Lake Haiyaha Trail Hiking Guide
Lake Haiyaha branches off the Emerald Lake route below Dream Lake and climbs through forest to a boulder-strewn lake that has turned a milky turquoise since landslides came down Chaos Canyon in 2022. It is a little longer and rockier than Emerald and noticeably quieter after the split. Here is what to expect on the climb, at the lake, and on Bear Lake Road.
Permit: Rocky Mountain National Park requires an entrance pass at every hour of the year: $30 per private vehicle for one day or $35 for 7 days, $25 or $30 per motorcycle, $15 or $20 per person on foot or bike (16 and older), the $70 park annual pass, or an America the Beautiful pass. Non-US residents 16 and older pay an extra $100 each unless entering on an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Entrance stations take cards only. From late May to mid-October you also need a Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road reservation to drive onto Bear Lake Road between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. (May 22 to October 18 in 2026); it costs a $2 Recreation.gov fee per vehicle. No permit is needed for the day hike.
Distance and Grade
AllTrails maps the out-and-back from Bear Lake at 4 miles with 856 feet of gain. The park gives 2.1 miles and 745 feet one way. The first half-mile to Nymph Lake is partly paved and busy; after the signed junction below Dream Lake the crowd thins, and the trail climbs a steeper wooded stretch with occasional glimpses of Longs Peak before flattening out near the lake.
Boulders and the Changing Color
The last few hundred yards wind between large granite boulders, so expect some hopping and hands-on scrambling to reach a good seat by the water. AllTrails says trout are often visible in the clear shallows, and that the lake took on its milky blue-green tint after slides above it in Chaos Canyon in 2022. The color varies with light and season, so don't be surprised if it looks greener or grayer than photos.
A Trail With History
The route from Bear Lake past Nymph and Dream lakes to Haiyaha was built between 1930 and 1935 under a Park Service landscape architect and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. In 2025, when bridge work closed the Dream Lake stretch, the park kept the Haiyaha branch open from Nymph Lake, a reminder that this junction sits below Dream Lake.
Bear Lake Road Logistics
You start from the Bear Lake lot, which the park says is often full by 9 a.m. Park & Ride with the free shuttle is the backup in season. On top of the entrance pass ($30 for a car for one day), the park's Bear Lake Road reservation covers the corridor during its 5 a.m.-to-6 p.m. window, which runs each year from late May until mid-October.
Winter Caution
Snow covers the Bear Lake trails from late October to early June. AllTrails warns that the Haiyaha trail crosses known avalanche terrain and that winter trips need mountaineering experience and training, which makes this a very different outing from the gentle winter walk to Nymph Lake. Check the Colorado Avalanche Information Center before going beyond Dream Lake in snow.
Hiking tips for Lake Haiyaha Trail
- Watch for the signed Haiyaha fork below Dream Lake; it's easy to follow the crowd to Emerald instead.
- Wear shoes with grip for the boulder hop at the shore.
- Pair it with Emerald Lake for a longer half-day, returning past Dream Lake.
- Download an offline map; AllTrails reports unreliable cell service here.
- Skip the Haiyaha branch in deep snow unless you're trained for avalanche terrain.
Nearby trails to explore
- Emerald Lake Trail (Rocky Mountain National Park)
- Mills Lake via Glacier Gorge Trail
- Sky Pond via Glacier Gorge Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Lake Haiyaha's boulders are more fun with company and a second pair of eyes on the route. Use TrailMates to find Estes Park hikers heading for Haiyaha. Download the TrailMates app to connect.