Hallett Peak Flattop Mountain
Hike Scramble
- RMNP Colorado
As of 2022 I became aware that RMNP has a new set of
restrictions and fees that one needs to review.
https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm
There is a new "timed entry system" from May 27 to October
22, 2022 and the usual park pass requirements etc If you've never been there I
would recommend jumping through the new hoops to enter a couple of times. There
is lots of other cool mountain exploration in Colorado for the longer time
outdoor people.

A nice view of the
objective as you enter RMNP

From the road into the
Bear Lake trailhead

Bear Lake, very calm and
peaceful today August 24, 2011

Head counterclockwise
around Bear Lake and in only a couple of minutes you come to the
right hand trail for Flattop which leads to Hallett Peak. The
next intersection you make a left hand turn to go to Flattop,
going straight takes you to Odessa and Fern Lake.

The 1st lookout is called
Dream Lake

Dream Lake sign, a good
spot for a stop and a snack, just over an hour up the trail.

Finally in the open above
the bigger trees and amongst the Krumholtz

Hallet Peak in the
distance

The 2nd overlook is called
Emerald Lake

Emerald Lake overlook spot
and sign

One of the Colorado 14er
classics for all scramblers and prominent from almost anywhere
in RMNP is Longs Peak!

Nice trail and cool
looking clouds

More trail to Flattop, see
the semi-permanent snowfield up ahead, pretty low angle and easy
to cross in August

Getting closer

A nice view of Hallet Peak
from the Flattop Mountain trail

Flattop is really a bit
wide open flat area but this trail sign is considered the
official summit for Flattop

Heading south from the
Tonahutu trial sign towards Hallett Peak. 390 feet and .6 miles
to go. The trail is marked by lots of cairns but is a bit easy
to lose as you go over quite rocky terrain and the trail can be
a bit faint here and there. Just follow the general line of
sight in a common sense direction, avoiding the glacier and
cliff areas and you should be okay

Getting closer, just a
walk up the last bit of slope

Yours truly with Longs
Peak over my shoulder

Grand Lake on the west
side of RMNP

Otis and Taylor Peaks if
you want to keep traversing


Glad I am not on Ypsilon
Mountain today!

Heading back across
Flattop Mountain with more cool clouds

Another view of Hallett
Peak on the way down

More cool cloud cover

More cloud again




The parking lot a long
ways away!
Hallett Peak Flattop Mountain
Hike Scramble
- RMNP Colorado
Scramble: Mostly
Class 1, bit of class 2 on slope up Hallett
Peak
Altitude: 12,713 ft for Hallett Peak, 12,324
ft for Flattop, Bear Lake Trailhead 9,475 ft
Elevation Gain: 3,238 ft, Round trip 10 miles
Start Time: 6am to 8am to be on your way down
by noon and avoid potential lightning storms
Ascent Time: 3 Hours + or -
Highlights
Once past tree line the views of almost the
whole of RMNP are splendid in all directions. Blue skies and big
puffy white clouds were kinda cool also.
Getting There
From the Beaver Meadows entrance station it’s
only like a ¼ of a mile and you take a left hand turn onto the
Bear Lake Road. Take this winding road for 9 miles to the Bear
Lake parking lot. Washrooms here also.
Camping
There are 3 major campgrounds on the east
side of RMNP if you don’t require showers or laundry. Aspenglen
(elevation 8,220 ft) 54 sites, Glacier Basin (elevation 8,500
ft) 150 sites and Moraine Park (elevation 8,160 ft) 245 sites.
$20/night when the water is on.
The place I recommend is Elk Meadow Lodge and
RV Resort (elevation 7,468 ft) which is just over a mile from
the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station. Approximately $30/night for
a tent site but includes free showers and has laundry
facilities. A good base to enter the park easily and also only a
couple of miles to the main street of Estes Park.
www.elkmeadowrv.com
Estes Park Campground at Mary’s Lake and East
Portal Reservoir are also possibilities with showers not sure
about laundry though.
http://www.larimer.org/parks/estespark_maryslake.htm
http://www.larimer.org/parks/estespark_eastportal.htm
Route Description
Head counterclockwise around the lake for a
couple of minutes and take the trail to the right for Flattop
Mountain. From here the rocky trail winds its way ever higher.
Make sure you go left at the next junction for Flattop, don’t go
straight and into the Odessa / Fern Lake area. From that
junction you come to the Dream Lake and Emerald Lake lookouts.
Good spots to relax a bit and have a snack. Once past the
Emerald Lake lookout you are out in the open with nice views all
around. The trail winds around a rock outcrop and in the
distance you can see the hitching post stop and then a small low
angled snowfield just before the flat terrain of Flattop
Mountain. The sign for the Tonahutu trail is considered the
summit of Flattop. From this sign you head south towards Hallett
and pick your way up its rocky slope for another 390 feet.