Lake Haiyaha

From USHikingtrails

Lake Haiyaha
The trail to Lake Haiyaha takes you past Nymph Lake, Dream Lake (with a short detour), and on to Lake Haiyaha, unique for its rocky, rugged shorline. Terrific views of Nymph Lake, Bear Lake, Longs Peak and Glacier Gorge along the way.

Fast Facts
Distance(Miles):	2.1 one-way
Trail Surface & Condition:	Dirt, rocky in places, some scrambling near lake
Other Trail Users:
Ownership:	National Parks
Best Seasons:	Summer and Fall
Type:	Out-and-Back or loop via Glacier Gorge
Beginning Elev (Feet):	9,480
Ending Elev (Feet):	10,220
Elevation Gain (Feet):	740
Difficulty Rating:	5.7
Bear Lake Trailhead GPS Coordinates:	Latitude: 40.312 Longitude: -105.646
Lake Haiyaha GPS Coordinates:	Latitude: 40.30416 Longitude: -105.661

Lake Haiyaha - Rocky Mountain National Park

Trailhead Information

Bear Lake
Near To: Estes Park and Glacier Gorge Junction, Colorado

Driving Directions To Trailhead From Estes Park, continue west on Hwy 36 to the Beaver Meadows entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. Just beyond the entrance, turn left and head south on Bear Lake Rd. for about 9 miles, until it dead-ends at the Bear Lake parking lot. The trailhead is at the end of the parking lot, between the shuttle bus stop and the ranger office. Restrooms available, no water. The Bear Lake parking lot will fill up on rare occasions. If so, you can drive back on Bear Lake Rd. to the Park & Ride shuttle bus parking area across from Glacier Basin Campground, where you can park your car and ride the shuttle bus back to the Bear Lake trailhead. See the Rocky Mountain National Park Shuttle Bus Information Page for shuttle bus stops and schedules.

Bear Lake

Elevation: 9,480'

Maps & Images Lat: 40.312 Long: -105.646

Street map from Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps

Satellite image from Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth

Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

Trail & Hike Description

Haiyaha is an Indian name meaning rocks, an appropriate description for this lake.

The trail to Lake Haiyaha begins at the Bear Lake parking lot and follows the trail to Dream Lake. See the Dream Lake trail description for details. Just before reaching Dream Lake, the trail to Lake Haiyaha branches left (south), and begins a climb of about 3/10 mile up the side of Hallett Peak. Soon it switchbacks and continues its climb for a short distance before it levels out and traverses along the edge of the mountain, offering terrific views of Nymph Lake, Bear Lake, Glacier Gorge, Longs Peak, and even the distant peaks on the north side of the park. The trail re-enters the forest and descends to Chaos Creek where it cross a foot bridge, then begins the final 1/4 mile ascent through the forest to Lake Haiyaha. Shortly after the footbridge, the trail comes to the junction with the trail that continues on the Glacier Gorge Junction. This will be the return route if you want to make a loop, or continue on the The Loch or Mills Lake. The lake shore, and the approach to the shore, is rugged and boulder-strewn. you'll encounter several small pools among the boulders before reaching the lake. Ancient limber pines can be seen growing in the cracks and crevices of the rocks along the shoreline. Some scrambling over the boulders is required to reach Haiyaha's shoreline.

Rising above Lake Haiyaha are Hallet Peak to the west and Otis Peak to the southwest. The glacier in the saddle provides the source for Chaos Creek, which feeds Lake Haiyaha, then continues down the valley and joins Glacier Creek near Glacier Gorge Junction.

If you would like to extend the hike, backtrack about 1/4 mile to the junction with the access trail to Glacier Gorge. A one-mile walk will bring you to Glacier Knobs, where it intersects with the trail leading to The Loch (7/10 mile from the intersection) and Mills Lake (1/2 mile from the intersection). From the intersection, it's about 2 miles back to Glacier Gorge Junction, passing Alberta Falls along the way. A 1/2 mile connector trail near the Glacier Gorge Junction Trailhead will return you to the Bear Lake parking lot. The total round-trip distance back to Bear Lake is about 5.6 miles, further if you extend the trip to The Loch and/or Mills Lake.