Chasm Lake Rocky Mountain National Park Hike Guide

Chasm Lake is a beautiful high alpine lake sitting directly underneath Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. This moderate hike is heavily trafficked but offers beautiful views of Longs Peak in a picturesque setting. This is a moderate hike, but suitable for hikers of all levels, including families with older children.

Chasm Lake Quick Facts

Chasm Lake Hike Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

Distance: 8.2 Miles RT

Elevation Start: 9,250 ft

Highest Point: 11,760 ft

Total Elevation Gain: 2,500 ft

Estimated Time to Complete: 4-5 Hours RT

Difficulty: Moderate What does this mean?

Class: Class 2 (Minor Scrambling near the lake)

Season: July – October (Expect snow/frozen lake outside of this period)

Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Chasm Lake

Trailhead: Longs Peak

Getting Here: 

From Estes Park: Take CO7 for 9 miles until you reach Longs Peak Road on your right. Continue on for 1 mile until you reach the TH. 

From Boulder/Points South: Take US36 for 40.9 miles until you reach Lyons and the junction with CO-7. Take a left here and continue on for 14.8 miles until you reach Longs Peak Road on your left. Continue for 1 mile until you reach the TH. 

Regardless of your direction, you can enter Longs Peak Trailhead into your favorite navigational device. 

Fees: None

Parking: The parking lot for Chasm Lake can fit about 30-40 cars, but will 100% fill up on weekends from July – early October. Expect to arrive to the trailhead by 2-3AM to have the best chance to secure a spot. On weekdays the lot is typically less hectic, but an early arrival time is still recommended. The parking area has several non-plumbing bathrooms. 

Summary

Camping: Camping near Chasm Lake can be very tricky. You are not allowed to camp in the parking lot and there are really limited options for camping along the trail. If you do camp along the trail, please follow all backcountry camping rules, including acquiring a permit if required. 

There are two seasonal campgrounds near the TH (Longs Peak and Meeker) but both get very busy and operate on a first come, first serve basis. 

Dogs: The hike to Chasm Lake is not dog friendly since its it Rocky Mountain National Park which does not allow dogs.

Make it a Loop: The trail to Chasm Lake is an out and back hike, but offers numerous options to extend the hike including: Longs Peak, Mt Meeker, Mt Lady Washington and a number of other trails in the area.

Trail X Factors: If you are planning a hike to Chasm Lake during the late spring and early summer months, be sure to pack for snow hiking as the high elevation snow can linger into July on a yearly basis. While this typically won’t affect the hiking experience that much, the earlier in the season you plan on attempting the hike, the more snow there will be and a higher chance that Chasm Lake will be partially or entirely frozen over. 

Hike Tip(s): If you want to avoid crowds on this hike, visit during the week as it is usually fairly busy on weekends. If you do not have that option, be sure to arrive to the Longs Peak Trailhead very early (2-4AM) on weekends and a tad later (4-5AM) weekdays. I know this sounds insane, but since Longs Peak is such a popular hike and uses the same trailhead, parking can be a major issue.

Best Views: The hike to Chasm Lake offers tremendous views from the time you leave treeline until you reach the lake itself. Hands down though, the best views on this hike are at the lake itself. Be sure to take some time to explore the area to find the best views of Longs Peak in the background and its famous diamond face. 

Chasm Lake Hike Route

Includes hike past the lake

Gear Needed

• Mickey’s Mountain Kit
• Backpack – this has been my go to
• Comfortable Hiking Boots/Shoes- waterproof is helpful in late spring and early summer months. These are the ones that I use. 
• Protection from the sun: sunscreen, hat, sunglasses  – lots of exposed hiking
• Optional: Map of area or GPS – I use the Garmin inReach
• Optional: Microspikes in late spring or early summer
• Optional: Hiking Poles 
• Optional: Snowshoes in winter or early spring
• Optional: Camera and Lens
• Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod

My Trip to Chasm Lake: September 2019

My hike up to Chasm Lake was the silver lining on a bigger hike that was planned for the day, Longs Peak. To read about my failed summit up Longs Peak you can read my blog here.