Fern Lake (WINTER)
Date: January 6, 2024 (Sat)Trip Report #: 666Partner: Nate Arganbright
Route: Snow-covered trail (~9.0 miles round trip, ~1500 ft gain/loss, snowy)
A short winter hike to a frozen lake with some interesting RMNP history.
It was sunny, but cold and windy. Nate and I decided that the hike to Fern Lake sounded like a good choice for the day.
Fern Lake is one of the most popular hikes in RMNP, maily due to the well-maintained and easy trail. The trail runs 4.8 miles from Moraine Park in the eastern part of RMNP westward to Fern Lake, the first portion of the trail following the course of the Big Thomposn River. The entirty of the trail to Fern Lake travels through terrain burned by the East Troublesome Fire in the fall of 2020.
The Fern Lake Trail and the surrounding area has some interesting history. In fact, the Fern Lake Trail is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikipedia:
The trail was first informally established in the late 1880s as a way to get to "The Pool," a wide spot in the Big Thompson where a small lodge predated the 1915 establishment of the park. The trail was improved by the Estes Park Protective and Improvement Association between 1907 and 1912, with a new bridge at The Pool. Two years later the trail was rebuilt to maintain no more than a 10% grade and to provide better access to Fern and Marguerite Falls. In the 1920s Fern Lake became a popular winter destination for skiing, complete with a lodge. From 1933 the trail was rebuilt over three years with Civilian Conservation Corps labor, building retaining walls and adjusting the trail's alignment.
The Forest Inn at The Pool closed in 1951, and Fern Lake Lodge closed in 1960. Folksinger Judy Collins and her then-husband Peter Taylor ran the lodge in the summer of 1958, welcoming hikers a respite from the trail. It was demolished by the Park Service in 1968 as they eliminated concessions within the park. The trail is notable for its association with early tourism development in the park and for its Civilian Conservation Corps-executed construction.
Fern Lake itself is below treeline, but provides great views of 12,129-foot Notchtop Mountain, 11,586-foot Little Matterhorn, 12,331-foot Knobtop Mountain and 11,018-foot The Gable. Just before reaching the shore is the site of the former Fern Lake Backcountry Patrol Cabin. This historic cabin was built in 1925, and functioned as a ranger station until 1949, but was lost in 2020 during the East Troublesome Fire.
The hike took us just a few hours. There was not much snowpack, so our snowshoes and spikes were just training weight. Below is a sampling of photos from our snowy morning hike.
A couple of late spring photos of Fern Lake and the approach for comparison!
