How to Visit Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado houses 416 square miles of beautiful mountain scenery. With more than 60 mountains over 12,000 feet, the park offers visitors a wealth of hiking, biking and walking trails, fishing spots, scenic drives and camping opportunities. The town of Estes Park, at the base of the park, is a great spot to stay while visiting the park for a few days or weeks.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Layered clothing
• Water bottle
• Snacks
• Comfortable alking shoes with treads, or hiking boots

1. Make reservations in Estes Park, a small town that sits at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park and offers a variety of accomodation selections. Only an hour from Denver, Estes Park provides visitors with a number of choices, from cabins to condos to bed and breakfasts that can include amenities such as hot tubs and self-serving kitchens. Visit the Estes Park website for a full list (see Resources below).

2. Pack plenty of water, snacks and layers before going out on any trail, and be prepared for a sharp change in altitude, which can cause dizziness, fatigue and shortness of breath. Select hikes of lesser difficulty and incline on the first day.

3. Stop by one of the park’s visitor’s centers, such as Alpine, Beaver Meadow’s, Fall River or Moraine Park, before starting off on trails. Park rangers will be more than willing to provide maps, guides and advice on suitable trails. In addition to hiking, visitors to the park can also bike on a number of special trails. The centers' staffs also can recommend fishing locations.

4. Choose hikes based on distance, incline and featured sights. Hikes to Bear Lake, Loch Lake and Mills Lake reward hikers with spectacular views of tranquil mountain lakes. Adams, Alberta and Cascade Falls hikes feature waterfalls. Deer Mountain, Twin Sisters and Flattop Mountain are all summit hikes.

5. Drive into the entrance to the park and purchase an automobile visitor’s pass, which is good for one week and allows visitors an unlimited number of entrances and exits. Parking, particularly on weekends, is very limited at particular trailheads. A free shuttle service from several lots to the trails is available and provides an alternative to driving on narrow, curvy roads.

6. Have dinner and relax in Estes Park in the evenings. The town has a number of restaurants, a movie theater and weekly events. The Estes Park Brewery, both a brewpub and restaurant, offers a number of good microbrew selections, in addition to well recommended pizza.

Tips & Warnings

• Fall is generally one of the best times to visit the park, as summer is typically the most crowded season and weather in the spring is very variable. While the park is open in the winter, very few visitors venture to see it, as most of the accomodations close up for the winter.
• Beware of dehydration, more likely at high altitudes. Drink plenty of water

Resources

• National Park Service Site
• Estes Park