I absolutely LOVE the beach, don’t get me wrong. But there is something about the mountains- especially in the fall, that is so breathtaking and really gives me a sense of peace and a nice reset in life. We love to visit the mountains each fall, and this year we went back to Estes Park, Colorado. We’ve been once before, but it was mid July 2020- so a MUCH different experience both weather and activities wise.
Here was our itinerary:
Friday-
- Landed in Denver, rented a car
- Dinner at Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar in North Glenn on our way to Estes Park
- Got into town around 9pm
- Checked into The Maxwell Inn
Saturday-
- Coffee and sandwiches at Coffee on the Rocks
- Went to the RMNP and just drove through Trail ridge road, stopping at some of the pull offs and enjoying the view.
- Dinner at Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ & Brew
Sunday-
- Got coffee and a delicious açaí bowl at Kind Coffee
- Did a little bit of shopping
- Ate lunch at Lonigans
- Rode the Mustang Mountain Coaster
- Went to the RMNP
- Dinner at The Rock Inn
- Grabbed Ice Cream in town at Munchin House
- Drinks and watched the Cowboys game at Wheel Bar
Monday-
- Had breakfast at The Egg of Estes
- Went to the RMNP
- Ate dinner at Hunters Chop House
- Went back to the park to drive through and watch the wildlife
Tuesday-
- Breakfast at Big Horn Restaurant
- Off to the Airport!
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado information:
First things first:
You need 2 passes to enter May 27th through October 10th. One is the times entry pass, which requires you to pick a time frame to enter the park. The second is your actual ticket to enter the park. After October 10th, you only need the entry permit, which can be bought online or at the park entrance.
Site pass to enter RMNP Timed entry sign up
There are SO many incredible trails throughout the park, ranging in difficulty levels. Definitely get a map or download the NPS Parks app to get more information on trail lengths and difficulty! Some of our favorites are Bear lake, Lily Lake, Sprague Lake, Colorado River, Timber Lake, and Upper Beaver Meadow. There are incredible photo opportunities at each! Especially at dusk/dawn.
Most of the trails have a parking lot with a small outhouse and a sigh with area regulations and an area map. I would definitely recommend wearing hiking shoes or comfortable shoes with good tread because most of the paths are dirt and rocky, and some have streams along them.
The very popular areas such as bear lake have lots that fill up VERY fast, but there are shuttles that will take you back to the area and there are signs that will direct you where to park your car.
For the best experience, I would definitely recommend at least 3 days to explore the park. The Alpine center has food for purchase, but aside from that, there are only outhouses- so I would definitely recommend packing snacks and drinks in a tightly sealed container that you can cover when out of the vehicle (to avoid wildlife break ins.)
Estes Park, Colorado-
Next: Where To Stay.
There are many options for places to stay in Estes at different price points. We have done both Air bnb and hotel. This time we stayed at the Maxwell Inn and it was great! It is a rustic little Inn with a handful of rooms. We had a king bed, tv, sink and small coffee pot outside of the bathroom, and a small tub/shower. It was perfect for us, because the only time we were in the room was to shower and sleep! It was also very clean and quiet, but right on the edge of town, so we could still walk to the center of town for any dining and shopping that we wanted to do.
There are also plenty of food options from breweries, pubs, local eats, and even a few more formal restaurants.
Here’s a list of food options!
Most places are all along the main strip in downtown Estes, but a few we did drive to. Even then, it was only a 10-15 minute drive, max.
Family activities are also pretty easy to find, although not as obvious. We really loved the Mustang Mountain Coaster! There’s also Jeep and ATV tours, horseback riding, an open air adventure park, escape rooms, a playground in town behind the shops, and geocatching.
The town seemed to be very dog friendly! We saw so many fury friends hanging out with their humans around town. However, I do not believe they are very welcome in the National Park.
Tips-
Finally, I have a few pointers to make your trip as enjoyable as possible:
- Get the 7 day pass if you plan on going more than one day. It’s $30 for a day pass, $35 for the whole week!
- Head into the park after 4 for less crowds and more parking.
- Wild life really does come out at dusk! Right as/after the sun sets, there are animals EVERYWHERE.
- Take some snacks for the car, but keep them in a container/something tightly sealed so the wildlife can’t sniff them out.
- Water. Water water water! The elevation change really does impact a lot.
- Wear layers. 60 changes to 30 real quick as you’re heading up that Mountain, but the sun is very warm so you will want to lose a layer as you head back down!
- Elk typically hangout at the Golf Course heading into town!
- Follow @RockyNPS on Twitter for park update.. this is especially helpful for road conditions!
