Half-Day Hike Suggestions in RMNP Area

Deer Mtn. Six miles r/t, a little over 1000' gain and a great "view to effort" ratio hike. One of my favorites.
http://www.protrails.com/trail/96/rocky-mountain-national-park-deer-mountain

There is probably snow in the higher country, but this hike should be accessible as it is a well used trail and "only" goes to 10k feet. Don't let the lower elevation fool you though. Even at the TH there are great views. And at the summit, you can see Longs Peak and the Mummy Range rather nicely.

Stop by Oskar Blues in Lyons on the way back!

Thanks Paul, I was hoping you would see this thread. This sounds like exactly what I'm looking for! As for Oskar Blues, I'm a bit of a beer geek, so I will definitely be paying them and a few other breweries a visit while I'm in town.

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I spent a week with family out there a few years ago. Sky Pond was my favorite hike that we did. I think it was around 6 hours round trip. I also second Oskar Blues.

Sky Pond, while a lovely hike, is 9 miles r/t, about 1700' gain and at almost 11k.

May not be the most suitable hike for someone wanting a 6-8 mile r/t hike esp if coming from sea level.

More of the above, even more so, for Sharks Tooth.

:)

I guess my memories of the views blanked out the difficulty.

Nathan/rOg thanks for the additional recommendations, Sky Pond in particular looks beautiful! I really wish I could've arranged more than one afternoon free on this trip.

I've had some experience at 10k+ elevation out in the Sierras and the Cascades, and I'm in good shape (run daily and hike whenever I can), so I think I could definitely handle something a little more aggressive than Deer Mtn. However, I don't have a guarantee that I'll get out early, so I figure by planning something shorter, I'll give myself some buffer. That way if I'm late getting out of class, I won't have to scrap the whole thing. This should also give me ample time to take photos and check out the visitor's center as well. This isn't my first trip to CO and certainly won't be my last, so I'll hold onto the other suggestions for future visits. Thanks again guys, glad I finally joined this site after close to 10 years of lurking.

So I ended up getting out of class quite early, so I took advantage of the extra time to tackle Sky Pond. The views were stunning; I can definitely see why this hike seems so highly recommended both here and when talking to a couple park employees.