Mills Lake

Mills Lake is a 10-acre lake tucked into Glacier Gorge, with a rocky shoreline and steep peaks around it. From Glacier Gorge Trailhead, plan on about 5.3 miles round trip and roughly 780 feet of climbing. It makes a satisfying destination when you want the trail itself to be part of the day, with waterfalls and creek crossings before the lake.

Alberta Falls comes early, just over 0.8 mile from the trailhead. It's a 30-foot cascade named for Alberta Sprague, wife of early Estes Park settler Abner Sprague. Farther along, a short side path near Glacier Creek leads to Glacier Falls. The path continues around the lake’s eastern side, and Jewel Lake is another half mile beyond if you want to extend the walk.

The rocky eastern shore opens toward the Keyboard of the Winds, Pagoda Mountain, Chiefs Head Peak and Thatchtop. It's a good place to pause over a picnic and take in the granite walls around the water. For a photo, leave some shoreline rock in the foreground to give the distant peaks scale; when the water is calm, it can catch their reflection.

The lake sits in a basin scooped from solid rock by the glacier that once filled Glacier Gorge. Its steep walls make the valley’s glacial shape easy to see.

The lake is named for Enos Mills, a naturalist and guide who campaigned for the park’s creation. He lectured, wrote and lobbied for the effort; the park was established in 1915. The name links this high basin to one of the people who helped protect the wider landscape.

Glacier Gorge Trailhead is on Bear Lake Road, and the lake is reached on foot. Snow or ice can affect high-elevation trails in any season, so check current trail conditions before leaving. The latest report is a snapshot, especially when weather is changing.