Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Two alpine lakes, a cascade and a serious climb from Fern Lake.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
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 trailhead
Fern Lake Trailhead: Turn Around at The Pool“You're nearing Fern Lake Trailhead, where The Pool makes a good shorter turnaround.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead 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.”
Trail guide
Odessa Lake via Fern Lake Trail is a high-country out-and-back from Fern Lake Trailhead to an open lake at treeline. Plan on about 9.8 miles round trip, roughly 1,865 feet of gain, and five to seven hours with stops. Published totals vary slightly, but budget a full day. The walk follows the Big Thompson valley through Arch Rocks and The Pool, climbs past Fern Falls and Fern Lake, then finishes at Odessa Lake. It suits hikers who want a long walk with several landmarks along the way, not a quick lake visit.
The lower trail follows the Big Thompson River through forest and open patches. Around 1.2 miles in, Arch Rocks squeezes the trail between two house-sized boulders. The Pool comes at about 1.7 miles, where Fern Creek meets the river in a noisy cascade and plunge pool. This is a natural place to pause before the harder uphill section.
Beyond The Pool, the trail gets noticeably steeper. It climbs toward the base of Fern Falls, a roughly 60-foot cascade, then continues uphill through the forest to Fern Lake. The waterfall is a good breather, but it is not the end of the climb. Expect uneven mountain trail and take your time as the route gains elevation.
Fern Lake is a wooded stop; Odessa Lake sits higher, near treeline, with Notchtop and Flattop in the mountain backdrop. The last mile is what turns this into a longer day and gives the walk its more open finish. If you want a shorter version, turning around at Fern Lake still makes a substantial 7.6-mile round trip with about 1,380 feet of gain.
Start at Fern Lake Trailhead at the end of Moraine Park Campground Road. Parking is minimal; parking farther down the access road adds walking, and using the nearby Cub Lake Trailhead adds about a mile each way. There is no restroom or drinking water at the trailhead, and no food service on the route. Park entry fees apply. Pets are prohibited on park trails. High-elevation snow or ice can linger beyond summer, and summer storms can build in the afternoon; check current conditions before setting 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
ModerateFern Lake Trail7.6 mi · 4.5 hr · At the trailheadA 7.6-mile return to Fern Lake passes The Pool and Fern Falls.
EasyThe Pool Trail3.4 mi · 1.8 hr · At the trailheadA short river walk to a lively, boulder-lined confluence.
ModerateSpruce Lake Trail9.4 mi · 6 hr · At the trailheadFern Falls and a mountain lake reward the rough last climb.ChallengingLoomis Lake Trail10.3 mi · 6.5 hr · At the trailheadA 10.3-mile lake hike with an unmaintained final stretch.
ModerateCub Lake–The Pool Loop6.1 mi · 3.5 hr · At the trailheadPair a lily-covered lake with a creek-carved pool.
ModerateFern Falls Trail5.1 mi · 3 hr · At the trailheadArch Rocks and The Pool earn the long walk to Fern Falls.
ChallengingGrace Falls Viewpoint Trail12 mi · 7.5 hr · At the trailheadA long high-country hike for a view of Grace Falls.
ModerateCub Lake Trail4.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.8 mi awayA meadow crossing and aspen climb lead to a lily-pad lake.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayCub LakeA lily-covered lake at the end of a varied Moraine Park hike.
Campground · 1.4 mi awayMoraine Park CampgroundElk bugles sometimes carry across camp on autumn nights.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayThe PoolA lively river pool makes a good shorter Fern Lake Trail turnaround.
Picnic area · 1.6 mi awayHollowell ParkA meadow picnic with Longs Peak across the basin.
Picnic area · 1.9 mi awayUpper Beaver Meadows Picnic AreaA quiet roadside picnic with the Continental Divide in view.
Sight · 2 mi awayBierstadt LakeMountain reflections reward the steep walk in.Sight · 2 mi awayFern FallsA tiered waterfall marks a natural halfway goal on Fern Lake Trail.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayMoraine ParkAn open glacial meadow with elk beneath Longs Peak and the Divide.Parkwolf’s Rocky Mountain ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
