A Hidden Gem: Backpacking to Mirror Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Every year when planning for my Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness campsite permits, I like to look off the beaten path of the crazy busy east side. This year the choice was Mirror Lake, one of the park’s northernmost alpine lakes. With plans filling July and August, I decided to make the journey to Mirror Lake a special one, and push it to late September for one finale autumn hurrah.

I arranged to meet my friend, Tom, at Corral Creek Trailhead at 12pm, a strangely late start to a backpacking adventure (for me at least). The small parking lot was filled with National Park Service vehicles, and a ranger stopped me to ask to see my permit and then asked to feel my backpack to ensure I had the proper food storage method. I swear, it is only these far-off backcountry sites where rangers want to see my permit! (I was stopped on the way to Lost Lake in 2022, which is another one of RMNP’s remote alpine lakes.).

The trail starts in the Roosevelt National Forest, and quickly enters the Comanche Peak Wilderness. Just shy of two miles the Rocky Mountain National Park boundary will be reached after crossing Corral Creek. The first few miles go by fast, but that is because it is downhill – nearly 300 feet of elevation will be loss! This is great on the first day, but on the return trip the car it can feel quite awful honestly!

Overall, most of the hike in is unimpressive as the trail travels through the Cameron Peak Fire burn scar, which burned in the fall of 2020 and is Colorado’s largest wildfire to date. Many parts seemed to be in very slow recovery, with evidence of the fire seeming much more recent than the five years that it has been. But in full disclosure, I wasn’t feeling very well so I am sure this impacted my feelings on the trail! We opted for a trailside lunch (I think the later start in the day threw off my normal nutrition plan for backpacking, and I was playing catch up on calories) about 3.5 miles in. Here’s to hoping some tuna in a tortilla will put a pep in my step!

After the junction with the closed Mummy Pass Trail, we would leave the burn scar behind and enter the forest, which was sight for sore eyes! (I’m sure the bit of descent helped as well). Finally – moss, lush green undergrowth, living trees! And even a cow (female) elk startling us from behind a tree!

There are three wilderness campsites for Mirror Lake, numbers 3 through 1, with 1 being the closest to Mirror Lake and the last campsite one will reach. The individual campsites are first-come-first-serve, and I had an inkling that we had the sole permit for this date, so we selected campsite #2.

Wow. Just wow! Hands down I found my favorite wilderness campsite in Rocky Mountain National Park!! The large campsite easily accommodates multiple tents, and there are plenty of spots to eat, lay down for a nap, and explore! Looking south, snow-covered mountains dot the skyline, including: Rowe Mountain (13,399′), Hagues Peak (13,560′), Fairchild Mountain (13,504′), Ypsilon Mountain (13,445′), West Desolation Peak (12,917′), and Flatiron Mountain (12,316′).

After a chilly night (the campsites are at 11,000 feet after all!) punctuated by what sounded like wolf howls (or man-eating dinosaur birds), we had a slow morning of hot coffee and autumn views. Today’s agenda only had the short jaunt to Mirror Lake and Forever Pond on it; otherwise the day was to be spent enjoying the last days from a car, cell service, and civilization for the year.

Mirror Lake sat a mere quarter-mile up the Mirror Lake Trail from the campsite (heck, might’ve even been less than that as I popped into campsite #1 along the way, giving me some bonus steps on my GPS file). There’s some elevation gain, but it is all on-trail and nothing too crazy.

The funny thing is that the Mirror Lake of Rocky Mountain National Park has similarities to its much more famous shared-name sibling in southern Wyoming. Mount Ikoko (12,231′) rises dramatically with sheer granite cliffs in the background… almost looking like the ridge line of Medicine Bow Peak that rises over that particular Mirror Lake.

While many stop at Mirror Lake, I wanted to explore the alpine beyond called Forever Pond (not sure if this an official name). Unofficial trails (possibly game trails) skirt the eastern edge of Mirror Lake, and it was pretty easy to pick the way to the short shelf that Forever Pond sits above. Then it is just a matter of heading up the shelf until you reach Forever Pond!

Forever Pond was WOW! As a result, lots of time was spent here. I first found a rock outcrop to set up on, nabbing a timelapse video of the clouds rolling over Mount Ikoko.

I then headed down to the shore line, marveling at the variety of wildflowers still hanging on. I found a great grassy patch, and set up to catch up on a bit of reading in this serene setting.

Building storm clouds eventually had us saying goodbye to Forever Pond and Mirror Lake, and we headed back to the campsite where tents awaited to provide cover from the inevitable rain drops. Overall, it was 1.5 miles total, and an amazing way to spend a few hours!

Rain came and went, and time was spent reading and napping as the day slipped away. This night would be even colder, reaching 36 degrees in my tent according to my thermometer. The decision was made to have a fairly early start so we could arrive back to our cars and have plenty of time to decompress before another work week and return to reality would begin.

The last moments of living forest were savored before finishing out the hike mostly in the burn zone. Moving much faster, I realized just how much uphill there had been on the way into camp, and I felt a little bit better about how awful I had felt on the hike in. In the distance, bull elks bugled, which is one of my favorite sounds!

Upon reaching Cache Creek, the disheartening 300 foot climb back to the trailhead began. I feel like most hikes always reach a point where it becomes solid Type 2 Fun, especially in the final miles before the car… this day was no different!

Just shy of three hours, the trailhead came into view, with my glorious Subaru sitting there patiently waiting for me! Time to begin the two and a half hour drive home, with maybe a McDonald’s stop somewhere in there!

The trip to Mirror Lake was spectacular, and definitely worth the backpacking trip to do so, especially with a casual two nights in the area. I did not find the hike in to be that noteworthy because of the extensive damage from the Cameron Peak Fire, but that is all forgotten once at the wilderness campsites! I cannot say whether there are more people around in the height of summer, but regardless, I would guess that this corner of Rocky Mountain National Park is always very quiet compared to the rest of the park.

Details:
Date Hiked: September 19-21, 2025
Trailhead: Corral Creek
Wilderness Campsite: Mirror Lake (#120), specifically campsite #2
Total Mileage: 14.88 miles total for the weekend (Garmin Enduro 3)
Elevation Gain: 2,635 feet total for the weekend
Time to reach camp: 4 hours 15 minutes
Time back to trailhead from camp: 2 hours 51 minutes
Cell Service: None at campsite (Verizon)
Special Considerations:

• There is a much more popular, famous Mirror Lake located in the Snowy Range in southeastern Wyoming. This is not that Mirror Lake! I mention this as many locals associate Mirror Lake with the Wyoming one, and also I expect some GPS routing issues may occur if not paying attention.
• Located within Rocky Mountain National Park.
  • Wilderness camping permits are required, and go on sale March 1st at 8am. As of 2025, the fee was $36 for the reservation, and reservations are non-refundable (but able to be cancelled).
  • Standard access to this campsite is from CO Hwy 14 (near Cameron Pass), and the trailhead is 8 miles down Long Draw Road (which is gravel, but smooth) at the Corral Creek Trailhead.
  • Neither wilderness office is located near the trailhead. Permits can be picked up starting 30 days from a trip, so it may be wise to pick up a permit early if possible to avoid a ton of driving.
    • It is a 2 hour 30 minute drive from the wilderness office at Beaver Meadows (Estes Park) to the Corral Creek Trailhead
    • It is a 2 hour 10 minute drive from the wilderness office at Kawuneeche Visitor Center (Grand Lake) to Corral Creek Trailhead.
  • Because this trip starts outside of the park, timed entry reservation is not needed (and is part of a wilderness permit anyway, for other areas that do start within park boundaries).
• For the campsite itself:
  • There are three wilderness campsites at Mirror Lake, which are first come first serve (meaning you are not assigned a specific campsite when picking up your permit).
  • No fires are allowed and stoves must have an on/off switch
  • There is no privy.
  • Bear canisters are required at all wilderness campsites and must be kept closed and stored 70 adult steps away from your tent.
  • Treat/filter/boil all water for safe consumption. Water is readily available at Cascade Creek, close to all the campsites
  • The campsite is located at 11,000 feet in elevation.
• For hiking to Mirror Lake and Forever Pond:
  • There is an established trail to Mirror Lake.
  • Reaching Forever Pond will require following unmaintained trails and cross-country travel up the shelf to the lake, but is a straightforward journey.