Pear Lake Trail

Pear Lake Trail is a 12.8-mile round-trip out-and-back from Finch Lake Trailhead, passing Finch Lake before reaching Pear Lake. Allow about 8–9 hours: the route climbs roughly 2,110 feet and reaches about 10,600 feet, so altitude and the final steep climb make this a hard day. The payoff is a high-country lakeshore below Mount Copeland, with Ogalalla Peak to the west. You can turn around at Finch Lake for a shorter 8.6-mile round trip; it still has a mountain-framed shore and makes a satisfying hike on its own.

The trail gains about 485 feet in its first 0.8 mile, then reaches a ridge and winds through montane forest with ponderosa pines and aspen groves. At roughly mile 1.3, take the right fork toward Finch and Pear lakes. An opening in the canopy around mile 1.9 looks toward 13,911-foot Mount Meeker. At the next junction, about 2.3 miles in, continue straight toward Finch Lake. The left branch leads back toward Allenspark Trail; the right goes to Calypso Cascades. Those are separate hikes, not extra pieces of the Pear Lake route.

At about 2.5 miles, the route enters the Ouzel Fire burn area. Near mile 3.9, cross a footbridge over the stream that feeds Calypso Cascades; the trail then drops sharply to Finch Lake at roughly mile 4.3. The eastern shore is a good place to pause. Walk about 20–30 yards left along the shore for the best view toward Ogalalla Peak and Mount Copeland. If you want a shorter day, this is the natural turnaround before the route’s longer climb to Pear Lake.

From Finch Lake’s northeastern shore, the main trail circles the north side, crosses Cony Creek, then climbs steeply. This is the hardest stretch, and it will feel longer on the return after a full day at altitude. Around mile 6.1, cross Pear Creek; Pear Lake is roughly 0.3 mile farther. The trail ends at a quiet subalpine shore below Mount Copeland, with Ogalalla Peak to the west. Keep boulders in the foreground if you stop for a photo; they help show the scale of the peaks beyond the water.

Explorer and innkeeper Joe Mills named the lake because its shape reminded him of a plump pear. Before the park was established in 1915, a 26-foot-high, 140-foot-long earthen and rock dam raised the lake for irrigation on the Great Plains. It was removed in 1988 after the Lawn Lake Dam failure. A faint old waterline may still be visible on boulders around the shore.

Finch Lake Trailhead is reached from Wild Basin Road, about 1.8 miles beyond the entrance station; the final road is narrow gravel. During the park’s summer timed-entry season, a reservation can be required for daytime entry into Wild Basin. The dates and entry windows change, so check the current schedule before you go. Dogs are prohibited on Rocky Mountain National Park trails. The designated overnight site at Pear Lake has one campsite and no privy; campfires are prohibited, and water from the lake’s inlet and outlet streams must be treated.