Sky Pond

Sky Pond is an alpine lake at about 10,900 feet in Loch Vale, set in a glacial cirque beneath steep walls and jagged spires. It's a classic destination for hikers looking for a full mountain outing, not a quick stop. From Glacier Gorge, expect roughly 9 to 10 miles round trip and about 1,700 feet of climbing. Published route distances vary with the starting point, so treat it as a long, high-elevation hike either way.

The route climbs past Alberta Falls and The Loch before reaching Timberline Falls. To get above the waterfall, you scramble up a steep rocky chute beside the water; it's roughly 100 feet of hands-on climbing, with the first part the hardest. Water can run over the rocks, and the descent takes care too. The trail can be hard to follow around the falls in early summer. Winter brings avalanche danger, cold, and wind.

Lake of Glass is a separate lake on the approach, before Sky Pond. After the climb beside Timberline Falls, cross Lake of Glass and continue to the higher basin. If Sky Pond is your goal, don't mistake the first lake for the destination.

At Sky Pond, the granite teeth of The Sharkstooth rise to one side of the basin. Taylor Peak stands across the water at 13,153 feet, and 13,208-foot Powell Peak sits to the south. The steep walls give the lake its tucked-in, cirque setting.

Sky Pond is part of Loch Vale's glacially carved watershed, a high-elevation research site studied since 1982. Scientists track lake and stream chemistry, weather, and plants here, looking at how deposition, carbon cycling, and climate change affect mountain waters.

There is no food or water service at the lake, so carry enough for the hike out and back. Check current Bear Lake Road access and trail conditions before you set out; early-season snow and winter hazards can change how difficult the route feels.

From the shore, frame the jagged spires above the lake. When the surface is still, the reflection gives the shot a second skyline; boulders along the edge add scale.