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East Shore Trail to the Historic Lookout Tower on Shadow Mountain

Trailhead: East Shore

Distance: 5.2 miles (one-way)

Elevation Gain: 1,533 feet

Dogs Allowed: No

Bathrooms: No

Please note that the Fire Tower is closed to hikers and may not be climbed or accessed in any way.

Permits required to enter RMNP Starting May 28th 2021 – October 11th 2021 between the hours of 9am – 3pm. No permit required outside of these times.

This challenging out-and-back trek leads to a historic fire tower in Rocky Mountain National Park, offering stunning views of the surrounding lakes and mountain ranges. The tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and is the last of its kind still standing in the park. The trail starts out flat alongside the serene shores of Shadow Mountain lake before angling upward through switchbacks of lodgepole pine forests before topping out just shy of 10,000 feet in elevation, where you’ll be rewarded for your efforts with 360-degree views of the Never Summer mountain range.