Sight · Rocky Mountain National Park
A high lake two miles beyond Finch, reached on a long hike.
Overview
Pear Lake is a high-elevation backcountry lake in Rocky Mountain's Wild Basin, just below treeline at the base of Copeland Mountain. At 10,580 feet, it's a destination for a full-day hike or an overnight, not a quick lakeside stop. From Finch Lake Trailhead, plan on about 6½ miles one way and roughly 2,100 feet of climbing; Pear Lake is about two miles beyond Finch Lake.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs the extra hike for you?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
Finch Lake Trailhead: The Long Walk to Pear Lake“Finch Lake Trailhead is coming up, for a long hike to Pear Lake below Mount Copeland. Plan on twelve point eight miles round trip and eight to nine hours, with about twenty-one hundred feet of climbing.”
Plays as you drive up to Pear Lake 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 climbs a ridge and drops into Fox Creek drainage. Near the Allenspark Trail junction, the trees open to northward views of Longs Peak, Mount Meeker, Pagoda Mountain and Chief's Head Peak. Those views come before the last stretch to the lake, so the longer route has more to offer than the destination alone.
The lake sits in subalpine fir forest on the north side of Copeland Mountain. When the water is still, look for the rocky ridge and fir line reflected across it.
There is one designated backcountry campsite on the lake's north side, below treeline in subalpine fir. There is no privy and campfires are prohibited. From April 1 through October 31, food must be stored in a bear-resistant canister. Water from the inlet and outlet streams needs boiling or other treatment.
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
ChallengingLake of Many Winds Trail15.3 mi · 11 hr · 3.8 mi awayClimb past Wild Basin waterfalls to a high lake beneath Boulder-Grand Pass.
ModerateHidden Falls Trail1.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 3.8 mi awayA short, faint Wild Basin path to a sudden waterfall.
ChallengingBluebird Lake Trail12 mi · 9 hr · 3.8 mi awayA long climb past two waterfalls ends at a high alpine lake.
ModerateOuzel Falls Trail5.4 mi · 3.5 hr · 3.8 mi awayThree waterfalls reward the climb well before the turnaround.
ChallengingLion Lake No. 1 Trail13.6 mi · 8.5 hr · 3.8 mi awayWaterfalls lead to Lion Lake beneath a wall of high peaks.
EasyCopeland Falls Trail1 mi · 45 min · 3.8 mi awayA short creekside walk to Lower and Upper Copeland Falls.
ChallengingThunder Lake Trail13.6 mi · 6 hr · 3.8 mi awayWaterfalls and creek cascades break up the climb to a high lake.
ChallengingOuzel Lake Trail9.8 mi · 6.5 hr · 3.8 mi awayThree waterfalls punctuate the long climb to Ouzel Lake.Sight · 1.6 mi awayOuzel LakeA high lake beyond Wild Basin’s chain of waterfalls.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayBluebird LakeA long Wild Basin climb to a high lake ringed by peaks.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayFinch LakeA shallow backcountry lake reached by a long Wild Basin hike.Sight · 2 mi awayOuzel FallsCopeland and Calypso Cascades come before the 40-foot finale.
Sight · 2.3 mi awayCalypso CascadesSpring runoff turns this boulder-and-log waterfall into a roar.
Sight · 3.2 mi awaySandbeach LakeSandy lakeshore, peak views, and a 1,970-foot climb.
Sight · 3.4 mi awayThunder LakeA remote mountain lake framed by a wall of peaks.
Sight · 3.7 mi awayCopeland FallsTwo small cascades make a quick creekside detour in Wild Basin.Parkwolf’s Rocky Mountain ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
