cub lake trail

This was really beautiful and peaceful. There were hardly anyone on the trail and we enjoyed a 4.5 mile snowshoe hike with our 7 year old son. It was truly gorgeous. Started to snow as we neared Fern Lake. Can't wait to return and do more!

The trail starts by crossing a large valley meadow where late afternoon you can spot elk munching the grass, also saw coyote and rabbits. Then the terrain changed, lots of opportunities for photos. The dark was catching us so had to head back before making the lake but was still worth it.

Took my five children on this trail. (ages 15-4). It took us 5 hours to hike the 2.7 miles to the lake and back to the trail head but it was tons of fun. The best part how much the landscape changes. You go through meadows, forest and rocky areas.

This is very nice hike with a lot of variety. We started at Cub Lake Trailhead early in the morning and really enjoyed the coolness at that hour. You go through an open moraine and alpine meadows for a while so its best to do this early in the morning as there will be few opportunities for shade. It's a moderate hike with a few hundred feet of steep climbing here and there. You will pass through some areas that were destroyed by the fire a few years ago. Cub Lake itself is surrounded by a lot of burnt trees. If it's a very sunny day I'd recommend continuing onto to the Pool and then the Fern Lake Trailhead from Cub Lake. Going back to the Cub Lake Trailhead would mean walking through a lot of open areas with no respite from the sun. If I did this hike again I'd go the opposite direction where the elevation gain is minimal i.e. start at Fern Lake Trailhead and then go to the Pool and then onto Cub Lake and then Cub Lake trailhead. Again early morning or a cloudy day would be best for the Moraine portion of this hike.

This is a great trail for everyone-including young kids. The trail starts out with a mountain view in a meadow and moves to forest, aspen groves, rocky outcrops, lightning burned forest, to the beautiful Cub Lake. The lake is surrounded by a lot of fallen trees. A lot of the trees have been affected by the pine beetles that have been killing the trees by the thousands in Colorado. It's still gorgeous! The lake has water lilies and an awesome mountain view, Grab a boulder and enjoy a snack and enjoy the view while the ground squirrels beg for food. It is approximately 2.5 miles to the lake; took me 1.5 hours to get to the lake and one hour return. The trailhead doesn't have a lot of parking so you might have to park a little further down the road. No restroom at trailhead, but short quarter mile up the road there is one as well as the park shuttle stop. Elk may be hanging out near the trail so beware you don't get too close. On my hike here last weekend I could hear a bull elk bugling but never did see him or his harem-guess they were in the edges of the meadow or forest? This would be a great fall foliage hike with the aspen groves, but there is always something beautiful to look at.

We hiked four days on our vaction in RMNP and thought this was the most beautiful. There is a little bit of everything - meadows, wildflowers, mountains, river, small cascades and a forest area. We did the loop back to Fern Lake. The trail only gains 300 feet in elevation, but it's in one place, so it is very steep. The other trails we hiked were in the Bear Lake area (Mills Lake) and the Ouzel Falls hike in the Wild Basin area.

Before we left for Colorado I bought a "Best Easy Day Hikes RMNP" book. In it they have descriptions of the best day hikes. They had a suggestion for turning the Cub Lake hike into a loop with the Fern Lake trail. My husband & I decided to go for it. The first thing we did was get up early & get to Moraine Park before the crowds. I've been reading many a reviewer that cried about how hard it is to get a parking space. Get your bones out of bed & get to the trails before 0800 & maybe you'll enjoy your day more. Follow the Bear Lake road to Moraine Park. If you get on the road for the Moraine Park Campground, you're going in the right direction. We parked by the shuttle drop off lot & though there were a few cars there it was easy to find a spot. We started off taking the Fern Lake trail, which means we walked 0.7 miles to the parking lot trailhead (there's a method to this, trust me). That lot was already full! We hiked the Fern Lake trail to Fern Falls, which is the loveliest falls in the park IMO. The Fern Lake trail is a beauty. You hike along the Big Thompson River most of the way. There are boulders & large stones in the trail, so be careful trying to walk & gawk! This was our 2nd day in the park, so we weren't acclimated yet to the altitude. We took our time & rested when we needed to & we were fine! It's 2.7 miles to Fern Falls. Since we were taking our time, it made sense to eat the lunch we packed by the falls. It was great! Wonderful trail. After lunch, we headed back to the intersection with the Cub Lake trail. As we started on that, the incline was starting to get to me. The Cub Lake trail is pretty strenuous! We persevered & finally made it to the Cub! Although this hike gets high ratings & is a family hike it can be kind of rough. It got easier after we passed the lake & headed back to the parking lot. The scenery is pleasant, but not spectacular. It just felt good to be on the trail! We finally crossed the bridge over the Big Thompson & made it to the Cub Lake parking lot. Remember, we parked down the road. It's now 0.3 miles back to the shuttle drop off parking lot. All in all we did about 8 miles. We were tired, but happy. Do this if you have the time & can take your time!

This is a great hike we did it with four children ranging in age from 2 to 8.The kids scrambled up the boulders on the right while the parents enjoy the view to the left a lot of shallow ponds a lot of wildlife to see some of the ducks and their ducklingsThe actual lake is 2.3 miles out from the trailhead so probably too much of a hike for most young children there's so much to see though that you could turn back at any point really feel like you got in a nice hikeNote the very beginning of the trailhead cross the stream / a great place for a picnic lunch on the way back

I cannot say enough about Cub Lake. It is scenic, beautiful, and it is not a difficult hike. We have seen lots of animals, wild flowers, meadows, the lake, lily pads and just wonderful scenery. Hike Cub Lake and sit on the "high rock" at the lake. You will be entertained by ducks, least chipmunks, and golden mantle ground squirrels. Oh, also a variety of birds. It is a great place for a hike and to eat your lunch on top of the large rock on the lake.

This was a nice hike with pretty views. It did get tough in some spots and we decided to head back after about 1.5 miles because of weather.

The hike was 2.3 miles each way for us. It started in a valley, but the terrain became uphill on a rocky trail. Make sure are prepared. It gets really tough. We saw several people that stopped to take a break because it was difficult. Also, the scenery is not that great right now because the area is rebounding from a forest fire in a prior year.

Pretty much a flat hike, a few rough spots, but never the less, a great spot to turn the kidos loose. If they can be quite, there is a ton of small wild animals around. You never know what just around the next corner.

We drove to the trail head near cub lake in RMNP and were fortunate to view 4 newborn elk calves. A local couple we encountered here informed us that the calves had been born that same day. They were a beautiful sight to see and we were thankful for experiencing this gift to us.

We hiked to Cub Lake then circled back passing the Pool to end at Fern Lake Trailhead. The first part was moderate with inclines, rocky & some narrow places. Passed within a few feet of several elk & had beautiful scenery throughout. Cub Lake was more of a pond? The 2nd half was an easier hike to the end. Our first Rocky Mtn hike and a good beginner hike for us. We hope to return & try more!

This was my very first hike in Rocky Mountain National Park (never visited before) and it was stunningly beautiful. I was a little nervous about hiking alone in a new place (especially since there was still a lot of snow), so I stopped at the visitor center and got some advice. The ranger there advised me to do the Cub Lake trail, and then continue on to Fern Falls or Fern Lake.The hike starts at the Cub Lake Trailhead, which is located in a gorgeous winding meadow. It was actually pretty surreal for this midwesterner! Elk, wildflowers, aspen trees just leafing out, a winding stream...storybrook pretty! Once you leave the meadow and get into the forest to start the climb to Cub Lake, it does get a little harder. It was rocky, muddy and slippery, but not too difficult. Still very pretty! Once you get nearer to Cub Lake itself, you enter an area that was hit by fire at some point in the past. It's interesting terrain to pass through, but obviously not as scenic. Cub Lake itself was a bit of the let down after the gorgeous hike that brought me there.After Cub Lake, I proceeded to The Pool. That portion of the hike also passed through a burnt region, but the views off the mountain and into the gorge below and off to the mountains in the distance were gorgeous and very different from the first part of the hike.After the Pool, I hiked to Fern Falls, which was a more secluded hike. I saw a lot more wildlife, more views and just enjoyed traveling through the forest itself. After the Falls, I tried to go to Fern Lake, but since it was getting late in the day and there was a lot of snow and debris on the trail and I hadn't seen anyone in a long time, I turned back. I made my way down to the Pool and then through a wooded riverside trail to the Fern trailhead, and then hiked on the road to the Cub Lake parking lot. All in all, it was an great hike with a variety of views and features. The elevation gain wasn't too taxing. When I visited the slush and mud were a bit of an issue and made it rough going in some areas. Also, as a solo hiker, it hit the sweet spot where I was able to enjoy my solitude, but if I had run into a problem help would have been available within a few minutes.