Tourmaline Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park
- Date hiked: 07/09/2020
- Hiked from: Bear Lake Trailhead
- Distance hiked: 11.7 Miles RT
- Total elevation gain: 2,966 ft
- Maintained trail: NO – Trail is maintained and marked until Odessa Lake. Hike along the right bank of Odessa until the creek meets the lake. Follow the creek closely for 0.5 miles to reach Tourmaline Lake. A lightly trafficked trail is apparent in some areas.
- Overall Difficulty: 6/10 – Route finding and bushwhacking skills are needed. Moderate elevation gain.
- Overall Views: 7/10 – Scenic destinations along the trail to Tourmaline Lake include Two Rivers Lake, Lake Helene, Grace Falls, Odessa Lake and several unnamed waterfalls. Tourmaline Lake boasts a great view of Gabletop Mountain.
Route Information to Tourmaline Lake
A more detailed post of the route we took to Tourmaline Lake.
Video of us Arriving at Tourmaline Lake
Turn up on the west side of Odessa Lake at the creek. We didn’t find an evident route here while ascending or descending. The bushwhacking is minimal though. Steep incline over fallen trees, hopping boulders, is pretty evident.
Stay close to the creek until the trees open up and you can see tons of open space. Fairly easy navigation here straight up to Tourmaline Lake. Some type of GPS or map and compass is still recommended though.
The hike to Tourmaline Lake is for those that are adventurous. Off trail with a little bit of route-finding will land you in solitude. Amazing alpine lake with a tourmaline color in the deepest part of the lake.