Innie Me: Alberta Falls, Mills and Jewel Lakes

My husband wanted to hike somewhere different in late August, so we drove to Rocky Mountain National Park for a day hike. We have visited the park many times over the years, but usually only hike there when staying overnight for a few days in Estes Park. I found a list of popular RMNP hikes on the National Park website. We only wanted to hike 5-6 miles so I chose the Alberta Falls and Mills Lake hikes. In researching the trails on the ProTrails website, I learned that Jewel Lake is not much further.

The trail to the falls and lakes starts from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead, which is on Bear Lake Road, about eight miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance station. The Rocky Mountain Hiking Trails website warns that this is a popular area and you might have to take the park shuttle. We arrived at the parking lot about 6:45 am and snagged the last parking spot in the lot.

The trail to Alberta Falls and Mills Lake is well marked. After about half a mile, the trail splits off to the right towards Bear Lake. Turn left at this junction. The falls, only .9 miles into the hike, are named for Alberta, the wife of one of the parks early founders, Abner Sprague. The name immediately brought the Eric Clapton song Alberta to my mind. (Alberta, Alberta, where you been so long?)

Alberta Falls

At the junction of the North Longs Peak trail, pictured below, turn right. On the way to Mills, we passed another trail junction (not pictured) that takes you to Loch Vale or Lake Haiyaha.

North Longs Peak Trail Junction

This late in the summer, there were not a lot of wildflowers. I saw Heartleaf Arnica in the forest, Alpine Fireweed next to the creek, and Pearly Everlasting near Mills Lake. The forest had the delightfully strong scent of pine. One of the hikers we passed on our way back, said it smelled like Christmas!

Arnica

When you get close to the lakes, you will cross some large slabs of granite.

Both lakes were really peaceful and beautiful. Between Mills and Jewel Lakes, wood planks crossed what is evidently a marshy area in the spring and early summer. I've read that most hikers don't go all the way to the lakes, even though they aren't that far. This introvert was thankful for the lack of crowds at the lakes; the traffic really picked up on our way back down to the trail head.

According to Trail Wiki, the image on the Colorado state quarter is the view from Mills Lake to Longs Peak. I can't write about Mills Lake - especially on the 100th anniversary of the dedication of Rocky Mountain National Park - without praising Enos Mills (1870-1922). He was the man credited with convincing Congress how important it was to set aside this beautiful party of our country for a national park.