A delightful yet crowded road to Bear Lake in CO
Usa, north-america
15.12 km
2,890 m
moderate
Year-round
Bear Lake is an alpine lake at an elevation of 2.890m (9,481ft) above the sea level, located in Larimer County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The road is usually crowded during peak tourist season.
Is the road to Bear Lake in CO paved?
Set high in the Rocky Mountain National Park, the road to the summit is
and navigable by all passenger vehicles. It’s called Bear Lake Road. Starting at US-36, the drive is 15.12km (9.4 miles) long. It's a dazzling little drive, with a few hairpin turns. The road was constructed in 1928.
Is the road to Bear Lake in CO open?
Access to the lake is typically
, with the occasional closure in winters due to dangerous weather conditions. At 2.890m (9,481ft), Bear Lake freezes in the winter.
Is the road to Bear Lake in CO worth it?
The drive is very scenic. It’s said to be
one of the most famous roads in Rocky Mountain National Park
. It has an estimated 2 million visitors each year. Traffic can be heavy especially in summer and on fall weekends and the Bear Lake parking lot often fills up by noon on busy summer days. It can be congested.
Is the road to Bear Lake steep?
The road to the summit is steep, hitting
a 9% of maximum gradient
through some of the ramps. Starting at US-36, the ascent is 15.12km (9.4 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 385 meters. The average gradient is 2.54%.
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Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 15.12 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,890 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
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