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But more often than not, in the summer, afternoon storms will occur. Park Fee: $25 per vehicle, valid for 1 day. On the west side of the park, located approximately two miles north of Grand Lake, is the Grand Lake Entrance Station. Hi Julie! The only thing to note is that each day I started the hike between 4a-5a (especially because some parking lots like the Glacier gorge one and Longs peak one get filled up by 5a). Yellowstone National Park; Wind River . With its short distance and manageable elevation gain, it is a great first hike in the park, as you acclimate to the higher elevation. Location: north-central Colorado. There will also be three amazing lakes. Here are several to choose from. Learn more here. We have visited Rocky Mountain National Park several times in the past. This is a great warm-up for those who plan to hike Longs Peak. If you did not do it yet, you have the option to hike the short but sweet Ute Trail to Tombstone Ridge. You're going to want to start early, because parking fills up fast. The only first-come, first-served Rocky Mountain National Park campgrounds in the park, Longs Peak Campground, has 26 sites and charges $26 per night. The Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is the best place to get information, books, maps and backcountry permits, as well as catch the park bus. Yes, take a look at the Where to Stay section of this article. However, Old Fall River Road is only open during the summer months. The scenery is beautiful, as you gradually twist and turn through the mountains to get to the Alpine Visitor Center. Parking at the most popular trailheads fill up extremely early in the day. The elevation of the lowest sections of the park range from 5,600 to 9,500 feet. This hike adds on Lake Haiyaha, another very pretty alpine lake. When the parking areas in Wild Basin are full, usually by 9am in the summer, vehicles will be turned away. This hike has a little bit of everythingwaterfalls, alpine lakes, high mountain views, and fun river and stream crossings. After the passes and permits are sorted, they will offer you a park map and a park newspaper. If you choose to skip Sky Pond, you can combine Loch Vale and Mills Lake into one hike. But the real reason for doing this is for the incredible view of Sky Pond, one of the most spectacular alpine lakes in the USA. Cheers, Julie. You will need a Park Access (Excludes Bear Lake Road Corridor) permit if you plan to hike Chasm Lake or Mount Ida. This hiker shuttle take visitors to some of the most popular trails along Bear Lake Road. Learn more on the national park service website. And bring a camera , its a beautiful park! Park Access: This permit gives you access to everything in Rocky Mountain National Park except for Bear Lake Road. Recorded Trail Ridge Road status: (970) 586-1222. All offer bookstores and much printed information to supplement the knowledgeable staff. For every hike that we list, you do not need an SUV or non-standard vehicle. Also, it can snow every month of the year in Rocky Mountain National Park. Mount Ida. All entrances into Rocky Mountain National Park require entrance fees, even the ones that don't have a physical entrance to drive through. Itinerary Help: 1 or 1.5 days in RMNP and other CO NPs Nov 20, 2022. If the skies stay clear, you can stay in the park and do more exploring. So if i am staying at Estes, thats a 10-15mins drive to the Beavers meadow entrance (where I am assuming they check for the timed entry thing?) Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Hiking poles can help you keep your balance in the snow. Drive one of the highest roads in the USA, spot wildlife, walk the easier trails around scenic lakes and waterfalls, and be amazed at the beauty here. If you only have one day in Rocky Mountain National Park, it will be a busy day. Travel to Aspen and Rock Mountain During thanksgiving Nov 08, 2022. Explore the exhibits at the highest elevation visitor center in the National Park Service. This road is gravel and is quite narrow. Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) is one of the most popular attractions in Colorado, drawing 4.5 million annual visitors to its 415 square miles of mountain beauty. Park Access +:This permit gives you access to everything in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is the east side (Estes Park side) of RMNP that has . The Beaver Meadows Entrance was remodeled in 2000-2001, adding another entrance lane to reduce the time spent waiting in line. Funds from RMNP passes insure the preservation of the Lily Lake area and help to maintain the parking lot, vault. Republishing this articleand/orany of its contents (text, photography, etc. #1 Estes Park - Overall Best Place to Stay in Rocky Mountain National Park. Yes, August is a great month to hike in RMNP. Trailhead Location. Important Things to Know Before You Plan Your Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary, When to Visit Rocky Mountain National Park. 10 miles, moderate, 5 to 7 hours. 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. And for FREE checklist of the US National Parks, take a look at our article US National Parks List. Ive lived down the hill and explored RMNP a lot for 44 years. If your visit to Rocky Mountain National Park is part of a bigger road trip through Colorado, here are some articles to help you plan your trip. It is located further north than the Beaver Meadows Entrance. Follow the Two Day Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary. Quantity. (970) 586-1206. Along the way, there is a good chance that you will spot bighorn sheep and elk. Trail Type: Out-and-back. For the "Park Access, Does Not Include Bear Lake Road" Timed Entry Permits, they will be in effect between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. We stayed in a 3-bedroom house, #402, and it was perfect. The permit system limited visitation to about 60% of parking capacity. Park Details. Head to Grand Lake, a quaint, historic town surrounded on three sides by Rocky Mountain National Park. Phone. What you will find is an old-fashioned charm combined with recreational opportunities like relaxing at the beach, paddle boarding, paddle boating and kayaking on Grand Lake and visiting the park. Finch Lake is a 4.5 mile hike through pines, aspen glades, and wildflower laden meadows to a sub-alpine lake where the forest surrounds its shores. Black Lake and Mills Lake are often labeled as two of the prettiest lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. The west side (Grand Lake side) is more about the Kawuneeche Valley and the Colorado River. Would that help mitigate some of the altitude sickness? Al, Thats a tricky question to answer. Stay on US 34 as it becomes Trail Ridge Road to enjoy a spectacular tour of the parks incredible landscapes. But even with a week here, there are still a lot of hikes left on our to-do list. By fv1989. You can learn more about all of these hikes on our post 15 Best Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. You wont find major grocery stores here, although you can drive 25 minutes to Granby and shop at the enormous City Market. Yay!! 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. Gem Lake. This entrance station gives you access to the Aspenglen Campground, Horseshoe Park, Old Fall River Road, and Trail Ridge Road. It includes Bear Lake Road and the hikes that start here (Bear Lake, Emerald and Dream Lakes, Alberta Falls, Sky Pond, Hallett Peak, and Sprague Lake). Price. This year's system has loosened to 75% to 85% of parking capacity. That is correct. The elevation of the lowest sections of the park range from 5,600 to 9,500 feet. Is there any need for an SUV or non-standard vehicle to access any of the trailheads for your recommended hikes? This station, which is one mile west of the park's headquarters and Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, usually receives the highest volume of visitors. The Mummy Mountain Range, Lumpy Ridge, and several hiking trails sit to the north of Trail Ridge Road. Less known, but my personal favorite moderate hike in the Bear Lake Trailhead: Jewel Lake. This historic hotel is one of the top places to stay in Estes Park. The Loch. However, if you are traveling in a car, Wild Basin is a wonderful area to explore with trails that reach eight lakes and three waterfalls. The most popular hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Among its special features are beautiful mountain vistas (114 named peaks above 10,000', with Longs Peak at 14,259'), and thousands of varieties of wild plants and animals. The various view points along trail ridge road were worth the stop overs as well (especially Forest canyon overlook and the small hike behind Alpine visitor center) Thanks again !! Get answers to your questions about Rocky Mountain Do's and Don'ts When Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park, Timed Entry FAQ's and Explaining the Bear Lake Corridor. Many of the taller peaks make up the Continental Divide, where snowmelt runs . This station, which is one mile west of the park's headquarters and Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, usually receives the highest volume of visitors. 9. Up above 10,000 feet the air is thin, the temps are much cooler, and the wind is usually . But it looks like you have some free time on Thursday and Friday afternoon in case an afternoon gets rained out earlier in the week. So August is a safer bet if you want to hike snow-free. The map above displays the main entrances, campgrounds, lodging options, and locations for the best things to do in Rocky Mountain National Park. Grand Lake sits to the southwest of RMNP and it is another place you can consider staying, but it will be a longer drive to most sites in the park. Old Fall River Road | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. Cheers, Julie. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. From here, hike the Alpine Ridge Trail. RMNP is quite popular, with about than 3 million visitors a year. Here are six tips on what to do in Estes Park during your Rocky Mountain National Park vacation. 5. The Wild Basin entrance is located 13.5 miles south of Estes Park just off of scenic highway 7. Is it worth going to RMNP if I only have 4 hours? For the first part of this hike you will be sharing the trail with those on their way to Longs Peak. Take your pick from one, two, three, and four bedroom houses that come equipped with a full kitchen. 1. This road will lead you out of town and to the Beaver Meadows Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. The hike itself is relatively easy but follows uneven terrain and rock so take caution with small children and older folks. This is a hike that we did on our first trip to Rocky Mountain National Park a few years ago, and we retraced our steps on our latest trip en route to Sky Pond (more on that in a second). We were here in early July, so all of the photos on our website were taken around the first week of July. Plan on being at the trailhead by 7am (or earlier) if you want to park at the trailhead itself. If you are coming from sea level, you will feel the effects of the altitude as soon as you do anything strenuous. Clicking on the photos on this page will open up a larger version. (Learn about the different park pass options available.) Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved continuous road in the United States, cuts through the park from the east to the west. You will reach Loch Vale before the final climb to Sky Pond. Youll reach Trail Ridge Road a lot faster than those waiting in line at the Beaver Meadows Entrance during the summer and fall seasons. Alberta Falls Trail. Learn about each of them and find the entrance station that will best meet your needs. If you plan to visit multiple national parks, consider purchasing the America the Beautiful Pass ($80 and valid for all of the national parks for one year). Lily Lake offers an easy and flat 0.8-mile loop trail around the lake, making it one of the top things to do in Rocky Mountain National Park with kids. Note: You do not need a 44 for this drive. Travelers favorites include #1 Trail Ridge Road, #2 Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and more. Note: This post contains affiliate links. For many visitors, the winter months are their favorite time to visit RMNP. On the way, you'll pass the park entry sign on your right, which is a great place to take family photos, and then the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center on your left. 365. Where to Stay Near Rocky Mountain National Park? One of the drawbacks of visiting Rocky Mountain National Park during the winter months is that Trail Ridge Road is closed. Loveland & Boulder, CO - Rocky Mountain lodging further away. 3.4 miles, moderate, 2 to 3 hours. There is also a shuttle bus that runs from Denver International Airport straight to Estes Park.