Snowshoeing Trek to Loch Vale/Mills Lake RMNP
We started this trek form the Glacier Gorge Trail Head located on Bear Lake Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. Trail parking is located just a couple miles before the Bear Lake Parking lot. The elevation gain from the TH to Loch Vale is almost 1000 ft. This is a moderate trail with the last .5 miles to the lake being fairly strenuous. Round trip from TH to the lake and back is a total of 5.9 miles round trip. We added a bit extra by stopping at Mills lake on the way back. Many do a three lake trip, starting at Bear lake, and continuing to The Loch, and Mills, this can be done in a day trip. On this day we did not venture or begin at Bear lake though we came across a few folks who did.
Frozen lake leading to the glacier/peaks that stand prominently over the lake.
The first part of the trail head leads though a grove of young aspen trees, making this a very popular path in the fall-