Mills Lake, Black Lake, and Green Lake
Estes Park, CO
Mills Lake, Black Lake, and Green Lake
This hike is like having a window back in time to the last ice age when this breathtaking basin was sculpted from solid granite. Just two hours from Denver, we have one of the premier National Parks in the entire country. Rocky Mountain National Park has wonderful facilities and an excellent trail system spread over a vast, beautiful alpine terrain. This hike takes you up Glacier Gorge, into a breathtaking basin ringed by high peaks — it’s like having a window back in time to the last ice age when this place was sculpted from hard granite by its namesakes. The signs are everywhere — deep lakes gouged from solid bedrock, steep-walled cirques and hanging valleys, and spectacular peaks, pinnacles and aretes shaped by centuries of grinding ice. The three destinations selected here will enable you to choose the length and elevation gain which suits your abilities and time.
Driving Directions
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Directions to: Mills Lake, Black Lake, and Green Lake
print directionsTrail Statistics & Information
| Activity | Hiking |
|---|---|
| Nearby City | Estes Park |
| Length | 11 mi |
| Elevation Gain | 3,185 ft |
| Skill Level | Moderate |
| Duration | 50 min to Mill Lake, 62 min to Black Lake, 50 min to Green Lake, 143 min back to TH |
| Season | Late June to early October |
| Trailhead Elevation | 9,210 ft |
| Top Elevation | 11,545 ft |
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