Pear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park
- Date hiked: 06/28/2020
- Hiked from: Finch Lake trailhead
- Distance hiked: 12.8 Miles RT
- Total elevation gain: 2,575 ft
- Maintained trail: Yes – trail is well marked all the way up to the lake.
- Overall Difficulty: 7/10 – Distance and moderate elevation gain make this hike tougher than most
- Overall Views: 7/10 – Finch Lake Trail passes through beautiful groves of Aspen and Ponderosa Pines. After 2 miles there is a scenic overlook of Mt. Meeker. Finch Lake, two unnamed ponds and Pear Creek are scenic stops en route to Pear Lake. Ogalalla Peak and Mt. Copeland border Pear Lake.
Camping at Pear Lake
We were lucky enough to snag a backcountry campsite reservation on opening week. Even at the end of June there was quite a bit of snow surrounding the campsite, but we managed to find a flat dry spot near the tree marker. For full video and review of our camping experience check out our detailed blog post of camping at Pear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Destinations Reached from Pear Lake
Pear Lake is one of the most southern lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. Hike off trail west to Hutcheson Lakes, three alpine lakes that have amazing views. Bushwhacking is necessary to reach these lakes, as well as Cony Lake.
Bushwhack north of Pear Lake paired with some class 2 scrambling to reach a beautiful unnamed pond. Photography opportunities at Pear Lake are limitless. The entire south side of the lake is easily accessible. One of my favorite alpine lakes I’ve visited in Rocky Mountain National Park.
