Hike to The Pool

Starting from the Fern Lake Trailhead, this riverside ramble follows the Big Thompson River through a canopy of pine and aspen that keeps you cool even on the hottest July afternoons. The trail is wide, well-maintained, and practically flat — we're talking barely a couple hundred feet of gain over the whole thing, so your legs won't even notice. You'll cross a footbridge or two, pass through meadows where columbine and Indian paintbrush put on a show in early summer, and hear the river the entire way. The payoff is The Pool itself: a broad, swirling basin where the river pauses in a rocky gorge, the water deep and green. It's not a swimming hole (that water is snowmelt-cold year-round), but it's a gorgeous spot to sit and eat a sandwich. Perfect for families with younger kids, anyone recovering from yesterday's ambitious summit bid, or hikers who just want a mellow morning in the woods.