Fern Lake Trail

Fern Lake Trail is a 7.6-mile out-and-back from Fern Lake Trailhead in Moraine Park to Fern Lake, with about 1,375 feet of climbing from 8,155 to roughly 9,530 feet. Plan on about 4 to 5 hours. It is a good pick for a longer walk with several worthwhile stops; the first 1.7 miles along the Big Thompson River are gentler, then the route climbs steadily after The Pool. Pets are prohibited on park trails.

The trail follows the Big Thompson through mixed forest, with a few openings toward the valley. Around 1.2 miles in, it passes Arch Rocks, two house-sized boulders. At 1.7 miles, a bridge crosses near the confluence of Fern Creek and the Big Thompson. The meeting water forms The Pool, a natural turn-around if you want a shorter 3.4-mile round trip.

The grade changes after The Pool. A sustained climb gains nearly 400 feet over the next 0.7 mile to Fern Falls, a roughly 60-foot cascade. The trail keeps climbing after the falls, gaining about 650 feet over the next mile before reaching the Spruce Lake junction. Fern Lake is about a tenth of a mile farther. Snow can linger on the upper trail into late spring and early summer, so check conditions if you plan to go then.

The lower valley mixes aspens, lodgepole and ponderosa pines, cottonwoods, and willows. Parts of the route were affected by the 2012 Fern Lake Fire and the 2020 East Troublesome Fire, so the walk shifts between shaded forest and more open stretches. Spring and summer bring wildflowers along the route.

Local lodge keepers and tourism promoters built much of this trail in the early 1900s, and it was later listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Near The Pool stood the Forest Inn, opened in 1917 with a lodge, dining room, lounge, and cabins; it was sold to the park in 1952 and removed in 1959. Fern Lake also had a lodge that grew from an early fishing lodge. It could host up to 55 people, was managed by Judy Collins and her husband in 1958, and was removed in 1976.

The north shore looks toward Notchtop Mountain, Little Matterhorn, Knobtop Mountain, and The Gable. For the strongest lake view, continue to the east-side overlook, about a quarter mile farther with a 50-foot climb; Stones Peak rises behind the water there. That viewpoint adds distance beyond the lake turnaround used for the mileage above.