Parking
Start at Storm Pass Trailhead and finish at Lily Lake Trailhead. Use a second vehicle or arrange a pickup for this 7.3-mile one-way route.
Overview
About Storm Pass Trail
Why go
- Longs Peak views from Storm Pass and a lakeside finish at Lily Lake
Heads up
- One-way logistics require a pickup or second vehicle
- High altitude and steep grades
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Rocky Mountain map
Full mapElevation8,829–10,269 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 Storm Pass 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 tourRecorded for this trailhead
Storm Pass Trailhead: Boulder Brook Loop0:00 / 0:28
“You're approaching Storm Pass Trailhead, the start of Boulder Brook Loop, a substantial hike beside cascades and over footbridges.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Rocky Mountain Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Bierstadt Lake: The Climb and the Far Shore
- Sprague Lake: An Easy Shoreline Stop
- Glacier Creek Stables: Choose Your Ride
- Bear Lake Road Park and Ride: Leave the Car Here
- 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 Storm Pass Trail
A hard, one-way crossingStorm Pass Trail is a 7.
Storm Pass Trail is a 7.3-mile point-to-point hike from Storm Pass Trailhead to Lily Lake Trailhead. It climbs from the forest to Storm Pass, where the view opens toward Longs Peak, then descends to the lake. Allow about five to six hours for the high elevation, a hard trail and roughly 1,600 feet of cumulative climbing; the route tops out just above 10,000 feet.
Plan the return firstThis is a through-hike, not a loop.
This is a through-hike, not a loop. Leave a vehicle at each trailhead or arrange a pickup at Lily Lake before you start. The start and finish are several miles apart. Rocky Mountain National Park prohibits pets on its trails. Picnic tables are available at the Lily Lake end.
From creek paths to the lakeThe western start follows wooded connector paths near Glacier Creek, then climbs toward the…
The western start follows wooded connector paths near Glacier Creek, then climbs toward the saddle. Streams and dispersed campsites punctuate the forested approach. Pause at Storm Pass for the southwest view toward Longs Peak; after the pass, descend through the woods toward Lily Lake. At the finish, a shoreline bench frames Twin Sisters Ridge across the water. Snow or ice can linger on the high section into summer, so check conditions before setting out.
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.
