Rocky Mountain National Park's Cub Lake Trail

Cub Lake Trail

Description:
The Cub Lake Trail begins at the trailhead below Moraine Park Campground at an elevation of 8,095 feet. It climbs for 674 feet past Cub Lake and then descends 369 feet to The Pool on the Big Thompson River. This trail is popular and receives heavy use. Horses are permitted on the trail.

The trail first crosses the Big Thompson River over two wooden bridges. It is wide and smooth as it travels through the riparian (near the stream) vegetation. It makes a mostly level path with a few short ups and downs along the west edge of Moraine Park. After a short hike, it turns west and travels up a valley. The trail travels through some rocky areas that can be quite rough for inexperienced horses. It passes several ponds containing lots of ducks. The trail gets more narrow as you travel up the valley and is encroached by vegetation in some spots. This is a beautiful hike. There are a lot of aspens that are particularly beautiful in the fall.

The trail enters a dense forest at the end of the valley and begins a climb to Cub Lake. One stretch is particularly steep. You'll reach Cub Lake at the top of the hill after passing the signs to the Cub Creek campsites. Cub Lake is a picturesque lake covered with lily pads. The trail travels along the north side of the lake about 20 to 30 yards above it. There are ample spots for a picnic lunch.

Once past Cub Lake, you'll make a short climb to the intersection with the Mill Creek-Cub Lake Trail. From here the trail descends to The Pool on the Big Thompson River. The trail is narrow and rocky on this stretch but offers great views of the canyon below. At The Pool you can turn right and go back to the Fern Lake Trailhead or left and hike up to Fern Lake.

Features:

Length:	3.2 miles (5.1 kilometers)
Elevation Range:	8,073' - 8,769'
Elevation change:	1,357 feet
Season:	Jun 1 - Nov 1
Difficulty:	Moderate
Use:	High
USGS maps:	Longs Peak, McHenrys Peak
Trailheads:	Cub Lake
Restrictions:	No pets are permitted
Suitable for mountain bikes:	No (not permitted)
Suitable for horses:	Yes

Vicinity Map

Altitude Profile

Directions:
The Cub Lake Trail is reached via the Cub Lake Trailhead. Take Highway 36 from the Beaver Meadows Entrance to the Bear Lake Road. Follow Bear Lake Road for about 1.2 miles to the Moraine Park Campground Road. Turn right then left at the Cub/Fern Lake sign (half mile) and travel about 1.2 miles to the trailhead. There are three parking areas that will accommodate about 40 vehicles. Spaces fill up by mid morning in this popular area. The trail begins from the left side of the road.

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