Dream Lake Proposal

A hike to Dream Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park that ended with a surprise proposal was the best engagement! | Jenny and Steven

Steven decided to propose to Jenny on the three year anniversary of when they first visited Rocky Mountain National Park together. On that trip they fell in love with Dream Lake. So, when he was ready to take the next big step in their relationship, he started to plan an incredible Dream Lake proposal!

Things to consider when planning a Rocky Mountain National Park surprise proposal

If you are planning a Rocky Mountain National Park proposal, there are a few things to consider. One of the first is whether you want to propose at a location that requires a hike or not. There are plenty of gorgeous locations within the park that do not require hiking. But, if you are looking for some extra adventure, I definitely think Dream Lake is a perfect option. Dream Lake is a beautiful spot for a proposal because it is only a 2 mile roundtrip hike. Even though it is a short hike, you still need to be prepare for some elevation gain.

Another thing to consider is the time of year. Steven proposed at the beginning of May when the trail was still covered in snow. I recommend hiking with microspikes in the winter and early spring time! If you do not want to hike in the snow, then I recommend waiting until late June or even into July. The final thing to consider is time of day. If you want to avoid crowds, a sunrise is hike perfect, but sunset is usually not too crowded as well.

For Steven’s proposal, since it was still early in the season, we did not need to worry as much about crowds. Summer is when the park gets a lot more busy. We did go back and forth on timing that would keep Jenny from being suspicious. And, we also had to take some weather into account. At least we did not need to worry about timed-entry permits because it was still early May. But, this is another thing to be aware of if you are proposing between late May into October!

If you are planning a surprise proposal in Rocky Mountain National Park, I would love to help! Let’s chat!

Dream Lake Proposal Moment

After planning out all of the logistics with Steven for his proposal, soon enough the time had come! I hiked up about 30 minutes before Steven and Jenny. That way I could be ready and in position at the spot we discussed. Steven led Jenny up to a rock that overlooks Dream Lake. He completely surprised her when he got down on one knee! It was a perfect moment with the most perfect snow-covered mountain scenery!

Rocky Mountain National Park Hiking Engagement Photos

After soaking in the moment that they had just gotten engaged, we took some fun photos! Dream Lake had just started to defrost, leaving a beautiful pool of water with mountain reflections, while also still having enough snow and ice to walk a little ways out onto the lake! We timed their session perfectly. After some beautiful sunshine, right at the end of our time together, it started to snow! In typical Colorado fashion, you should always be ready for the chance of May snow! It was still so beautiful and I loved watching the joy and laughter between Jenny and Steven during their photos.

Congratulations, Jenny and Steven!