Rocky Mountain National Park's East Shore Trail

East Shore Trail

Description:
The East Shore Trail begins near Grand Lake and makes a fairly level path along the east shore of Shadow Mountain Reservoir and the Colorado River. It travels for 6.4 miles to the Park boundary, a point upstream from the entrance of the Colorado River into Lake Granby. The trail continues above the shore of Lake Granby as the Knight Ridge Trail. You may also access the East Shore Trail at its midpoint from the Shadow Mountain Dam.

From the trailhead on the north, the trail travels along the east shore of Shadow Mountain Reservoir. Its distance from the water varies from a few feet to 20 or 30 yards. The trail is well shaded by lodgepole pines. It is a pleasant walk and you get great views of the lake. It reaches the intersection with the Shadow Mountain Trail after about 1.5 miles. A couple of hundred yards beyond that it makes a fork. Horses are only permitted on the left fork, Range-Meadows Cutoff. This branch travels through Range Meadows, a grassy area with sagebrush, for about 1.7 miles and rejoins the East Shore Trail about a half-mile below Shadow Mountain Dam. The right fork continues to travel along the shoreline to the dam. From the dam, the trail travels southeast over a walkway crossing a marsh to its intersection with the south end of the Range-Meadows Cutoff.

The trail crosses a meadow and then turns right at the forest edge and heads toward the Colorado River. From there it turns south along the river. It is a very pleasant walk along the river offering numerous opportunities for fishing. After climbing a ridge above the river, the trail comes to Columbine Bay (about 1.6 miles from the dam). This is a beautiful area. You'll often see boats anchored in the bay. From here the river is wide and deep. The trail travels up and down the steep shoreline to the Park boundary. The river along this section is quite striking with a fair amount of interesting boat traffic.

Features:

Length:	6.4 miles (10.3 kilometers)
Elevation Range:	8,241' -8,485'
Elevation change:	1,699 feet
Season:	May 15 - Nov 1
Difficulty:	Easy
Use:	Low
USGS maps:	Shadow Mountain
Trailheads:	East Shore, Shadow Mountain Dam
Restrictions:	No pets are permitted
Suitable for mountain bikes:	No (not permitted)
Suitable for horses:	Yes

Vicinity Map

Altitude Profile

Directions:
Take Trail Ridge Road to the west entrance to the Park. Continue south to the road leading into Grand Lake. Turn left toward Grand Lake and then turn right onto Center Drive (just before the stables). Turn left on Marina Drive just past the school. Follow the signs to Hilltop Park. Turn right on Lakeside Drive. Turn right on Jericho Drive and travel about .4 miles to the trailhead.

To get to the Shadow Mountain Dam Trailhead, continue south on US 34 for about 3 miles to the entrance to the Shadow Mountain Recreation Area. Turn left and drive about .5 miles to the Green Ridge campground. The trailhead is located on the other side of the Shadow Mountain Dam.

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