Sprague Lake - Rocky Mountain National Park, CO - a lake in the Rocky Mountain National Park

The Sprague Lake is a trail found to the south of Glacier Creek approximately two miles to the south of Hollowell turn off in Rocky Mountain National Park. The walk around Sprague Lake is half a mile long and can be accessed by those in wheelchairs. There are bridges and board walks along the trail that provide views of both the Hallet Peak and Flattop Mountain. There is even an area for brooke fishing on the lake.

Sprague Lake is named for Abner Sprague who began a homestead on the land in 1874. Sprague eventually opened a lodge for the purposes of fishing, hunting and dude ranching. The lake's far end was damned up in order to improve the conditions for fishing in the Sprague Lake. It was not until 1915 that the Sprague Lake became a part of the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Sprague Hotel kept serving guests.

The Sprague Hotel costs guests $6 to stay in a room with a private bath and an extra $1 for meals during 1919. The current parking lot is close to wear the hotel used to stand. There are guides to the trail available at the visitor centers in the park for the cost of only $1. The trial is easily accessible to all due to having handicapped accessibility.

Visitors walking on the trail by Sprague Lake will use a short bridge to get from the parking lot to the trail. The bridge crosses a small stream and connects to the nature trail which can be traveled in both directions. The shoreline of Sprague Lake is thirteen acres and often used for fishing from. The parking lot of Sprague Lake has the picnic area which has tables large enough for bigger groups, fire pits and resting facilities for the convenience of visitors.

There is a second trailhead adjacent to the trailhead of the Sprague Lake Loop that gives hikers' access to the Bear Lake, Glacier Junction and Storm Pass for longer hikes. Sprague Lake Loop Trail has one campsite that can accommodate a maximum of twelve people. The campsite parking is seven miles the headquarters of the park at the picnic area for the Sprague Lake. Tents have to be pitched as close to the site as they can be while keeping them out of the way from dead trees.

Sprague Lake provides a storage box to keep campers possessions and privy that each has combination locks. A permit is given for the site which is by reservation only and the lock combination is given when the permit is obtained. All camping gear must be packed in. The campsite has a limit of a three night stay. Reservations may be made by contacting the Estes Park of the Rocky Mountain National Park directly.

With the beautiful scenery and ease of hiking around the trail around Sprague Lake even when it snows it is somewhere that can be visited year round. All those wishing to obtain additional information about Sprague Lake, Sprague Lake Loop Trail or the Rocky Mountain National Park should contact the park directly.