It's hard to choose where to hike on the eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park - the options seem to be endless. Which beautiful lake below towering snow-covered peaks to choose? The crowds usually head for the Bear Lake area - for good reason. At least 10 glorious alpine lakes surrounded by 13,000'+ rocky spires. Often overlooked, the Cub Lake trail offers hikers a short, low-elevation romp through some of the best scenery the park has to offer: huge meadows full of wildlife, meandering streams dotted with beaver ponds, wildflowers galore, and a gorgeous lake under tall peaks that, in summertime, is covered with floating pondlilies. What more could you ask for? High Perch The trailhead is a couple miles down Cub Lake Road, a spur off of Bear Lake Road, and the trail begins by crossing a bridge over the Big Thompson River. It then passes though some tall brush, around a bend, then skirts the western margin of Moraine Park. Here you'll be treated to a visual feast of elk herds grazing in the meadows, and marmots, chipmunks and Wyoming ground squirrels sunning or scurrying about the rocks. Find lots of yellow XXX and XXX along the trail, and look for XXX woodpeckers in the trees. When you've gotten your fill of the scene, continue up the trail as it turns west and heads up toward Spruce Canyon along Cub Creek, passing several beaver ponds. Notice the variety of wildflowers: XXX, XXX, and XXX. Cub Lake Passing the last beaver pond, the grade increases to start a series of gentle switchbacks up through a grove of aspen, their bright green leaves fluttering in spring and summer breezes, in vivid contrast of the surrounding fir. Passing over the saddle between Steep Mountain to the south and the unnamed ridge to the north, you're deposited in the Cub Lake basin. A spur trail forks to the left to go to the Cub Lake campgound, otherwise, continue straight past another large beaver pond, then admire the quiet beauty of Cub Lake, sitting below Spruce Canyon and towering 12,922' Stones Peak. In late spring and early summer, the lake is dotted with flowering pondlilies. Several large boulders jut from the lakeshore offering ideal locations to sit and absorb the views, where there will be plenty of little critters scurrying about to keep you company. Enjoy. Big Thompson For the return trip, either head back out by the same route, or continue up the trail past Cub Lake to a junction with the Fern Lake trail. From here, you can continue exploring up Spruce Canyon, or head back to your starting point along the Big Thompson River. Image gallery