Overland’s Best Day Hikes: Lake Helene in Rocky Mountain National Park (updated 4.3.24)

If you’re looking for a great day hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, read on for a firsthand account of the Lake Helene Day Hike.

Table of Contents

• Part One: Lake Helene Day Hike, Information at a Glance 
• Part Two: Lake Helene Day Hike, Overview 
• Part Three: Report from Overland Leader, Annie Galbraith
• Part Four: Area Map (courtesy of Gaia GPS) 
• Part Five: Topo Map and Elevation Profile  (courtesy of Gaia GPS) 
• Part Six: Lake Helene Day Hike Trailhead Information
• Part Seven: Additional Resources

Part One: Lake Helene Day Hike, Information at a Glance 

Here Are Some Basics From Overland’s Trip Planners

• Name of Hike: Lake Helene
• Location of Hike: Rocky Mountain National Park
• Location of Trailhead: Bear Lake Trailhead
• Difficulty Level: Moderate
• Roundtrip Miles: Approximately 8 miles
• Elevation Gain: Approximately 1,070 feet

Part Two: Lake Helene Day Hike, Overview 

The hike to Lake Helene is a popular lake hike beginning at the Bear Lake Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. Lake Helene is situated in a bowl beneath Flattop Mountain, Ptarmigan Point, and Notchtop Mountain. The trail weaves through aspen groves and pine forests with scenic mountain views at almost every turn.

Part Three: Report from Overland Leader, Annie Galbraith

Every summer, over two hundred Overland leaders are in the field leading groups of kids and teens on summer hiking trips. Their first-hand accounts are typically based on multiple hikes of the trail with different groups of kids or teens each time.

During the summer of 2023, Overland leader Annie Galbraith of Bainbridge Island, Washington, led two groups of 12-year-old girls and boys on Overland’s Rocky Mountain Adventure. Annie’s favorite hike was Lake Helene.

“Lake Helene is a beautiful hike in RMNP. It is not as popular as the neighboring trailheads, making it much quieter and more secluded. The trail winds up a bit before leveling out below Flattop Mountain and ending at the lake. The lake is serene and surrounded by multiple peaks above 12,000’ making for the perfect lunch spot.”

“This was one of the best hikes we did all summer in RMNP. It is so much quieter and more peaceful than the busy trails, making it much more enjoyable. The lake at the end is beautiful and our kids absolutely loved this hike, often saying it was their favorite one of the trip. And we saw moose both times we did this hike!”

Annie’s Biography

• Hometown: Bainbridge Island, Washington
• College, Major, Year of Graduation: Bowdoin College, Psychology & Education, 2025
• Summers on Overland staff: 2023, 2024
• Trips: Rocky Mountain Adventure (’23), Alaska Expedition (’24)

Annie grew up on Bainbridge Island near Seattle in the Pacific Northwest, where she loved adventuring and exploring the outdoors. She spent many summers hiking on Mount Rainier, exploring the North Cascades, biking around Bainbridge, and paddle boarding. Annie studies mathematics at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where she is an officer on the rowing team (and spends a LOT of time out on the water training, competing, and hanging out with teammates). She has led orientation trips for incoming freshmen. Annie spent the fall of 2023 studying in Prague. 

Here is a Quote from One of Annie’s Co-leaders

“Annie was the perfect Overland leader. She was on top of logistics, loved the kids, and the kids loved her. I could not think of someone more perfect to lead with.” – Annika Milliman

Part Four: Area Map (courtesy of Gaia GPS) 

Part Five: Topo Map and Elevation Profile  (courtesy of Gaia GPS) 

Part Six: Lake Helene Day Hike Trailhead Information

Bear Lake Road Corridor Information

Part Seven: Additional Resources

Rocky Mountain National Park.

AllTrails. AllTrails offers extensive user-generated copy; here is a description of Lake Helene

Day Hikes Near Denver. This site offers trail write ups of day hikes near Denver. To give you an idea of what their copy is like, this is an excerpt of the information on the site about the Lake Helene day hike.