Parking
Use Dunraven Trailhead at the end of Dunraven Glade Road. Its gravel lot holds 23 vehicles and has a vault toilet; there is no potable water or fee.
Overview
About Lost Lake via North Fork Trail
Why go
- A long river corridor, open meadow, and high lake vary the scenery.
- Reaches a remote backcountry lake with four designated sites.
Heads up
- The 19.4-mile return route is a full-day commitment.
- No potable water or services; the lake is above 10,700 feet.
Lost Lake via North Fork Trail is a 19.4-mile out-and-back from Dunraven Trailhead to Lost Lake at 10,710 feet. It follows the North Fork of the Big Thompson River, opens across the historic Deserted Village meadow, then climbs into Rocky Mountain National Park. The destination is a backcountry lake, not a short walk to an overlook. This is a hard, full-day hike for people comfortable with long miles and altitude. If that does not fit your day, you can turn back before the park, but you will not reach Lost Lake.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Rocky Mountain map
Full mapElevation7,746–10,728 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Rocky Mountain alerts
- ClosureOld Fall River Road closed to vehiclesOld Fall River Road is closed to motor vehicles for the season.Official details
- ClosureSun Valley burn-area access remains closedThe area and trail west of Sun Valley Trail remain closed, including the route used for angler access to the Colorado River, because of impacts from the 2020 East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires;…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Rocky Mountain Tour Guide
Your drive to Lost Lake via North Fork Trail, narrated.
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 tourMore stories near here in the app
- Cow Creek: The Hike to Bridal Veil Falls
- How Lumpy Ridge Got Its Boulders
- McGraw Ranch's Second Life
- 79 audio storiesacross Rocky Mountain’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Elk, Moose, Mountain Goat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 136 trails, 88 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…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.”
Trail guide
Hiking Lost Lake via North Fork Trail
Along the riverFrom Dunraven, the trail drops into the canyon and follows the river for several miles.
From Dunraven, the trail drops into the canyon and follows the river for several miles. Bridges carry you across some stream crossings, while the footpath stays in the North Fork corridor. The route briefly crosses private Cheley Camp property; stay on the trail and do not enter the camp. The tread is a standard dirt trail, but the distance makes this a very different commitment from a quick river walk.
A meadow with a historyNear the end of the river stretch, the trees open around Deserted Village: broad meadows and…
Near the end of the river stretch, the trees open around Deserted Village: broad meadows and historic cabins. This is a more exposed section before the route climbs toward the park boundary. Fred Sprague built a resort camp here in the 1890s. The 2013 flood washed away the remaining buildings, so expect an open historic site, not a preserved village.
Finish highPast the meadow, the route climbs to the Rocky Mountain National Park boundary and continues to…
Past the meadow, the route climbs to the Rocky Mountain National Park boundary and continues to Lost Lake, in spruce-fir forest at 10,710 feet. The park lists four backcountry campsites on the lake's east side, with no privy at the site. For a photo, keep rocks or the shore in the foreground, with the tree-lined bank and peaks beyond; that framing shows the lake's setting.
Budget the whole dayPlan on about 10–11 hours for the full out-and-back, including ordinary stops.
Plan on about 10–11 hours for the full out-and-back, including ordinary stops. The park's campsite listing pairs an 8–10-hour travel estimate with the 9.7-mile distance from Dunraven; it does not explicitly say whether the time is one-way. Read it as an approach-time estimate and plan your return separately. The listed elevation gain to the lake is about 2,750 feet. There is no food or potable water at the trailhead or along the route. Carry enough for a long day, and treat stream or lake water before drinking.
Access, dogs, and campingStart at Dunraven Trailhead, at the end of Dunraven Glade Road.
Start at Dunraven Trailhead, at the end of Dunraven Glade Road. Its gravel lot holds 23 vehicles and has a vault toilet; bring your own food and water. Dogs must be leashed on the Forest Service section but are prohibited on Rocky Mountain National Park trails, so they cannot accompany you all the way to Lost Lake. Overnight camping requires a backcountry permit; fires are prohibited, and bear-resistant food storage is required April 1 through October 31.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Rocky Mountain
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.
