Their easy accessibility and great beauty have made the trails west of Moraine Park very popular since before the national park was established. The two main trailheads, Fern Lake and Cub Lake, are situated within a mile of each other on an unpaved road west of Moraine Park Campground. The proximity of the trailheads and a connecting link between their trails make a circuit hike reasonably simple.
To reach the trailheads, turn onto the Bear Lake Road 0.2 mile west of the Beaver Meadows Entrance to the park, or 2.7 miles south of the junction of US 34 and US 36 on Deer Ridge. Follow the Bear Lake Road for 1.2 miles over a ridge to Moraine Park. A few yards past Moraine Park Visitor Center, a paved road branches right toward Moraine Park Campground.
Follow this road for 0.5 mile and turn left on the still-paved road toward the trailheads. (If you reach Moraine Park Campground, you have missed the turn.) After 1.2 miles the pavement ends. The parking area for Cub Lake Trailhead is 1 mile ahead on the right. The Fern Lake Trailhead and its parking lot are located 1 mile up the valley, at the end of the road.
Three-tenths of a mile west of the Cub Lake Trailhead is another parking lot and the bus stop for Bear Lake Shuttle. When this free mass transit runs in the summer, hikers going from one of the trailheads near Bear Lake to Moraine Park can hop on a bus and return to their cars. Check with the National Park Service for detailed bus schedules.
