Bierstadt Moraine is one of the Park's most noticeable moraines. Also known as the North Lateral Moraine of the Bartholf Glacier, it is made from the debris of the Bartholf glacier active here over 20,000 years ago. It appears as a long lateral ridge along the path of the glacier, flowing down from Hallett Peak.
The pushing action acted as a giant bulldozer to push the rocks in its path to the side. A moraine often consists of many differing kinds of rocks, often rounded from the glacial action of the current glacier as well as earlier ones.
Terminal Moraines are merely the debris left at the end of the "bulldozer," when the glacier stopped moving forward. These often create dams that form "natural" lakes. Bear Lake is an example of such a lake. This moraine had built up quite high. It is covered with conifers and in the center is a beautiful lake, Bierstadt Lake.
If you drive around the end of the Moraine on the east, the road cuts expose the assorted debris that makes up the glacier.
Bierstadt Moraine and Lake were named after the famous American artist from Philadelphia, Albert Bierstadt. He is most famous (in these parts) for his large format painting of Longs Peak which once hung in the Dunraven Castle in Ireland and is now in the Denver Public Library.#
