Lost Lake Rocky Mountain National Park

The Lost Lake trail in the northeast corner of Rocky Mountain National Park provides access to a number of lakes and some good fishing. The reward after a long trek is some fine alpine scenery.

I hiked the trail to Lost Lake in one long day. It took about 10 hours to make the 9.7 mile climb up to the lake. The trail is benign for most of its journey but 2 steep sections provide for most of the 2800 foot elevation gain. The trail starts at the Dunraven trailhead north of Estes Park and spends the first half meandering through the Comanche Peak Wilderness. At the start, it descends 200 feet to the Big Thompson River and crosses the river at a newly installed bridge (the old one was washed away along with several others in the flood of 2013). The trail parallelss the river for a long flat stretch as it passes through private property. You cross the river again and pass a large horse stable. The trail stays flat for the next mile and a half as it works its way along the river.

At mile 3.5, the trail begins its steep ascent to the national park boundary. The trail climbs steeply through aspen forest and lodgepole pine. The river quickly disappears in this stretch. The trail mellows out as it reaches the boundary and passes the intersection with the Boundary Trail. The trail now follows the river for the next 1.5 miles on a fairly flat grade. Around Happily Lost Wilderness campground, the trail once again steepens around mile 6.7. You pass a junction with the Stormy Peak Pass trail and continue grinding upwards along the rocky trail. The thundering Lost Falls can be heard through the trees but to actually see it, you’ll have to cut left into the forest through downed timber just past the trail junction. Lost Falls is a pretty, 60-foot cascade, but the view is partially obscured by rocks and trees.

Back on trail, you pass a few more wilderness campsites. The trail flattens out again after Lost Meadow. The lake is now only a mile away. There are four camp sites near the lake, although none really provide a good view of it. I camped at one of the upper sites.

The lake is in a pretty basin with Rowe Peak towering in the distance. You can ascend a social trail through the trees to the left of the lake to reach the upper basin where the scenery becomes spectacular. Husted Lake and Louise Lake lie to to the south of Lost Lake in this upper basin. Unobstructed views of Rowe Peak greet the visitor. So does wind. It was unrelenting in the three days I spent in the basin. The more adventurous can even explore the Dunraven Lake basin to the east, but large snow fields blocked entrance during my visit.

The lakes in the area all support a good cutthroat trout population which proved fun to fish during my stay.