacier Basin Campground, but we were not in the mood for walking since we were going to be hiking later. Once you turn into Sprague Lake, you’ll notice a 3-way stop intersection. Sprague Lake is to the right and Glacier Creek Stables is to the left. We turned right and continued to Sprague Lake.
Once you get to the lake, you can turn right or left to do the loop around the lake. Not sure why but we always go right. About midway in the lake, there is a tiny peninsula that pokes out. Just before this, we saw some fishermen sitting. Funny enough, they were all on their phones. Once we passed the fisherman and the tiny peninsula, there is an unofficial trail that goes up a hill. If you continue on the official trail, you cross and boardwalk that goes over a marsh spot on the shores of the lake. If you turn around to face away from the lake, you can’t see a small pond. But you can see this small pond from the unofficial trail on the hill. I like to walk a little way up the hill to scope out the little pond. While I have not seen moose here, I do see picture posts occasionally.
I got halfway up the hill when I turned back to Sprague Lake. I then see this brown thing walking in the lake. I realize it is a moose! I ran back down the hill and quietly tell my sister to turn around as her attention was on me. The moose was halfway into the back portion of the lake. We had to walk to roughly the halfway spot on the other side of the loop to get the closest spot to the moose. The lake is a decent size so from every spot and angle, everyone on the trail was a safe distance. The female moose started then to dip her head into the lake only to rise a minute later chewing on plants and algae she found. She proceeded to do this for a while. My sister and I stayed for over an hour enjoying the moose, the lake, and the clear blue-sky morning.
We then left Bear Lake, and the park, to get breakfast at Starbucks. The breakfast of champions. In all seriousness, this was our 5th camping excursion this summer, we were campfire/campfire cooking-ed out. It was just 9AM and with the campground reservation, we had access to the park. When we re-entered at the Old Fall River entrance, I drove us through Old Fall River Rd to the Alpine Visitor Center.
Old Fall River Rd (AKA Old Dirt Rd)
I can’t attest to none 4WD vehicles as my SUV can switch between FWD and 4WD. The road itself does get bumpy and rocky, but my SUV has average clearance height and has done fine. Old Fall River Rd is an 11 mi dirt road that goes from Horseshoe Park to the Alpine Visitor Center. Along this road, you’ll see stunning views, in your face mountain cliffs, snowmelt falls, and – near the end – elk and marmots!
After reaching the Alpine Visitor Center, we turned back to Bear Lake. It was at Gorge Range Overlook where we saw a huge herd of elk close, but a safe distance, to the lookout. While I have nice close pictures of elk, I don’t have any with the nice mountains in the background.
Lake Haiyaha Hike
By now, it was noon, so the Bear Lake parking lot was full. I only had a one-night reservation, so we just packed up and drove across the street to park in the Park & Ride lot. From there, we rode the shuttles up to the Bear Lake shuttle stop.
Some things to understand:
- Lake Haiyaha is a 2 mi uphill rocky terrain.
- While this is a good entry-level hike, please know that uphill inclines are steep and don’t knock out a lot of mileage.
- Bring water and take your time. On average, it takes 1 hour to climb this trail, but you are going uphill which means you are gaining a lot of elevation. Track your beats per minute and know what your max heart rate can be. Don’t push yourself. This can cause injury and possibly death!
The first milestone on the trail is Nymph Lake, which is 0.5 mi from Bear Lake. It is a small lake and is covered with lily pads. I would say, if you can make it to Nymph Lake, you have a great chance at making it to Lake Haiyaha. By Mid-July, the pads are starting to bloom these pretty yellow flowers. You can admire the lake with the nice mountains in the background.
Continuing the trail, you hike up another stretch of steep incline. There will be a rock overlook to the left that will have a view of the gorge with Nymph Lake below. Even going past the rock, further up the trail, there are more views of the mountain tops with backbone-looking peaks. This is my favorite spot to stop and take pictures and even take a snack break if necessary. Past this is another stretch of rocky incline that leads to a pretty fall. Once you see these falls, rejoice as this means you have one more quick uphill and Dream Lake will be not too far around the corner.
The next milestone is Dream Lake. From Nymph Lake, it is another 0.5 mi (1 mi total so far). This is where you need to pay attention. The turn-off for Lake Haiyaha is at the front of Dream Lake. Feel free to hike straight ahead to check out Dream Lake but remember to backtrack to find the sign for Lake Haiyaha. If you don’t turn back, but keep going along Dream Lake, you will end up taking the hiking trail to Emerald Lake.
Once you are on the trail to Lake Haiyaha, you find yourself doing the same grade incline as you were for Nymph Lake, except, this goes on all the way to the lake. This is the part where you need to especially watch yourself and make sure you are not overdoing it. Luckily, there are some absolutely stunning places to stop and just marvel at the view. The first is past the boulder that sticks out of the trail. You will have a lookout at the Bear Lake Corridor by seeing Nymph Lake, Bear Lake, and even Sprague Lake! I can’t even begin to describe my awe of this view. The vast mountains in the background. The endless clouds in the blue sky. Simply gorgeous!
The next spot is at a sharp 90deg right turn around the side of the mountain. This view includes another angle of the Bear Lake Corridor as well as a glimpse of Loch Lake. Loch Lake can be accessed by the Glacier Gorge Trail. From this point of the trail, you have covered ¾ of the trail from the start at Bear Lake. Get past the sharp left turn and the trail levels out from there. You only have a roughly 75ft elevation gain between here and the lake.
There are some fun things along the last stretch of the trail. There are two creeks that run across the trail where these cool log bridges have been put down to help you cross the creek. Just before the lake, there are huge boulders you need to rock climb. This can be challenging, and I recommend you truly take your time and carefully test medium-sized rocks before stepping on them. I had some rocks move on me and almost caused my footing to be lost. This is a remote area and another good reminder of why you should consider a satellite messenger for emergencies. I recommend Zoleo.
Congrats! You made it to Lake Haiyaha. What I did was make my way all the way to the left. This gave me plenty of space away from the crowd so I can enjoy the view and get nice pictures. The first thing you’ll notice is the stunning turquoise color of the lake. You can thank rock flour for “baking” this color into the lake. Rock flour is a fine mineral – even finer than sand. It is as fine as flour, hence the name “rock flour.” This also allows the fine sediment to be easily weathered and suspended in water. Rock flour is most commonly found near glaciers. Lake Haiyaha is unique in that a landslide pulled rock flour into its waters to give it the famed “milky shade of turquoise.”
Conclusion
I think Lake Haiyaha is a great hike for those who are starting to do intermediate hikes. While the mileage is low, the steep inclines and elevation change can be a challenge at times, but knowing your limit and taking a break when needed is key. The gorgeous turquoise color of the lake is worth the hike and the bonus views along the way put the cherries on top. Take a chance to either get a timed entry for Bear Lake or a camping reservation at Glacier Basin Campground and add the Lake Haiyaha hike to your itinerary. Have you had a chance to hike this trail? If so, what did you think of the amazing views? Leave a comment below and have a great day!
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Scenic Byhorse 
So beautiful.
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