Snowshoeing Lawn Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Date hiked: 4/27/22

Mileage: 12.6 miles roundtrip.

Usage: Low in winter, busy in the summers

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2 moose at the trailhead (the second one is behind the tree). I also saw 2 herds of elk driving in, and a herd of mountain goats.

Switchbacks immediately leave the trailhead. Before the trail angles north into Roaring River, Longs Peak is visible over Fall River and Highway 34.

Longs Peak

The Flood of 1982 unleashed more than 300 million gallons of water when an aging and neglected dam at Lawn Lake gave way. A 30 foot wall of water surged down Roaring River, tearing out trees from their roots and easily lifting 450 ton boulders. All of this earth and debris slowed where Roaring River empties into Fall River and spread out, forming a 40 acre alluvial fan in Horsheshoe Park, 44 feet deep in places.

Fall River flooded Cascade Dam further downstream, overtopped it, and sent a 4 to 5 foot wall of mud and water into Estes Park. The dam held much of the debris back, but the water was enough to wash out roads and businesses, and leave a 2 foot thick layer of mud in its wake. Olympic Dam on the east end of Estes withstood the onslaught and finally blockaded the flood waters. 

40 years on, the scar is still more than evident, and probably will be for a long time coming: 

3 campers were killed by the flood – one who backpacked in to Lawn Lake and 2 others at the Aspen Glen Campground on Fall River.

The trail follows Roaring River closely. At 1.5 miles, the Ypsilon trail takes off on the left. The Lawn Lake trail continues on into a forest thick with mixed pine and aspen. 

It was about here that I noticed a unique juxtaposition to RMNP. This park is one of the nation’s most popular. The trails are well trodden and busy, and yet, it feels more wild here – the forest is thicker, the trees are taller and wildlife is more abundant.

Ypsilon Mountain

The trail stays on the shady east side of the creek. Above 9400 feet, I came to continuous packed snow, which got progressively deeper with each foot gained. Still no need for snowshoes, but crampons helped because of the steep and slippery hillside the path was cut onto.

At 3.5 miles, near the spur trail leading to the Cutbank and Golden Banner campsites, the tracks stopped, and I was on my own to break trail. 

Mummy Mountain above Roaring River. Lawn Lake sits just below Mummy Mountain.

Switchbacks bring the trail away from the creek into a silent forest below Mount Tileston, which spring hadn’t yet breathed life into. Above 10,000 feet now, there were less signs of wildlife too. They must prefer the easy pickings at the trailheads and campgrounds. Be smart with your food to keep yourself and the animals safe. 

At 4.4 miles, the trail briefly meets back up with the eroded canyon walls, then pulls away again, and I finally had to strap the snowshoes to my feet.

At 4.7 miles, another tiring set of switchbacks leads into easier terrain. From here, it’s a straight shot to the Black Canyon intersection. The jagged wall below Mummy Mountain looks close, but it’s nearly a mile away. 

Mummy Mountain

It’s looking more wintery up here. The trail was easy to follow for the most part, but there were a few spots where I got off track. I was glad to have the map loaded onto my phone.

The last intersection comes quickly on the right as you drop down to the creek. The Lawn Lake trail makes a wide sweep left around the flooded riverbank. Because it was snow covered I cut across the clearing, but stick to the trail in summer to not erode any new growth in there. 

Nearing the lake, the sun had turned the snow to slush. The trail was difficult to keep track of as it dropped down to the creek and followed it upstream to the east end of Lawn Lake.

It’s days like this where I know I was born exactly where I was meant to live. I can feel my place in time in the mountains. Hiking gives me the clarity to pull myself out of the moment and really get a true sense of the bigger picture.

Map

Need to Know

• It costs $30 to enter Rocky Mountain National Park ($35 for a 7-day pass). There are a number of annual pass options also accepted.
• To alleviate the crowds and their stress on the environment, Rocky Mountain National Park utilizes a timed entry system. If you arrive at the park before 9AM, you don’t need a reservation. Otherwise, you’ll have to book one in advance online, which costs $2. You can find out more about it HERE.