Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
A short, high-altitude path beyond Lily Lake.
Overview
Wind River Pass Trail is a 1.8-mile out-and-back from Lily Lake. Each way follows about 0.09 mile of connector trail and 0.81 mile of the named natural-surface path; return the same way. Allow about 1.5 hours. The route stays around 8,900–9,150 feet, so this short walk can feel harder at altitude.
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
Lily Lake: A Gentle Loop Below the Peaks“You're nearing Lily Lake, a good stop if you want a gentle walk with big mountain views.”
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
Start at Lily Lake Trailhead off Highway 7 and follow the Lily Lake path toward the short connector. A sign may use the name Tahoosa Valley Trail for this same corridor. The park confirms public access to Lily Lake, but its visitor directions do not describe this spur, so check the junction before leaving the lakeside route.
The mapped named path ends south of the lake. No public continuation beyond that point is confirmed, so turn around there and retrace the route. Expect natural dirt and ground tread; the named trail is not wheelchair accessible. Pets are prohibited on all Rocky Mountain National Park trails.
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
ModerateAspen Brook Trail4.7 mi · 3.5 hr · At the trailheadA rough brookside out-and-back from Lily Lake's shared trailhead.
EasyLily Lake Nature Trail0.8 mi · 36 min · At the trailheadA gentle lake loop with Longs Peak on the horizon.
EasyLily Ridge Trail1.2 mi · 48 min · At the trailheadA brief climb gives Lily Lake a whole new point of view.
ChallengingEstes Cone via Lily Lake7.5 mi · 5.5 hr · At the trailheadA forested approach ends in a rocky high-altitude summit scramble.
ChallengingTwin Sisters Trail7.4 mi · 4.5 hr · 0.1 mi awayA steep climb with a summit view that earns every step.
ChallengingEstes Cone Trail from Longs Peak Trailhead6.2 mi · 5 hr · 2.6 mi awayMine ruins and a rocky summit make the long climb pay off.
ModerateEugenia Mine Trail2.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 2.6 mi awayA short forest hike to an old boiler beside Inn Brook.
ChallengingChasm Lake Trail8.4 mi · 7 hr · 2.6 mi awayScramble above the falls to a lake beneath Longs Peak's Diamond.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayLily LakeA mostly level lake loop with Longs Peak across the water.
Sight · 2.4 mi awayEugenia MineA creekside boiler, mine tailings and a family story
Campground · 2.4 mi awayLongs Peak CampgroundA simple tent camp for an early Longs Peak start.
Campground · 3.4 mi awayGlacier Basin CampgroundA handy base for Bear Lake corridor starts.
Picnic area · 3.7 mi awayTuxedo Park Picnic AreaA quiet creekside picnic, reached by steps from the road.
Sight · 3.7 mi awayGlacier Creek StablesThe park's lone stable pairs guided rides with mountain scenery.
Sight · 3.7 mi awayPark & Ride Transit HubPark once for free shuttles to Bear Lake Road stops.
Sight · 3.8 mi awaySprague LakeA gentle lake loop for Divide views and possible moose sightings.Parkwolf’s Rocky Mountain ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
