Emerald Lake

The area is access sensitive!

Season:
May - September. There is still a lot of snow in May and some in June too. Emerald quickly gets hot during July-Sept. Snow usually starts in October.

Parking:
Take Bear Lake Rd until it dead ends at the trail head. Lots of parking, but definitely fills up quickly. Can fill up by 6am on busy days/weekends. It'll likely filly up by 7/8am on less busy days. You can also park at the Park & Ride,
Bierstadt Lake Trailhead, or Glacier Gorge Trailhead. From there you can take the shuttle up to the Bear Lake Trailhead. The bus driver will have a place for pads at the front of the bus for you. Make sure you get back from climbing before the last shuttle leaves (7:30pm). If you can't get a parking spot at all, which can often happen if you don't go early, try coming back around lunch (12/1pm). No overnight parking without a permit.

Amenities:
Bathrooms open 24/7, Water fountain and spicket can be found to the left of the bus station seating area, snacks/water/hats/etc... sold at ranger booth.

Approach:
1.5 mile hike. It'll take approximately 45 minutes. Altitude will likely slow you down if you aren't use to it. Get ready to be asked a million times "What is that on your back?", "Is that a yoga mat?", "How long are you camping out here?", "Is that a mattress?", or "Is that an elk saddle?".

Weather:
It will likely rain while you're out. If it rains it will probably only be 10-30 minutes. After the rain stops, the rock will dry very quickly (10 minutes or so. No joke!) and it will be climbable again. So don't get bummed and just leave. Stick around to see if it stops. Rain, thunderstorms, and hail are all very common. If this lasts for longer than an hour, then it may be better to hike out, but weather can clear up really fast. It can also get bad really quick too, so be careful if it's lightning. If you're concerned because your weather app says it's a high chance of rain all day, then I'd still suggest getting out to climb. It probably will only rain for a short bit. It's not common for the rain to continue here for over an hour. If it does then it'll likely be raining all day.

Keep our crag clean and please PACK IT OUT! That means poo too. Bring a bag and pack it out, or plan your poop accordingly and go before.