Hallett Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park

Out and back trail, 5.5 miles each way. About 3500 feet of elevation gain / loss each way. Trail is well marked and rocky. Incline is mild but consistent and gets steeper as you go. Views get amazing once you break above the tree line. Once you get to the top of Flat top mountain, Hallet's Peak will be on your left, you will wrap around the Glacier and rock field to take the final ascent. Altitude is a factor especially if your not from Colorado. Bring plenty of water and snacks, and a rain /wind jacket. This is a moderately difficult hike if your in good shape. Start early 5-7 AM, afternoon thunderstorms will likey show up. This is a perfect day trip hike.

Definitely worth the short detour of the Flattop Mountain Trail! 360 views, plus top-down views from Tyndall Glacier all the way to Bear Lake Trailhead, to Grand Lake, over to Longs Peak, and beyond! And the wildlife on the backside of this peak is phenomenal!

I arrived at the trailhead parking lot at 7am. No issues with finding parking at that time. Started hiking it was sunny and warm at the trailhead. Was beautiful until I got just passed the Dream Lake overlook. At this point the fog rolled in, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped very quickly. The beautiful views were instantly blocked out. You could see probably about 30 feet in front of you due to the fog. I hiked up to the Tyndal Glacier and Flattop Mountain. Unfortunately this is where I decided to turn around due to the weather. I would call it a strenuous hike but definitely worth it especially on a clear day. Although it was neat to see the fog roll in and block everything out. There were quite a few people on the trail especially down at the lower elevation areas.

09/21/2019. Started out early from Bear Lake at around 6am. This is an amazing hike, but just know it’s all up hill. Hallett Peak sits at 12725 feet. The hike up was in bitter cold wind. I had forgotten my gloves so I don’t have any pictures of the top. I did see two windbreaks and I jumped in to one. The view from the top is amazing.

Start early take it slow and this will be one of your favorite hikes there's rock cairns at the top to hide from the wind so take time and enjoy the views