Sight · Rocky Mountain National Park
A tucked-away alpine lake beneath Notchtop’s sheer rocky wall.
Overview
Lake Helene is a small alpine lake in a rocky basin beneath Flattop Mountain, Ptarmigan Point and Notchtop Mountain. It is a rewarding destination if you want a longer walk into a dramatic mountain setting, not a quick lakeside stop. From Bear Lake Trailhead, the hike is 2.9 miles one way with 1,215 feet of elevation gain.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs it worth the hike?Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Rocky Mountain Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Rocky Mountain National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Rocky Mountain audio tourRecorded for this place
Bear Lake and a Shorter Mountain Walk“You're coming up on Bear Lake, where a short path from the parking area reaches the water beneath Hallett Peak. I'd stop even if you're not planning a hike.”
Plays as you drive up to Lake Helene in the Parkwolf Rocky Mountain Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…No cell service for majority of the day but had continuous access to the app - the maps, the tour guide as you drive is amazing. Highly recommend purchasing the subscription.”
Guide
The route starts at Bear Lake and follows the Flattop Mountain Trail before branching toward Helene. The last stretch is a rough, rocky spur marked by cairns, and the turn is easy to miss. Save an offline map before you leave the main trail. Two Rivers Lake is a nearby side trip; the route also continues toward Odessa Lake.
From the lake, look up into the steep basin framed by Flattop, Ptarmigan Point and Notchtop. For a photo, keep the shallow water and shoreline rocks in the foreground with the cliffs and snowfields behind them. You can glimpse the lake from the Flattop route, but the close shoreline view requires taking the rough spur.
Pikas are frequently seen along the trail, among the rocky slopes and alpine meadows. Rocky Mountain is where northern and southern pika populations meet, and the park monitors them as a climate-sensitive species.
Bear Lake parking fills early, often by 9 a.m.; the summer shuttle from Park & Ride is another way into the corridor. Check current Bear Lake Road access rules before setting out. Snow can cover the approach from late fall into early summer, so traction, waterproof boots and navigation matter when the trail is snowy. Bring your food and water: there is no service at the lake, and pets are not allowed on park trails.
Wildlife
3,124 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,601 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
19 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
19 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
30 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
270 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Rocky Mountain. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateEmerald Lake Trail3.4 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayThree alpine lakes, then Hallett Peak and a waterfall.
EasyBear Lake Loop0.6 mi · 30 min · 2.2 mi awayA short lakeside loop with Hallett Peak in view.
ModerateLake Haiyaha Trail4.2 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayA boulder-lined alpine lake beyond Nymph and Dream lakes.
ChallengingBear Lake to Fern Lake Trailhead9.2 mi · 7 hr · 2.2 mi awayTwo lake detours, then a long descent to Fern Falls.
ModerateBear Lake to Two Rivers Lake and Lake Helene Trail6.3 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayTwo high lakes, faint spurs, and a close view of Notchtop.ChallengingOdessa Lake Trail from Bear Lake8.2 mi · 5.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayA long climb, then Odessa Gorge opens to the lake.
ModerateBierstadt Lake from Bear Lake Trailhead4.4 mi · 3 hr · 2.2 mi awayA Bear Lake climb to a lakeshore under the Continental Divide.
ModerateFour Lakes Loop5.7 mi · 4 hr · 2.2 mi awayFour lakes and Alberta Falls on a high country loopSight · 0.7 mi awayOdessa LakeA high alpine lake worth the long hike.
Sight · 1.2 mi awayEmerald LakeThree lakes in, the trail ends beneath steep mountain walls.
Sight · 1.3 mi awayFern LakeA demanding hike ends at a high lake beneath three named peaks.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayDream LakeA mile from Bear Lake, Hallett Peak fills the skyline.Sight · 1.6 mi awayLake HaiyahaA mountain lake tinted green by a 2022 rockslide.
Sight · 2 mi awayNymph LakeA short uphill walk to summer lily pads and mountain views.
Sight · 2 mi awayBear LakeA classic alpine lake, with Hallett Peak just beyond the shore.
Sight · 2.1 mi awayFern FallsA tiered waterfall marks a natural halfway goal on Fern Lake Trail.Parkwolf’s Rocky Mountain ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
