Parking
Timber Lake Trailhead is on the right side of US 34, about 10 miles north of Kawuneeche Visitor Center; use the signed trailhead access.
Overview
About Timber Lake Trail
Why go
- A quiet high lake basin below Mount Ida rewards the climb.
- Forest, creeks, and open meadows break up the long ascent.
Heads up
- Nearly ten miles with sustained climbing above 9,000 feet.
- The old slide crossing is rough and can be slick when wet.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Rocky Mountain map
Full mapElevation9,042–11,089 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 Timber Lake 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
Timber Lake Trailhead: A Full Hiking Day0:00 / 0:27
“You're coming up on Timber Lake Trailhead, for a strenuous high-altitude climb to a lake below Mount Ida and Chief Cheley Peak.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Rocky Mountain Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Colorado River Trailhead: The Walk to Lulu City
- What an Elk Bugle Means
- Farview Curve: Find the Grand Ditch
- A Marmot's Long Winter
- 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 Timber Lake Trail
A long out-and-back to a high lakeTimber Lake Trail is a roughly 10-mile out-and-back from Timber Lake Trailhead to a small lake…
Timber Lake Trail is a roughly 10-mile out-and-back from Timber Lake Trailhead to a small lake beneath Mount Ida and Chief Cheley Peak. The posted distance is 4.8 miles each way (9.6 round trip); detailed route measurements run about 9.9 to 10.4 miles. Plan on roughly 6 to 7 hours. You start around 9,000 feet and reach a basin above 11,000 feet. The posted climb is 2,060 feet, though other route descriptions give higher totals. This is a sustained high-altitude hike, not a quick lake stroll.
Forest and creek crossingsThe trail begins in lodgepole pine and climbs the west side of Jackstraw Mountain.
The trail begins in lodgepole pine and climbs the west side of Jackstraw Mountain. Openings in the trees give occasional views toward the Never Summer Mountains and Kawuneeche Valley. Beaver Creek arrives about 0.6 mile in, with more small stream crossings farther along. Expect a steady climb between these crossings rather than a long level approach.
The old slide areaAround 2.4 to 2.
Around 2.4 to 2.5 miles, the route passes a short landslide section with downed logs and steep ground. Recent hikers describe it as brief, but the footing can be awkward and wet logs slippery. Take care here, especially on the return. A side route for Timber Creek Backcountry Campsite branches off around mile 3; it is a separate overnight destination.
Meadows and the lake basinNear the Long Meadows junction, stay on the Timber Lake route.
Near the Long Meadows junction, stay on the Timber Lake route. The path skirts meadows, with a view toward Mount Ida opening from one of them, then climbs steep switchbacks. A broader meadow around mile 4.3 offers a pause before the trail returns to forest and continues uphill. Timber Lake lies roughly 4.8 to 5.2 miles from the start in a basin below Mount Ida and Chief Cheley Peak. The route turns around at the lake and returns by the same trail; informal shoreline paths are not part of this mapped out-and-back.
Start high and leave timeTimber Lake Trailhead is on the right side of US 34, about 10 miles north of Kawuneeche Visitor…
Timber Lake Trailhead is on the right side of US 34, about 10 miles north of Kawuneeche Visitor Center. The high starting elevation makes the climb feel more demanding, and snow can linger near the lake into early summer. Pets are prohibited on all park trails, tundra, and meadows. Check park access information 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.
