Bear Lake Trails

The mirror like Dream Lake in the Rocky Mountains before sunrise.
Dream Lake before sunrise. 

This is the most visited area of Rocky Mountain National Park. Busy, busy. So busy that after 5 am a time entry reservation is needed (and not guarantee of finding parking space in trailheads). We arrived at 4:45 (Bear Lake trailhead is at ~9,400 feet elevation). Coffee and bagels and hit the trail before sunrise. Visited Emerald, Dream (the photo seen in this post), and Nymph Lake plus Lake Haiyaha. Each is somehow different. Walked a section of Bear Lake. Distance hiked: 5.6 miles. The area is pretty but too crowded. Mixed experiences. Must add that there are other beautiful lakes outside the park (perhaps more remote, but equally pretty).