Sight · Rocky Mountain National Park
A 100-foot waterfall above The Loch, after a hard climb.
Overview
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
Glacier Gorge and Alberta Falls“The Glacier Gorge trailhead is coming up, the starting point for Alberta Falls.”
Plays as you drive up to Timberline Falls 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
Timberline Falls is a roughly 100-foot waterfall on Glacier Gorge’s route toward Sky Pond, high above The Loch. From Glacier Gorge Trailhead, it’s 3.8 miles one way with 1,589 feet of elevation gain. Plan on 7.6 miles out and back if the falls are your turnaround; the trail continues farther to Sky Pond.
The main drop pours down a steep rock face. From the base, look back across the valley: The Loch sits far below, giving the falls a dramatic alpine setting. This is a worthwhile photo stop, and you can enjoy the waterfall without scrambling above it.
The route beyond the falls climbs a steep chute toward Lake of Glass and Sky Pond. It’s a roughly 100-foot hands-on scramble, and water can run over the rock. If you’re here for the waterfall, stop below the chute; getting to the base doesn’t require climbing it.
The Glacier Gorge parking area fills early. In summer, the Bear Lake shuttle serves the trailhead from Park & Ride. Bear Lake Road also has seasonal timed-entry requirements, so check current access details before you set out.
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
ModerateFour Lakes Loop5.7 mi · 4 hr · 2.2 mi awayFour lakes and Alberta Falls on a high country loop
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.
Sight · 0.4 mi awaySky PondA long climb ends at a high lake ringed by spires.
Sight · 0.8 mi awayThe LochAfter a real climb, alpine peaks mirror across the lake.
Sight · 1.3 mi awayMills LakeA ten-acre glacier-carved lake beneath the peaks of Glacier Gorge.Sight · 1.5 mi awayLake HaiyahaA mountain lake tinted green by a 2022 rockslide.
Sight · 1.7 mi awayBlack LakeFive miles in for an alpine lake beneath a jagged granite wall.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayEmerald LakeThree lakes in, the trail ends beneath steep mountain walls.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayDream LakeA mile from Bear Lake, Hallett Peak fills the skyline.
Sight · 2 mi awayNymph LakeA short uphill walk to summer lily pads and mountain views.Parkwolf’s Rocky Mountain ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
