Sandbeach Lake (10,283′) in the Wild Basin

• • Date hiked: 11/07/2020
  • Hiked from: Sandbeach Lake Trailhead
  • Distance hiked: 4.5 miles one way
  • Total elevation gain: 2,000 ft
  • Maintained trail: Yes
  • Overall Difficulty: 6/10 – Only do to distance. Trail is in really good condition besides a few felled trees, which may be gone as the trail is usually maintained.
  • Overall Views: 5/10 – Mostly a walk through a forest, with a few streams to cross. The lake is unique because of the beach vibes but there are a lot more scenic lakes like this in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Sandbeach Lake would be a great summer destination to cool off on a hot day. This alpine lake surrounded by a sanded shoreline makes for alpine beach days. The only problem is you will have to do a little bit of work to get there. 9 mile round trip with roughly 2,000 ft of elevation gain is no joke.

Video of our hike to Sandbeach Lake

I can imagine that it gets pretty crowded here in the summer. When we hiked this in the late fall it was a empty. But with the lake beginning to freeze over it may detour most hikers to make the trip.

We did not get the chance to explore much around the lake because we wanted to complete the hike to Keplinger Lake.  The views from the south end of the lake are probably better than the north end. But I am sure that we will return here in the future to explore more of the area.

I can imagine that it gets pretty crowded here in the summer. When we hiked this in the late fall it was a empty. But with the lake beginning to freeze over it may deter most hikers to make the trip.

Camping near Sandbeach Lake and Sandbeach Lake Trail

There are multiple backcountry campsites in the area that can be reserved. These are:

• Hole-in-the-Wall | 1 site
• Campers Creek | 1 site
• Beaver Mill | 1 site
• Hunters Creek | 1 site
• Sandbeach Lake | 4 sites, 1 group site