From there, you can also access Copeland and Ogalalla. Bluebird Ouzel Lakes Hiking Route | Trailforks After gathering our gear we set off down the trail. Looming ahead is a rocky headwall, with no apparent way around it. To continue on towards Ouzel Lake hikers should turn left here and proceed down the half-mile spur trail. Bluebird Ouzel Lakes is a 13 mile less popular intermediate route located near Estes Park Colorado. There was a lot of water flowing in the creek and falls due to recent rain. https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/wilderness-camping.htm, Check out the best trails in Rocky Mountain National Park, Location: Wild Basin Area of Rocky Mountain National Park. Allow four or five hours to backpack from car to camp. We hit the trail and started the half-mile push up to Bluebird Lake. In total, the five campgrounds offer seven individual campsites. 1. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Tucked below Ptarmigan Mountain near Grand Lake, Colorado, are two stunning lakes. Throughout this stretch the trail winds its way through mostly new-growth pine forest that's in the process of regeneration after the 1978 fire. The National Park has instituted a time slot system in addition to their normal entrance pass system for the summer of 2021. On the bright side, it allows for great views of the surrounding peaks all around you. RMNP tends to be to far south for brown bears but black bears are found there. The lake itself is gorgeous and peaceful. At that point slushy snowfields obscure the trail somewhat. Get your permits in early March as they book up fast, especially forweekend trips. Not recommended for small cars, but the larger vehicles seemed to do just fine. Alice and the high country. It's a tough trail if you're not acclimated to the elevation yet. Bluebird - Ouzel Lakes. Not too steep inclines great for younger kids too. 3 stars for Ouzel, 5 stars for Bluebird. Ouzel Falls and Bluebird Lake | Trail Running route in Colorado Great conditions. Even on a busy holiday weekend (Labor Day), very few folks past Ouzel Falls. Youll cross North St. Vrain Creek and proceed for 0.3 miles until running into the trail junction with Ouzel Lake Trail. The lake itself is great for relaxing and soaking up some prime Rocky Mountain majesty; you may even be tempted to jump in if the day is warm enough! This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Whenever youve had your fill of the area, retrace your path back to the eastern edge of the lake. On July 4th the parking lot was pretty busy by 7am. Sat 7/1: plenty of parking at 7:30AM. Location: 40.201764, -105.60388. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Bluebird Lake is a challenging 1.9 mile - 968' climb from the Ouzel Lake spur. National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map for RMNP. Getting off trail a little and/or taking in some different views is worth it. A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. While taking a trail, obey all public and private land use restrictions and rules, carry proper safety and navigational equipment, and of course, follow the #leavenotrace guidelines. Description. It was only last summer that she visited and persuaded me to hike in RMNP, and I was pretty much instantly hooked. Explore the most popular mountain biking trails near Ldenscheid with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. Because it was in a low risk zone the national park allowed the low intensity fire to smolder. Um Ldenscheid zur Versetalsperre: 1 Reviews, Map - AllTrails From this junction the Bluebird Lake Trail continues for another 1.7 miles, while gaining almost another thousand feet of elevation to reach the stunningly beautiful Bluebird Lake. Snow typically covers the trail from October thru late June. It was super windy at the top so most were sheltering behind the rocks/pass. I made it to Bluebird Lake today. Rivers and Falls are gorgeous. Naturpark Sauerland-Rothaargebirge. The parking lot was pretty full when we got there (7:15 am on a Saturday). FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Parking can fill up quickly and reservations are required after 9am. It was about 3:30 in the afternoon. Before reaching this 40-foot falls, the trail traces the course of several creeks and leads hikers past three other cascade waterfalls. In spite of the fact that this route, associated GPS track (GPX and maps), and all route guidelines were prepared under diligent research by the specified contributor and/or contributors, the accuracy of such and judgement of the author is not guaranteed. Poles and spikes may help for stability, but I was fine without. Copyright Trail Description: The hike to Calypso Cascades begins from the fairly remote Wild Basin Trailhead in the southeastern corner of Rocky Mountain National Park, located near the small communities of Meeker Park and Allenspark. The National Park gate is located on the right side of the road and is visible when you approach. The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. Especially at higher ground before ouzel lake. Highly recommend and will be doing again! At 2.7 miles, and an elevation of 9370 feet, hikers will reach Ouzel Falls, which is a very impressive 40-foot waterfall (photo above). The company's ad-free premium plan will become a buck more expensive at $10.99 per month. The information found herein is simply a planning resource to be used as a point of inspiration in conjunction with your own due-diligence. When backpacking Bluebird Lake you dont want to have to hike the dirt access road in from the gate. Again, poles are a must; gators are recommended; and microspikes I didn't end up needing/using. Hiked to Bluebird Lake and Ouzel Lake on Sun, Sept 25. Copeland Falls is seen from a side trail a half mile from the trailhead. Just a heads up for anyone hiking this week (9/19). However, it appears that the flood has changed the topography in this area, and it's now a bit of a bushwhack to reach the better viewpoint for this waterfall. We covered the last mile pretty easily, following other tracks and using the Alltrails map download on occasion, and were the only ones at the lake on a Sunday. At the junction for Ouzel Lake Trail, you'll turn on to Bluebird Lake Trail to head to your destination. Overview Photos (4) Videos (0) Reports (0) Comments (0) Ride Logs Leaderboard Stats 3D Tour Add / Edit 2,483 ft Distance 100 ft Climb -28 ft Descent 00:20:24 Avg time 10000ft 9950ft 9900ft 0ft 700ft 1400ft 2100ft Ouzel Lake Trail Details Activities Hike Trail Running Riding Area Rocky Mountain National Park The hike to Ouzel Falls begins from the fairly remote Wild Basin Trailhead in the southeastern corner of Rocky Mountain National Park, located near the small communities of Meeker Park and Allenspark. There was plenty of parking when I arrived, and saw hardly anybody on the way to the lake. Each cascading waterfall gains in steepness and height as you progress down the trail. From the Upper Ouzel Creek Campsite intersection, it isover a 400 climb in a half mile to the lake. Very gradual incline, but the last mile to Bluebird Lake took me about 45 minutes. Fall colors are looking great! Click to reveal Route finding is relatively easy if you've done the trail before. As the trail continues up the valley, youll gradually trade the forest for the alpine as trees gradually disappear. Only a couple of sizable snow fields and was able to carefully go over them today without traction Rocky Mountain National Park charges a fee to enter. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 6 h 44 min to complete. You'll need to leave pups at home dogs aren't allowed on this trail. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Trail in good condition until snow at about 1.5 miles until bluebird. No scrambling is necessary, but trekking poles might help stabilize on the scattered talus. The options for free area camping are limited. Then theres snowfields to traverse. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. IF you have an entrance pass, AND you arrive before 9 AM, you are free to park and enjoy your day (make sure your pass is visible on your windshield), hence the arrive early mantra. Backpacking permits for RMNP (camping): Required (May 1st Oct. 31st). Bear left @ the Y-junction and take the Bluebird Trail through the valley. The entire basin is chock-full of lakes and peaks to explore, and Bluebird makes for a wonderful outing. Slowly gaining elevation, the trail will arrive at a bridge and trail junction at Calypso Falls. The intersection for the Upper Ouzel campsite is located in an amazing area full of streams of water surrounded by a multitude of beautiful wildflowers (at least in July & August). The pine forest is beautiful and cool even in warm weather, and the water at the lake is clear and shallow. Approach the gate and drive through to enter into Wild Basin. Enjoy! The solitude at this pristine spot is a hard-earned reward. By the time we got back to the trailhead, more people had arrived so i recommended arriving before 9 am. Trail Running Ouzel Falls and Bluebird Lake Ouzel Falls and Bluebird Lake Up and up through some of the park's wildest backcountry, passing waterfalls and lakes, and leaving the crowds far behind. Rocky Mountain National Park is full of stunning landscapes, amazing wildlife, and remote adventure. While the sign is large, there is only one, so when you see it, slow down. Bluebird Lake is a fantastic destination. You can read about that trail here. Saw lots of Marmots and Deer and I heard Moose can be on this trail. With over 100,000 acres of officially designated wilderness, 118 peaks over 10,000 feet, and 147 lakes, Rocky Mountain National Park is a veritable hiker's paradise. What a great trail! Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. Purchase a Global Rescue membership for your next adventure and travel with peace of mind. Great trail, lots of snow last half mile. A . The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". got to lower lot at 8.40 on Monday no spots had to park a bit back. This is a popular trail for backpacking, camping, and fishing, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. These cascades are a grouping of several steep but shortfalls coming off the mountainside. From the north, there will be a large Wild Basin sign on your right after you pass the Meeker Park Overflow Campground. Its all very well maintained and mostly smooth, with just the right amount of ruggedness to keep things interesting. Turn southwest and follow the Bluebird Lake Trail for 1.2 miles to . Snow patches start around Upper Ouzel Creek. After passing beyond Ouzel Lake, the trail takes on more of a mountainous quality with steeper uphill sections and rockier terrain. Trail conditions were good with two minor snowpacks to go up and over as you near Bluebird Lake, and a third larger snowpack of perhaps 200-300 long, up an incline, just prior to ascending to Bluebird Lake. Trail its self is pretty but its very muddy and wet right now. If youd rather skip the crowds common at the falls, take the Campsites cutoff by heading right. The park service is replacing the bridge by Calypso Cascades, so you have to detour by the campsites. Theres plenty of space along the shoreline to spread out as well, so even if a large crowd makes it up to Bluebird, you can find your own slice of mountain majesty. Posted on August 27, 2016 by linhartb. Awesome hike with many opportunities to hike alongside and cross the creek which is more like a rushing mountain river.. Bring more water than you think youll need. After you have hiked to the lake, or climbed the mountain, you get your very own tag to add to your favorite pack, jacket, Christmas stocking or wall collection. After making the short descent towards the valley bottom, the trail begins to climb gradually towards the lake. Camping near Rocky Mountain National Park will cost you. Beautiful flowers including mountain laurel, marsh marigolds, calypso orchids, glacier lilies, globe flowers and mountain gooseberries to name a few. So, probably for experienced people its totally doable. Bluebird Lake - 12.8mi / 20.5km Bluebird Lake sits as a sparkling jewel amongst craggy cliffs with Ouzel Peak dominating the skyline. Got to the parking lot at 6am, the road is clear but pretty bumpy and slow going. Just before reaching the lake the trail makes contact with the scenic Ouzel Creek as it spills out of the eastern tip of the lake. The falls were stupendous, and the area around the lakes was filled with wildflowers , incredible views of the snow capped peaks and rocks in all shapes and sizes..i love rmnp. 7/6/23: Mother Nature shines in all her splendor from start to finish. The drive through the Rocky Mountains to the trailhead is an added bonus. 2023 Best Bike Touring Trails in Ldenscheid | AllTrails Logged 14 miles because we stopped at Ouzel Lake. We hit the trail at 7:00am on a Wednesday morning. If that thought sounds unappealing, the Campsites cutoff trail is always available. Checklist Comments. You'll need to leave pups at home dogs aren't allowed on this trail. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The trail begins in the valley bottom of Wild Basin and works its way up, passing three named waterfalls (see Copeland Falls, Calypso Cascades, and Ouzel Falls for descriptions). This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and fishing, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. It is well established in this area with stone steps leading up to the Calypso Cascades located at 1.8 miles. The Ultimate Offline GPS Hiking & Ski Maps, Thunder Lake and the Wild Basin Waterfalls, Guide to the Best Hiking Trails in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, The Dyrt: The 10 Best Campgrounds In Colorado, Top Adventure Sports Towns 2021: Boulder, Colorado, Epic Adventures with the Best Guides In Colorado, Sky Pond via Glacier Gorge Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, Scrambling Hallett Peaks East Ridge, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, Scrambling Mt. Cross the bridge at Ouzel Falls and continue hiking to the junction with the Bluebird Lake Trail, 3.4 miles from the trailhead. Remember to check the forecast religiously until the minute you leave for the trailhead, mountain weather changes. The hike up to the falls was easy so we decided to continue up to Ouzel Lake. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. However, a little exploring will yield additional views and places to set up for a few hours of peaceful mountain contemplation. If you exit the park between 9 AM and 3 PM, you will be required to produce a timed entry slot to reenter, or youll have to wait until after 3 PM to reenter. To reach the trailhead from Estes Park, drive 12.6 miles south on Colorado Highway 7 to the Wild Basin Road junction and turn right. Most people opt to stay here and admire the lake, which is easy to do. The aspens are a bright yellow and the shrubs a colorful array of orange and reds. The hike to Ouzel Lake begins from the fairly remote Wild Basin Trailhead in the southeastern corner of Rocky Mountain National Park, located near the small communities of Meeker Park and Allenspark. Although the signage along the trail thus far has been good this is the first sign that actually has Bluebird Lake listed on it. If you arrive in Wild Basin anywhere between 9 AM and 3 PM, you will also be required to produce a timed entry pass. The last of the trail is a beautiful section following the lakes outlet Ouzel Creek. Download the app . As long as you move its good. You can stay on top of the snow and move efficientlyand it's actually really fun, especially sliding down in your boots on the way back (you NEED poles, without question). Either variation gets you to the Bluebird Lake trail with comparable distances covered. Beautiful, sunny day to start seeing some fall colors. Bluebird Lake is a fantastic mountain run in the lesser-visited Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park. Backpacking Ouzel Lake : Trip Reports : SummitPost Decided to turn around 0.5 miles before lake because of a large snow bank I did not want to attempt. Once you see the sign, slow down, the turn is abrupt. Ouzel Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park - Day Hikes Near Denver JetPack sets this cookie to record details on how user's use the website. Try Today for Free. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. I decided to head up to the Wild Basin trail in RMNP, despite generally crappy, cold, and wet weather. Actual size of trail tags 1.5" across. Trail is mostly dry. We got caught in a blizzard and heavy rain while at the lake this morning. At one time this lake was dammed although today no remnants of that structure remain. The most common photo of Bluebird Lake is taken from the eastern edge of the shore, with an obvious solitary rock framing the bottom left side of the picture. Beautiful trail! Guide to Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. Are there brown and black bears in the area? Up and up through some of the parks wildest backcountry, passing waterfalls and lakes, and leaving the crowds far behind. Still a beautiful trail though! Bluebird and Ouzel Lakes. A few small snow patches in the trees right before the lake but zero issues. The trail follows North St Vrain Creek and Ouzel Creek through diverse forests and an interesting burn-recovery area into the upper valley. I hugged the northern cliff band heading west pretty much until treeline. If you take the waterfalls trail, pay attention after you pass Ouzel Falls. While I dont think its the prettiest lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, part of its charm is that its a bit understated and demands some stout effort to reach. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Theres one difficult spot at the start of the dirt road two miles from the trailhead, a big puddle that was a little tricky to navigate for our low clearance vehicle, but with careful maneuvering along the side it worked out, and the rest of the dirt road was fine. As we approached the overlook to Ouzel Lake we ran across a group of hikers who told us to keep an eye on the left-hand side of the trail as there was a bull moose bedded down in the tall grass. He was big. This involved a little bushwacking and a quick slide down a steep bit of snow to a nice flat landing. 4.5-miles into our journey we arrived at the intersection for the Ouzel Lake spur. The Wild Basin Trailhead is located roughly 2.2 miles from the park turn-off on a narrow gravel road, which is suitable for two-wheel drive vehicles. Since Calypso Cascade and Ouzel Falls are high-demand destinations, chances are you will be employing some people dodging skills in order to get through that section. The first and last three miles were about 20 min a mile. If you go right from here it will lead you back to the Unimproved Trail where it intersects at the junction near the North St. Vrain Campsite. It was a cool morning, so I didnt posthole at all. We easily spotted the moose about 20 yards off the path. - Henry David Thoreau. Bluebird Lake - Hike 734 In order to explore around the lake, youll have to employ some light scrambling, but routes are marked with cairns, and theres plenty of space to spread out. and The Cleaver. Some snow near the lake but easy to walk over it without traction. Beautiful lake, not many people past ouzel falls. Discover this 9.9-mile out-and-back trail near Allenspark, Colorado. At this time of the morning, we had no issues parking, but the small lot was filling up fast and the trails were already crowded. We returned the next morning to the lake and surrounding peaks glowing in the early morning light. Pretty crowded trail up to Ouzel Falls, but then really thinned out up to Bluebird. FLIES!! Overall, a perfect day in RMNP! This is a loop option back to the Wild Basin trailhead. Some snow patches in the last half mile, but manageable with hiking shoes and poles. Layers of rocks guard the southern edge of Bluebird Lake. Wemade the ascent up to our camping spot on the ledge overlooking the surroundingmountainous terrain. The trail is initially flat and very wide. The upper falls are located roughly one-tenth of a mile further upstream along the North St. Vrain Creek. It is a gorgeous example of a great trail creation for a mass public scenario. Like the previous hiker mentioned, the trail is dry until the last mile or so. While Dave removed his shoes and tiptoed in the water for the perfect shot, I consulted the map to find a possible shortcut back to Bluebird Lake Trail. Ouzel Creek will be to the left. Otherwise it was lovely. Multiple snow banks to cross in the last half mile. If you do not have an entrance pass or time slot, you will be turned back. After driving four-tenths of a mile make another right turn into the park. Had done Ouzel Lake many times before, but this was the first time I made it up that last steep climb to Bluebird. It was snowy towards the lake but was doable if you dont mind getting a little wet. The mountain forecast for Mt. After Ouzel Lake, however, the difficulty increases dramatically with rockier sections thrown in for good measure. Snow spikes and poles are a must! This is a popular trail for backpacking, camping, and fishing, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Regardless of how you get to the Park gate, youll want to drive the dirt road into Wild Basin for its entire length until coming to a parking lot. The downside is on a hot day you are exposed and it can feel like you are in an oven. Otherwise all dry. Lakes, waterfalls, a river, pine forests with lush forest floors, still wildflowers and an abundance of wild raspberries. Alice is a good option for the higher portions of Wild Basin. Gorgeous views! Stripe sets this cookie cookie to process payments. Highly recommend! I would have given 5 stars but the bugs were so bad we decided to turn around a little past ouzel lake. To reach the trailhead from Estes Park, drive 12.6 miles south on Colorado Highway 7 to the Wild Basin Road junction and turn right. Discover this 21.4-km out-and-back trail near Allenspark, Colorado. It is located off of US 7, just north of Allenspark. Along the way, the trail crosses over some creeks and we soon ran across a doe (deer) coming down the trail. Leadville, Colorado is the highest incorporated town in America and a mecca for adventure sports. That would add over 2-miles each way to the overall hike. During the wet summer months, bug repellant is needed! Trail Length: 15.38 miles (roundtrip) Trailhead Elevation: . Other hikers or backpackers might continue on towards Thunder and Lion lakes. Ouzel Lake is a beautiful and moderately difficult hike located on the southern end of Rocky Mountain National Park. About 0.3-miles in is the first of several small waterfalls known as the Copeland Falls. An exceptionally scenic and memorable hike featuring three impressive waterfalls (Copeland, Calypso, and Ouzel), two alpine lakes (Ouzel and Bluebird), and notable soaring peaks (Longs Peak and Mount Meeker) within view. We can never have enough of nature. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Trailhead: From Colorado Hwy 7, just north of Allenspark, turn onto Wild Basin Road. I Brought my gaiters and it could have been helpful for the last .7 miles but I was fine without them. Still a lot of snow the last little bit. Hiking - RMNP Ouzel Lake (almost) The Colorado Mountain Club We stayed overnight at the Upper Ouzel Creek site and it was gorgeous. The trail remains straightforward, but with no shortage of rocks, some of them loose. Hikers should veer to the left to continue on towards Ouzel Lake. It starts out by crossing over the Upper Ouzel Creek and thenparalleling it before it splits off to the south (left) and switchbacks tightly up to the ridge before landing on a slanted slab which we traversed to the top of the ridge. Weve also produced a best of Rocky Mountain National Park trails guide that does a great job of highlighting the most unique hikes in the National Park. Elon Musk's Twitter rebrand is a user nightmare | Fortune All rights reserved. Make sure you are watching the skies.