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Enjoy some mellow travel through a geologically interesting area with great fall colors.


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Map Key

1.3

Miles

2.1

KM

Point to Point

8,913' 2,717 m

High

8,721' 2,658 m

Low

153' 47 m

Up

222' 68 m

Down

5%

Avg Grade (3°)

37%

Max Grade (21°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Fall Colors · Views

Description

This trail follows the generally east-west direction of the Bierstadt Moraine. Starting from the Bierstadt Lake trailhead, the Lower Bierstadt Moraine Trail immediately heads east covering mostly flat ground through mixed aspen and pine forest. After briefly dipping south to reach Bear Lake Road and provide access from the Storm Pass trailhead, the trail continues eastwards. Descend gently through increasingly larger meadows before the trail ends at a 3-way junction with the Upper Bierstadt Moraine Trail and the Bierstadt Moraine connector that reaches Glacier Basin Park and Ride.

Some info on the moraine that you'll be hiking over: the Bierstadt Moraine is a steep, lateral moraine, meaning that it is a deposit of rock debris released from the side of a glacier as the glacier scraped and traveled down the sides of a valley. The Bierstadt moraine is about 3 miles long and runs along the north side of Glacier Creek. The glacial till (rock sediment) deposited here is larger and sharper than other nearby deposits which help geologists determine that it was left here more recently.

Contacts

Shared By:

Megan W

Trail Ratings

  3.3 from 3 votes

#28

in Bear Lake

#26930

Overall
  3.3 from 3 votes
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Trail Rankings

#28

in Bear Lake

#2,207

in Colorado

#26,930

Overall
3 Views Last Month
389 Since Jul 13, 2015
Intermediate Intermediate

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Photos

Looking up at the Moraines
Feb 9, 2015 near Estes Park, CO
Aspen on Bierstadt Moraine (photo by Rocky Mountain National Park)
Jul 14, 2015 near Estes Park, CO
Log bridge
Sep 16, 2018 near Estes Park, CO

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