It does get tiring, but these trails are so much fun and offer such a wide variety of views and experiences that it never gets monotonous or boring. Rocky Mountain National Park (Estes Park) - All You Need to Know BEFORE To the north of the Beaver Meadows area, located on highway 34 approximately four miles west of Estes Park, is the Fall River Entrance Station. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of our nation's most spectacular national parks with 415sq. Get here by 7:30 am if you want a spot. Known appropriately as the "Highway to the Sky," it crosses the Continental Divide at a whopping 12,183 feet. The road is well-graded and suitable for standard cars. Most people will be acclimated by this point, which means that you can hike almost any trail in the park. The best time for this Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary is from Memorial Day through mid-October, when Trail Ridge Road is open. This station, which is one mile west of the park's headquarters and Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, usually receives the highest volume of visitors. One Day in Rocky Mountain National Park (No Hiking) - Sights Better Seen How much is the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. If the weather was clear yesterday, and you drove Trail Ridge Road, I recommend doing another hike this morning. Park Details. If you do not have a reservation, you will not be allowed to enter the park. After you drive through the entrance station you can park at the Sandbeach Lake Trailhead which is immediately on your right or continue straight ahead on Wild Basin Road for 2 miles to reach the main parking area. But more often than not, in the summer, afternoon storms will occur. Get a free Colorado national park trip planner for inspiring itineraries and essential information. Bodies of Water. View from Mount Ida | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. Duration. 7.5 to 10 miles, depending on the route you choose. :) All the entrances lead to the Beautiful Rocky Mountains. Temporary Closures In Lumpy Ridge And Loch Vale Areas Begin February 15 to Protect Nesting Raptors, Winter Adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park, RMNP continues pilot timed entry permit reservations from May 26 through Oct 22, Winter Pile Burning Operations On Both Sides Of Park, All material copyright by Morning Light Photography, Inc. All rights reserved. Lake Haiyaha | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. Rocky Mountain National Park Travel Guide - Parks & Trips You can either hike to Fern Lakes and Odessa Lake as a point-to-point hike, starting at Bear Lake and ending at Moraine Park (or vice versa). Drive Trail Ridge Road. If you are planning your Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary, this is a great place to start. Hike to one of the most popular waterfalls in RMNP. Colorado Springs. Buckle in for some altitude gain and, outside of warmer summer months, pack spikes for the hiking trail! Wondering if there are differences between entering park through entrances by Estes park or better to enter park through grand lake? Take a tour of the historic Stanley Hotel, ride the Aerial Tramway to the peak of Prospect Mountain, go shopping, walk the Riverwalk, visit Lake Estes, play mini-golf, or visit a winery or brewery. Since you will know your exact dates, I recommend making your reservations on July 1 so you get the permits for each day you will be in RMNP. Lake of Glass, seen on the hike to Sky Pond. There are two options and option #1 (Bear Lake Road and the rest the park) is the best option since it gives you access to the entire park. Watch the weather, enjoy the time you spend in the park, and you might find you want to hike more, or less, than you expected to. Its proximity to the charming town of Grand Lake make it even more alluring. Illustrated t Answer (1 of 2): All of them them! Mount Ida. Along the way, there is a good chance that you will spot bighorn sheep and elk. 31 Top Things to Do in Colorado - US News & World Report Look for that option at the intersection next to McDonald's on the east side of Estes Park. Turn west onto Highway 84 (Wild Basin Road) and follow it for 0.4 miles to the Wild Basin entrance station. Entrance tickets and fees. If you are an avid hiker, plan on spending at least three to five days in Rocky Mountain National Park. Moraine Park Campground. But even with a week here, there are still a lot of hikes left on our to-do list. 4. Hiking poles are a good idea for some of the tougher hikes (Sky Pond, Chasm Lake) if you have knee issues or if there is snow on the trail. For every hike that we list, you do not need an SUV or non-standard vehicle. Cheers, Julie. If you had afternoon thunderstorms on Day One, drive Trail Ridge Road in the morning. The best Time to do scenic driving and hiking is during the summer and fall seasons. It's like a tour of amazing mountain lakes. best hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. With numerous hotels and restaurants, and a great location near the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park is a great place to stay. For Longs Peak, that means starting by 3 or 4 am. Note: Its a slightly shorter hike (1.7 miles) if you park at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. Cheers, Julie. Cheers, Julie. Trail Ridge Road is 48 miles long, connecting Estes Park to Grand Lake. Alberta Falls: 2 miles, easy, 1 to 1.5 hours. The Ultimate Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park - AARP . 10 Awesome Hikes on the East Side of Rocky Mountain National Park However, both routes cross high over the mountains and close down once winter weather arrives. Do we have others using the trails even in the mornings? So, climb those stairs, catch your breath if you need to, and enjoy the awesome views from the top. Yes. Odessa & Fern Lakes Hike. If you choose to skip Sky Pond, you can combine Loch Vale and Mills Lake into one hike. Miles of trails: More than 355 miles along about 160 trails. Ascending only 700 feet over 3 miles, this is a great introduction to moderate hiking in the park. Travel to Aspen and Rock Mountain During thanksgiving Nov 08, 2022. We have visited Rocky Mountain National Park several times in the past. 6. 16 Exciting Things to Do in Rocky Mountain National Park Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the United States. Lake Estes | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. All rights reserved Earth Trekkers. 9. This hike adds on Lake Haiyaha, another very pretty alpine lake. #3 Granby - Best Place to Stay near Rocky Mountain National Park for Families. Most of this hike is over 11,000 feet, in the alpine tundra, so its best to save this hike for when you are acclimated to the altitude. After the trail split, the hike gets easier and the views of Longs Peak and the alpine landscape is jaw-dropping. Morning: Hike Nymph, Dream, Emerald, and Bear Lakes from the Bear Lake Trailhead Afternoon: Trail Ridge Road (if the weather is clear), Timed Entry Ticket: Bear Lake Road Corridor + Full Park Access. This easy hike offers spectacular views of Rocky Mountain National Park and it is great for all ages and ability levels. From Bear Lake Road, turn left onto Highway 36 and continue on Trail Ridge Road. Julie Last updated: February 23, 2023 United States 61 Comments. Length: 5.2 miles round-trip. When to Visit. It is located just outside of Estes Park, on the south side, an excellent location for driving into the park. I think your itinerary looks great. Hike one of the trails that I mentioned earlier in this itinerary, or click here to see our list of 15 great hikes to do in Rocky Mountain National Park. Get updates on road conditions on the national park service website. If you only have one day in Rocky Mountain National Park, it will be a busy day. Cheers, Julie, Thanks Julie, Also seems like the bear lake corridor timed entry begins at 5a. Here are you options: The private vehicle entrance fee, good for 1 day, is $25. Best Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park for families Never been to park at all. What is a good itinerary for a day trip to RMNP in the winter? Best Places to See Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park #2 Grand Lake - Where to Stay in Rocky Mountain National Park for Couples. Best Day Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. This road will lead you all the way up to the Alpine Visitor Center and across the Continental Divide to Grand Lake. On the way you'll pass the Kawuneeche Visitor Center on your right. 22 Best Cabins In Rocky Mountain National Park - Updated | Trip101 Colorado has also designated Trail Ridge Road as a scenic and historic byway. The Loch. Outside the usual water, bug spray, sunscreen, etc? Hiking poles can help you keep your balance in the snow. You can also see more travel itineraries on our Travel Itineraries page and our National Park Itineraries. It is only staffed in the busy season and during the busiest hours of the day the line can get long. Serving visitors to the Wild Basin area of the park, approximately 19 miles to the south of Estes Park on highway 7, is the Wild Basin Entrance station. The elevation of the lowest sections of the park range from 5,600 to 9,500 feet. The Alberta Falls Trail, like many other hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park, follows a creek (in this case, Glacier Creek). If you are an avid hiker, I recommend spending five or more days in Rocky Mountain National Park. I hope you have an awesome time in RMNP and happy hiking! Funds from RMNP passes insure the preservation of the Lily Lake area and help to maintain the parking lot, vault. CO Keep your fingers crossed for clear afternoon skies. Al, Thats a tricky question to answer. Where to Stay in Rocky Mountain National Park (2023 - The Broke Backpacker Since I like to hike, I am guessing maybe 3 solid days? Estes Park. Mills Lake and Loch Vale are very nice and might be perfect for you. WorldMark Estes Park. Also, if Longs Peak is on your list, watch the weather report for your visit. Cheers, Julie. Earth Trekkers is my starting point for every hiking vacation. Timed entry permits (separate from an entrance fee) are no longer required. This station, which is one mile west of the park's headquarters and Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, usually receives the highest volume of visitors. On the return drive, hike the Ute Trail to Tombstone Ridge. 2. In June, there still could be snow at the higher elevations, and it really depends on how much snow the area gets this spring. As part of the National Park system, Zion operates under the same rules as other parks. On the east side of the park, located on highway 36 and 3.5 miles west of Estes Park, is the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station. You'll pass the popular Wild Basin Lodge just before the entrance. For your afternoon activities, just keep your fingers crossed that you wont have afternoon thunderstorms on those days. Cheers, Julie, QQ for those noon thunderstorms, are they quick showers? Pre-hike fuel: Near the main junction in Estes, hit up Notchtop . Thanks for the article I am planning to travel below hikes/places in 3rd week of june. If the weather was clear yesterday, and you drove Trail Ridge Road, I recommend doing another hike this morning. Accessible trails include favorites like Bear Lake and Sprague Lake, and you can also reserve an all-terrain wheelchair from Estes Park Mountain Shop (970-586-6548). We spent a week there in July and had a thunderstorm in the afternoon about 50% of the time, starting between 1 and 4 pm. Between the end of May through early October, you must reserve a permit to visit the park. If you like scenic drives and going off-the-beaten-path, youll love this drive. Rocky Mountain National Park began addressing crowding . If you want to stay in the park, you will be limited to campgrounds. So on Tuesday, do you think I can salvage some hiking? Depending on the volume of traffic, some visitors with detailed questions must be directed to the visitor centers where the rangers and volunteers there can more adequately provide the needed assistance. For reference, we live in Maryland, visited RMNP as our first Colorado park last summer, hiked to Emerald Lake and Fern Lake on our first day here, and had no issues whatsoever. On the way you'll pass the Kawuneeche Visitor Center on your right. In a normal year, Rocky Mountain National Park attracts well over 4 million visitors to its 415 square miles that are home to 147 lakes, dozens of different mammals (bear, moose and bighorn sheep among them), 355 miles of hiking trails and the Continental Divide. On our first attempt it was cloudy and we could barely see the lake and we couldnt see the spires of rock around the lake at all. Youre itinerary is great, thanks for this! Pass Type. This route will lead you up past the Stanley Hotel. However, this property gets rave reviews. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. Hotels in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA - save 15% with the best deals Unsubscribe anytime by clicking the link at the bottom of your email. Inside the park, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy offers year-round seminars, guided fly-fishing, naturalist tours, hiking and photography classes. 10 miles, moderate, 5 to 7 hours. You will really feel the effects of the altitude. Located on Highway 34, the gateway to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, the Quality Inn & Suites Loveland hotel is the perfect resting point for vacationing travelers.