USA Chasm Lake (Eastern Edge)

Chasm Lake is an absolutely gorgeous alpine lake in Colorado! It's a touch over 4 miles from the trailhead, and there's an elevation gain of roughly 2300 ft. Sunrises are especially wonderful here, as the alpenglow provides quite a show on the Western side of the lake.

The sunrises here are beautiful, but because the lake is so far from the trailhead you need to make sure you give yourself plenty of time to arrive! I started hiking about 3.5 hours prior to sunrise to make sure I had plenty of time to scout the location and find a good spot to set up my tripod.

You'll probably want to bring a pretty wide angle lens for this location. I shot this panorama vertically using a 35mm because I couldn't quite get all the foreground and the peaks of the mountains with a single horizontal shot at 35mm. You'd probably have plenty of wiggle room with something 24mm or wider.

Start from the Longs Peak trailhead off Highway 7 (S St. Vrain Ave) south of Estes Park, CO. Follow signs for Chasm Lake. Make sure to turn left at the junction a few miles into the hike (if you go right, you'll end up at the Boulderfield on the Keyhole route to the Longs Peak summit, which is also a beautiful hike, but you might not make it to the Boulderfield in time for sunrise)! When you get close to the lake, the trail can be hard to follow. After continuing alongside the stream for a bit, you'll have to veer right to get up to the lake (it'll be a bit of a scramble, which can be tough at night, so just take your time).

You'll also want to exercise caution when planning trips above treeline, as the weather can move fast and be quite unpredictable. Be sure to carry appropriate protective gear for both yourself and your camera!