![]() The trail is narrow and a little rocky and uneven. The trail descends gently towards the top of the Columbine Falls water fall at Peacock Pool. To get to Chasm Lake you head straight west from the junction. That's where you find the solar powered restrooms. The trail to Chasm Lake splits off from the Longs Peak trail at Chasm Junction. From Chasm Junction you will be hiking up the gorge to the base of the beautiful mountain you have been looking at for the last hour. You will continue past Battle Mountain and Jim's Grove, up the switchbacks to Chasm Junction. You will hike the trail from the ranger station, through the Goblins Forest, up to timberline and out on to the tundra. If you have never been up the Longs Peak trail, then you are in for a treat. Lady Washington or camped at Battle Mountain, then you have hiked most of the trail. That is about the only way to get a spot in this tiny parking lot. Get to the parking lot of the Longs Peak Ranger Station before sunrise on a Saturday or Sunday. When you hike to Chasm Lake during the summer you must plan on an "Alpine Start". Any time of the year is a good time to go there. It is a difficult hike in summer and a bit of mountaineering in the winter. Lady Washington, Chasm Lake is smack dab in the middle of God's country. Tucked below the Diamond on Longs Peak, nestled in the cirque between Longs Peak and Mt. If you want to get away from nearly everyone in Rocky Mountain National Park, there is no better place to do it than hiking to Chasm Lake. I don't think they're necessary but I liked having them. I took hiking poles and wore hiking boots but my friend wore tennis shoes and did not have poles. Afternoon showers are common in the Rockies so be prepared if not starting early. It started looking rainy on the way down and we got done just in time. I think I ate 3 bars and some jerky during the whole trip. I took about 5 liters of water but I normally drink more than most. Definitely be prepared with plenty of water and food. You'll have a great view of Longs and it's a nice place to sit and enjoy some lunch. You can stay up top or go all the way to the lake. Once over the boulders, there are more boulders to climb to get to the lake. If in doubt, just wait a few minutes and someone will come along and be able to show you what path to take. While a little nerve wracking, it is complete doable. To actually get to the lake will require you to climb up some boulders. You'll see a lake to your left before you get to Chasm Lake (which will be on your right). There are two bathrooms along the way which is really nice. A couple other hikers mentioned he had been right off the trail before we got there. Above the tree line we saw a moose grazing at a distance. I really enjoyed the trip below the tree line with beautiful waterfalls along the trail. About half the hike is above the tree line. I definitely recommend getting there early (a lot of Longs Peak hikers start as early as 2 or 3 am). We got to the Longs Peak parking lot before 7 am and still had to park in overflow parking. The snowpack near the lake had just melted at that point. The timestamp is only as accurate as the clock in the camera, and it may be completely wrong.We did this hike in late August. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details such as the timestamp may not fully reflect those of the original file. This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. ![]()
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