Bear Lake to Two Rivers Lake and Lake Helene Trail

This is a Bear Lake out-and-back to Two Rivers Lake and Lake Helene: about 6.3 miles round trip when you visit Two Rivers once and continue to Helene, and roughly 3–4 hours for most hikers. Expect about 1,200 feet of climbing to a high point near 10,700 feet. The route climbs steadily, and the altitude adds to the effort. If you want to shorten the day, make Two Rivers Lake your turnaround; that is about 5.6 miles round trip and skips the final leg to Helene.

The route leaves the Bear Lake area through aspen on Bierstadt Moraine, then climbs through pine beyond the Bierstadt junction. Higher up, forest gives way to open pockets in Mill Creek drainage. Those clearings look south toward Longs Peak, Keyboard of the Winds, Pagoda Peak and Chiefs Head Peak.

Near the route's high point, a short, unmarked path branches left to the north shore of Two Rivers Lake. It is about 100 yards from the main trail. Visit the shore, then retrace the little spur to continue toward Helene.

The Lake Helene turn is another faint, unmarked path on the left, around mile three. Just beyond it, the main trail bends sharply right and descends toward Odessa Lake; if you reach that descent, you have passed the Helene spur. The lake sits in a high basin below Notchtop Mountain, with Knobtop to the west-northwest and Flattop Mountain and Ptarmigan Point to the south.