All around you in the gorge, referred to as the Gash, are sheer rock walls and spires. Gorgeous stream and wildflowers, including a few columbines. To the south of Andrews Tarn, you will find the Andrews Glacier Trail which leads down the valley. Print St. Andrews Park - St. Andrews Lake Hike Info. Hikers crossing the Flattop have the option of descending into Glacier Basin by glissading down the face of Andrews Glacier. Follow the paved trail across the west side of the lake. The bald is several acres in area, so explore around. --> .main-inner .fauxcolumn-left-outer { The block of the elevation gain is in this section. The hike itself is considered so minor among the group that, in a list of 17 Bear Lake Corridor Trails, it isn’t even listed. It was a little buggy, but not bad. Once you turn off US 550, head up the paved road. It is 4 miles one way and 2,300 feet in elevation gain. Begin by hiking up to the lovely Alberta Falls (see Alberta Falls in … Between Dream and Emerald I needed to wait. stability in the scree and rough terrain in the Gash. Straight ahead to the west the trail steepens even more and you keep to the right side wall before coming back to the left, across the wall straight in front of you, climbing all the while. As you get higher the gash opens up into an oblong cirque stretching to the left. Andrews Glacier Trail is a 9.3-mile in-out hike in the Bear Lake Area of Rocky Mountain National Park. Starting at the southwest end of the parking area the trail skirts the west shore of the lake, crosses a meadow and ascends a tree covered hillside on … Your eyes can not even handle the sheer beauty all around you as you will find yourself constantly saying omg! #layout { Head west on Andrews Glacier Trail and begin the steep ascent next to Andrews Creek. The climb can be made year round, but there is avalanche danger during the winter. Open: 8 AM until sunset daily Reserve a campsite Ahhhhh! Since the trail offers incredible views of the Great Smoky Mountains and surrounding highlands, it is the perfect hike for fit families – the trail should take approximately three hours. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Trailhead. Know what you are doing when you are in the snow. … padding-right: 360px; min-width: 0; Black Swift Andrews Lake. We walked the road 4.1 miles to the South Puyallup River trailhead. From the Glacier Gorge trailhead, head southwest. This popular hiking trail is approximately 1.8 miles to Andrews Bald for a total of 3.6 miles round trip. Remember, hikers: elk have the right of way. } After turning onto the Andrews glacier trail I missed a turn and bungled into the Andrews creek campground, where a bemused camper asked that most embarrassing of questions: "Are you lost?" The terrain in the Gash is simply amazing. Then back to the junction and on to lake Haiyaha (5) and the Loch (6). The descent is about 3 miles back to Bear Lake. 360 Degree Panorama Andrews Glacier and Andrews Tarn Trailhead The start point for the hike is at the Bear Lake trailhead, the most popular in the park, with space for several hundred vehicles, yet even this is insufficient in summer when most hikers have to leave vehicles several miles back down the road and travel the remaining distance by shuttlebus. Situated on a small bench near Molas Pass, this is the epitome of scenic mountain lakes. This trail goes by Andrews Lake. It soon turns to a wide dirt trail and heads south working its way up the hillside on a … width: auto; Parking & Trailhead Information for Andrew’s Tarn and Glacier. Andrews Brook Trail Class 1 1450' elevation gain 3.0 mile (6.0 miles roundtrip) The most famous and most written about is the class 1, 3.0 miles one way, Andrews Brook Trail. The hike to the bald was very beautiful. The upper parking lot at Andrews Lake we have spent several nights in sleeping in the back of our pickup. The entire trail is very easy to follow until you're looking for the fork that leads to Andrews Glacier. You finally crest the hill and find yourself at the Andrews Tarn, the glacial lake at the foot of Andrews Glacier and just to the south of Otis Peak. In the off season (lots of snow) parking is less of an issue. width: 360px; Next up is The Loch which is stunningly beautiful. The turn-off to Andrews Lake is 6.3 miles past the pass on your right. To find the site, hike up pretty Andrews Creek Trail to a wooden sign and go right to the campsite. In comparison, the ski trip up the gravel road to Lower Ausable Lake entails a gain of 650 feet over 4.1 miles. body { On the glacier merry snowboarders were doing their thing. I did. Be on the lookout for wildlife such as elk, black bears, and moose. Location: Panama City Beach Lat-Lon: 30.13484,-85.742847 Fees: $4-8 per vehicle. 4.00 out of 5 (2 votes) Log in to rate Save Hike to My Backpack. Turning right and and starting to climb, you will pass the Andrews Creek campground. I had planned to get in one more side trip to Glacier falls, Mills (10), Jewel (11) and Black (12) lakes, but with clouds rolling in I wimped out and headed back to Bear lake via Alberta falls. Our destination was South Puyallup River camp, then St. Andrews Lake on Thursday. The hike/backpack begins at Andrews Lake at an elevation of 10,744 ft. We even drank some pure glacier water right from the source, taking the chance to forgo using the water filter. Mount Rainier Area -- SW - Longmire/Paradise. It starts with the overpopulated Alberta Falls, take a quick glimpse and then keep hiking. Hiking trip report, map, and photos for Snowdon Peak from Andrews Lake, located in San Juan National Forest, Colorado. } Expansive views to the south include the surrounding mountains and Fontana Lake. Normally I'm adept at following trails, but coming out of the trees I either missed a turn or followed a badly placed cairn into a meadow with that most embarrassing of signs: "Restoration area, stay off." Trail Description: Back in the day, the hike to Andrews Bald used to traverse one of the most rugged and rocky trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Wow! Very large boulders, not many little ones. That's exactly what it feels like you're doing it was pretty strenuous. Obviously our litigation happy society put an end to that. Overview. You must make an early start to get parking in Glacier Gorge during the tourist season. Started our backpack trip on Wednesday afternoon. } St. Andrews Park - St. Andrews Lake Hike Info. min-width: 0; 2062.4. This makes a. great lunch break as you can enjoy the lake along with the steep mountainsides & remnant glaciers hanging over it. The hike to Andrews Tarn in Rocky Mountain National Park begins from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead, located on Bear Lake Road almost eight miles from the turn-off at Highway 36. width: 360px; I think I would camp at Andrews Creek next time, and take the time to explore up to the Sky Pond or hang out around The Loch.. What a breathtaking view as you drive to the trail head. The last mile is a lung buster. Fortunately I wasn't the only one. Andrews Glacier – 9.2mi / 14.9km Visit one of park’s few remaining glaciers on this strenuous, but rewarding hike. Andrews Tarn and Andrews Glacier Trail - Colorado | AllTrails it in July and its hard to make your way through boulderfield bellow the Tarn. right: 100%; Conflicting cairns caused us to lose the trail on the way up, but we were able to stay on it the entire way back. Turning right will take you up to Andrews Glacier. Due to the extreme popularity of the Bear Lake Road area you may want to consider using the free park shuttle system to reach the trailhead during peak tourist season. It was a trudge getting up the last mile, so it will be a toe jamb for the next mile down. } right: 360px; } This hike goes past The Loch, Lake of Glass and Sky Pond, on the way passing the beautiful Timberline Falls. Discover the rugged scenery of the Colorado mountains as you weave through small towns and travel over alpine passes. left: 0; There is a Forest Service campground and trailhead at Little Molas Lake (west of the highway and just north of Molas Pass). Never tasted water so pure & cold. Length. Mount Rainier Area. I also think I would rather do this earlier in season. At 1.7 miles, the trail opens to the large grassy field of Andrews Bald. The left-hand trail here leads toward Timberline Falls, Lake of Glass, and Sky Pond. The hike to Andrews Glacier is definitely on our list of top hikes anywhere. } /* IE6 does not respect left and right together */ Andrews Glacier seems more like a permanent snow field, but there is ice on the rock which is sometimes exposed late in the summer, hence a glacier. Hike Profiles for Rocky Mountain National Park and Surrounding Areas: Andrews Peak The summit of Andrews Peak is in a remote location on the park's western slope.From the East Inlet Trail at Lake Verna, the hike to the top of Andrews Peak is a steep ascent with no trail access. Trekking poles may be of benefit for. Once up to the beautiful Lake Solitude (2.0) the trail then ascends very close to the legendary White Cliffs viewing area. width: 0; Suddenly as you crest the top of the moraine the glacier comes into view, travel a few paces closer and the tarn almost appears out of nowhere. .main-inner .fauxcolumn-center-outer { But, that’s part of the reason we chose the trail. Going straight will take you to Sky Pond. RMNP loop hike Flattop Mountain to Andrews Glacier. The hike can begin either at Bear Lake Trailhead or Glacier Gorge Trailhead. _width: 930px; (Also the home of the Andrews Disc Golf Course.) It is one of a series of iconic hikes sprouting from the core Glacier Gorge loop. All photos and maps may be freely used for non-commercial purposes when accompanied with a caption giving credit to gjhikes.com. max-width: 930px; } felt like stepping into a freezer, but the water was a lovely turquoise and the mountains were spiky. Go Hiking Hiking Guide St. Andrews Park - St. Andrews Lake. min-width: 0; The entire hike is scenic start to finish. Not a place you should pass up if your a dedicated hiker. for ten grazing elk to move away from the trail. parseInt("0") - The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from July until September. Andrews tarn and glacier were the highlight of a loop hike that took in nine glacial lakes. Popular Rocky Mountain National Park Categories, Commonly searched for in Rocky Mountain National Park, Things to Do in Rocky Mountain National Park. The bald itself is nothing to look at honestly. The trail runs adjacent to a Andrews Creek for 0.9 miles until it intersects with the Loch Vale Trail. The turn-off to Andrews Lake is 0.9 mile past the pass on your left. Get there early if you don’t want to hike with crowds. At Round Pass we were surprised to … Lazy day lazy day! The lake itself is not very good for waterbirds, but the boggy willows can support Fox and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Wilson’s and MacGillivray’s Warblers, and Dusky Flycatcher, and the spruce-fir could produce Pine Grosbeak, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Red Crossbill, and more. Andrews Creek Trail to Cathedral Lakes is a 38.4 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Loomis, Washington that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Both ourselves and another hiker we ran into had trouble even finding the fork. From the parking lot you will hike to the Loch, passing Alberta Falls and Mills Junction along the way. If you can't make an early start during the high season, park your car at the Park and Ride and take the Free Shuttle to the Glacier Gorge trail head. Today we celebrated our man Karaoke as he turned 34! Eventually you'll reach Andrews Tarn, a small lake that feeds Andrews Creek located at the base of the glacier. _width: expression(this.parentNode.offsetWidth - Could've been twelve if the weather had held up. Elevation. Rating. Beautiful & well worth the effort we put in. } From Bear lake (1) I followed the popular route to Nymph (2), Dream (3) and Emerald (4) lakes. It’s stunning. Saved to My Backpack. Back at the turnoff I headed south to Timberline falls, then climbed up to the lake of Glass (8) and Sky pond (9). .main-inner .column-right-outer { Our 9-year-old tackled this hike but the way out was A LOT of stopping and resting. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. more. margin-left: -0; Between Dream and Emerald I needed to wait for ten grazing elk to move away from the trail. Dogs … #layout .region-inner { From Cherokee, drive 20 miles north on Newfound Gap Road to reach Clingmans Dome Road. .main-inner .columns { 2037.5) to Mi. 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So enjoy the spectacular views, from and on the way back down, from the glacier. Although the crowds of the parking lot won’t be here, … That is over 500 feet per mile. Finally reached Andrews tarn (7) and walked around to the foot of the glacier. To get there drive 47 miles north of Durango on US - 550 or 7 miles south of Silverton and turn at the sign for the Andrews Lake Day Use Area. } The glacier wasn't as steep as I first thought, I recommend crampons. } This trail shares much of the nearby Sky Pond Trail, but it diverts for the last mile up a much less-traveled, more rugged and more pristine gorge. From Durango, drive north on US 550 to Coal Bank Pass. Take the right-hand trail and hike the increasingly steep 1.1 miles to Andrews Tarn at the base of Andrews Glacier. The Sinkhole Trail is part of the Andrews Ridge Trail System making a loop that connects to the Eastern side, center section of Andrews Ridge Trail. We had our snacks there hung out and rested a bit and then headed on for the crawl out. As you get closer to Andrews the path becomes harder & harder to follow, especially when it starts crossing numerous talus slopes. It’s frequently part of my running route and I always feel compelled to stop for a … Take the trail left. This is the bi… Lake View Trail - 4.75 Miles - Moderate to Difficult. The glacier sits below Andrews Pass in a cirque just below the 12,486-foot Otis Peak. You can find trail here and there, but thinking if this whole lower area was snow covered how much easier it would have been. The campsite is located off the Andrews Creek Trail 0.2 miles above the Loch Vale Trail or 3.6 miles from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. The most notable spire to the left is the Sharkstooth. Be prepared for a change in weather as a comfortable day suddenly got chilly as a crazy wind was blasting over the divide down the face of the glacier. The hike to Crater Lake starts at pretty Andrews Lake, a popular fishing spot just south of Molas Pass (see driving directions). The entire hike is scenic, Hallett summit was nice, The Loch is gorgeous. My son and I had fun hiking in the snow, mud and grassy path! We had a nice mix of terrain to make, Easiest climb to a glacier in Rocky Mountain National Park, The hike to Andrews Glacier and Andrews Tarn is strenuous and has one half mile of vertical scree and boulders at the end. You cannot see the Glacier, but it is straight head, a little to the right and up very steep terrain. Elevation gain from trailhead to campsite is 1,320 feet. The City of Silverton maintains a campground at Molas Lake where you can also find pay showers. From Bear lake (1) I followed the popular route to Nymph (2), Dream (3) and Emerald (4) lakes. } Please choose a different date. 1/2 a … The final climb is pretty steep & rugged but if you're wondering if it's worth the effort it definitely is. 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