Mills Lake

Mills Lake Trail is another famous lake in the Rocky Mountain National Park area. The backdrop of Mills Lake is incredible and well worth the effort!

Trail Distance: 5.6 miles
Elevation Gain: ~700 ft.
Terrain Rating: Easy
Hike Time: 2.5-3 hours
Dog Friendly: No

Trailhead: Bear Lake Trailhead in the Rockies

After hiking Emerald Lake Trail, we had some extra time to spare so we decided to tackle Mills Lake Trail too. They share the same starting point, which made for convenience bonus points! The first destination you’ll reach is Albert Falls. It’s a nice waterfall and I was surprised by the amount of water flow they had. It’s very different from the dry falls we have in LA 🙂

Mills Lake
Mills Lake

At the junctions coming up, follow signs to Loch Vale Trail and Mills Lake. The trails are well marked and relatively easy to hike on, similar to Emerald Lake. You could easily do this in sneakers and not proper hiking boots. 

It was pretty busy in the summer but still relatively quiet for how popular the trailhead parking area was! My guess is that most people stay within 1-2 miles of the lot. About 2.8 miles in, you will reach Mills Lake. I took a small dip to cool off but it was super cold so I came out pretty quickly. We ate some snacks and then made our way back (the same way).

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