Rocky Mountain National Park | Lake Irene

I went to Rocky Mountain National Park on a long solo road trip through Colorado in the summer of 2018 and had an absolute blast. The Rockies have been a destination for me for a long time and to finally be able to cruise through them was quite amazing! I checked out a lot of places throughout the park and although it was a rainy day I made the best of it that I could.

One of the places I explored was a little pull out on the main road that goes through the National Park and it was called Lake Irene. Its a short little hike that meanders through the trees, and next to some water ways, small creeks and a small lake.

This is the start of the small trail going back to Lake Irene

The trail headed to the lake is mostly dirt, but level and an easy walk. It will take only 5-10 minutes together to get back to the lake views.

Coming from Arizona landscapes where it is mostly a dry desert, granted we do have plenty of forested and green areas, nothing in Arizona is quite like this place. The greenery was welcoming to my eyes and the rain conditions make the green pop even more.

Theres some water on the camera, but it still shows the beauty.

As you continue on the walk there are a few small creek crossings that you cross over small little bridges.

You can see the lake in the distance here.

As you get closer to the lake you can see glimpses of it through the trees, and forest surrounding you.

Behold, Lake Irene, a small lake in comparison to some, but still beautiful.

If you continue on the path near the lake, you can make it to another beautiful outlook on a valley below. The trail is pretty maintained the whole way, and there are some spots to sit and snack, or take a break and enjoy the beauty surrounding you.

This log bench was sweet, I sat here and just took it all in for a little bit. What a beautiful place.

The trees are not curved, it’s just distorted from my GoPro, but still amazing!

At the end of the trail you can see the overlook to the green valley in the distance. From here you can turn around and go back to the parking area the way you came, or you can take the off shoot trail and go around the other side of the lake to see it from a different view.

You can’t see to far from this viewpoint but it was still beautiful.

After taking some photos, and a break to look around, I headed back to the car, the rain was off and on and just a slight drizzle for most of my hike.

One of the small creeks that run through the trails.

This is the trail heading to the backside of the lake. not as well kept as the other side, but still offers another way to see the lake.

There was quite a few fallen trees within the lake.

The rain started to pickup, you can see the drops on the water surface.

Little flowers line the edge of the lake.

If you are ever traveling through Rocky Mountain National Park, be sure to take the time to stop and walk this short trail to see the beautiful Lake Irene. It is totally worth it, rain or shine. Have fun and enjoy!