With luck, you'll happen along when the bighorn are crossing the highway, or when they're grazing around Sheep Lake. Even if you miss the bighorn you'll still have good views of the Continental Divide and Mounts Chapin and Ypsilon in the Mummy Range, especially at sunrise, when Alpenglow turns the snow fields pink. Bear Lake, about 20 minutes drive from Horseshoe Park on Bear Lake Road, may be Rocky's most visited feature after Trail Ridge. Heavy traffic to Bear Lake is assuaged with a shuttle bus service. You can catch the bus at several marked parking lots along the Bear Lake Road.
Bear Lake is the highest alpine lake accessible by paved highway in the Rocky Mountains range.
A mile long path around the lake yields a variety of views of Longs and Hallets Peaks and Glacier Gorge. Several popular trails into the back country commence at Bear Lake, including the Flattop Mountain Trail, which leads to Grand Lake, and includes a 3,000-foot elevation gain. Plan on a minimum of two days one way to make this hike. You'll need a shuttle unless you want to walk both ways. Most people seem satisfied after a one-way trip.