9.8 miles, strenuous, 4.5 to 6.5 hours. In this Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary, many of days end by the early afternoon, because of these storms. Colorado Springs. To reach the Wild Basin Entrance from Estes Park, head south on CO 7. Estes Park. Glacier Gorge parking lot and Longs Peak trailhead parking lot fill before sunrise. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Altitude sickness is rare in RMNP, unless you are hiking to peaks over 12,000 feet and are not acclimated. More about Trail Ridge Road's Season. View from the Alpine Ridge Trail | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. l plan on 7 days there. Longs Peak Campground on the East Side. Longs Peak and Timber Creek Campgrounds are easier to get reservations. The Loch. 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. There are numerous pull-over areas on each side of the road for this purpose. From the summit you have a great view over Moraine Park and Longs Peak. The scenery is beautiful, as you gradually twist and turn through the mountains to get to the Alpine Visitor Center. This easy hike offers spectacular views of Rocky Mountain National Park and it is great for all ages and ability levels. On the way you'll pass the Kawuneeche Visitor Center on your right. Start your trip off right, with a hike from the Bear Lake trailhead at the end of Bear Lake Road. 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. I recommend getting here early (ideally by 7:30 am) to make sure you get a parking space and to give yourself plenty of time today. They will ask to see your park pass and ID or offer you the opportunity to purchase one. The best time for this Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary is from Memorial Day through mid-October, when Trail Ridge Road is open. Reservations are made online on the recreation.gov website. The road is well-graded and suitable for standard cars. 9. Equally enjoyable on foot or from your car, there are four separate ecosystems: montane, subalpine, alpine tundra, and riparian. Eleven miles of this road is in the alpine tundra, which is over 11,000 feet. Phone. I recommend wearing waterproof hiking shoes or boots (not running or walking shoes) so that you have good traction. #2 Grand Lake - Where to Stay in Rocky Mountain National Park for Couples. The map above displays the main entrances, campgrounds, lodging options, and locations for the best things to do in Rocky Mountain National Park. If you are an avid hiker, dont miss the Gunnison Route, a trail that takes you from the rim to the Gunnison River. Pssst. From Loveland it's 30 miles (48 km) and 45 minutes by car to get to Estes Park. 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. Because the entrance is so accessible from Estes Park and open year round, it is the most popular. Rocky Mountain National Park Travel Guide. Grand Lake's bustling little downtown with its charming historic boardwalk is right outside of Rocky Mountain National Park's West Entrance. 10. Odessa and Fern Lakes, Mills and Black Lake, Sky Pond, and Hallett Peak can all be hiked from this trailhead. Follow the Two Day Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary. Best Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes: Easy Tundra Hikes. great service , clean and location is in the center of town. Gem Lake. So if i leave Estes at 4.30a I think i should be past that entrance by 4.45a or so and can avoid having to buy the time entry correct? For hikers, its the ultimate adventure. Thanks for the article I am planning to travel below hikes/places in 3rd week of june. High in the center of the park, the Alpine Visitor Center offers displays about the most noted area of the park, the land above the trees. Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved continuous road in the United States, cuts through the park from the east to the west. Are current Colorado fires affecting or near RMNP? Turn west onto Highway 84 (Wild Basin Road) and follow it for 0.4 miles to the Wild Basin entrance station. 7.6 Good 275 reviews. Required fields are marked *. 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. To stay safe, start your hike early in the day so that you are finished, or at least below the tree line, by 1 pm. Rocky Mountain National Park began addressing crowding . Just wrapped up my RMNP trip, ty so much for your help with the itinerary. For five days or more, follow our four day itinerary and for each additional day that you have, add on another hike. Longs Peak, at 14,259 feet, is the only fourteener in the park. This "rest of park" Timed Entry Permit Reservation period will be in effect between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. And bring a headlampyoull be hiking before the sun comes up. That means you will not be able to visit the Alpine Visitor Center, hike the Ute Trail to Tombstone Ridge, drive Old Fall River Road, or visit some of the best overlooks in the park. When the parking areas in Wild Basin are full, usually by 9am in the summer, vehicles will be turned away. The closest town near Rocky Mountain National Park is Estes Park, less than 5 miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance.Many popular trails are easily accessible from here, as well at the national park's Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, Fall River Visitor Center, and Moraine Park Discovery Center. Rocky Mountain National Park operates on a timed permit entry system during the summer (May to October), and entry to the park during every season requires a $30 vehicle entrance pass. Hike to one of the most popular waterfalls in RMNP. Evening at the hotel 3) Thur Morning: Mt Ida. Have a great trip! Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park; Flat Tops Wilderness; Maine. Rocky Mountain National Park (Photo by Buddy Smith/The Points Guy) Rocky Mountain National Park basics. You can help to move the line move more quickly by having your park pass, permit, and ID ready when you reach the entrance station. Timed Entry Permit: If you have plans to visit the park in the summer months, dont forget to reserve your permit in advance. The best Time to do scenic driving and hiking is during the summer and fall seasons. Dream Lake | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. As part of the National Park system, Zion operates under the same rules as other parks. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Note: Its a slightly shorter hike (1.7 miles) if you park at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. The west side (Grand Lake side) is more about the Kawuneeche Valley and the Colorado River. Get here by 7:30 am if you want a spot. Rocky Mountain National Park. Trail Ridge Road - You can see forever! 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. With that being said, you should know that crowds are the largest during the summer months, especially July and August. What is a good itinerary for a day trip to RMNP in the winter? Park at Bear Lake Trailhead. Sky Pond. You have a choice today: take a break from hiking and explore Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, or hike another trail. This hike passes Cub Lake, Fern Falls, Fern Lake, Odessa Lake and Lake Helene. Ideally, plan on spending at least three days in Rocky Mountain National Park. During the busy summer months, a free shuttle service is provided by the national park service. So August is a safer bet if you want to hike snow-free. Two of them, Beaver Meadows and Fall River, are just west of the town of Estes Park. 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. Timed Entry Ticket: Park Access (excludes Bear Lake Road Corridor) is sufficient unless you choose to hike to Fern and Odessa Lakes. , Trailhead: Glacier Gorge (40.31053, -105.64033) Why we love it: This quiet winter hike avoids the Bear Lake throngs while still delivering the same stop-in-your-tracks alpine viewsincluding Longs Peakfor hardy snowshoers. Many hikes top out over 9,000 feet, with some reaching up to 13,000 and 14,000 feet. How long does it take to drive Trail Ridge Road? The hike itself is relatively easy but follows uneven terrain and rock so take caution with small children and older folks. 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. Want to receive a printed insiders guide to Colorados four national parks including Rocky Mountain National Park? This is one of the highest national parks in the USA. If you love lakes you'll like this hike. Few people hike out this far so this is a great place to leave the crowds behind. Entrance tickets and fees. What would be the best time to hike RMNP after labor day? In fact, it is such a popular place to visit that you now need a timed entry permit to enter. Hi Julie! Yes. After one final short and strenuous climb you arrive at Chasm Lake. They can linger into September, when fall colors continue to attract visitors and hikers. ), you can spend the mornings hiking and the afternoons relaxing in Estes Park or wherever you might be staying. For example, if you hike Deer Mountain at 6 am, you do not need a permit. 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. This station is .25 miles north of the Kawuneeche Visitor Center near the beautiful Kawuneeche Valley. If you do not plan on visiting the Bear Lake Corridor, and you plan to enter the park before 9 am, you do not need a permit. The Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is the best place to get information, books, maps and backcountry permits, as well as catch the park bus. And you must have really been moving to catch sunrise at Chasm Lake. The vast majority of these people visited the park between Memorial Day and Labor Day. And if you hike fast, you should have no problem getting to all 3 lakes on Tuesday afternoon. Lily Lake. Moraine Park Campground is located in Rocky Mountain National Park near the Beaver Meadows Entrance on Highway 36. It is located further north than the Beaver Meadows Entrance. All passes are available at all park entrance stations. Due to its large size and long list of noteworthy hikes, you need several days to explore Rocky Mountain National Park. Rocky Mountain National Park Neighborhood Guide. The Fall River entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park is located on highway 34 approximately 5 miles east of Estes Park. Price. Put your higher hikes in the second half of your RMNP visit and you should be fine. In July, we hiked through a snowstorm on the way back from Sky Pond. The park has gotten so popular that in 2020 a timed entry system was put into effect. The views from the overlooks are stunning. On the west side of the park, located approximately two miles north of Grand Lake, is the Grand Lake Entrance Station. This is a great hike for newbie hikers who want to summit a mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. Fall River Visitor Center features life-sized displays of a wide variety of park wildlife. In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. You can also access Bear Lake Road, but it requires an additional 10 minutes of driving. 7.5 to 10 miles, depending on the route you choose. There are a million different ways to put together a Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary, and how you choose to do so really depends on your interests, the time of year you plan to visit the park, and the weather. Rocky Mountain National Park is open all year. It is our favorite short hike in the park. 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). Outside the usual water, bug spray, sunscreen, etc? Estes Park sits to the east of the park. Moraine Park - Located just a few miles east from the park headquarters, Moraine Park is one of the best places to see elk in Rocky Mountain National Park. Plan on being at the trailhead by 7am (or earlier) if you want to park at the trailhead itself. 9. The west side of RMNP is not the side of RMNP that most people want to visit. Its a short, easy hike in the subalpine tundra so you have 360 degree views on the entire hike. 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). We have visited Rocky Mountain National Park several times in the past. Since I like to hike, I am guessing maybe 3 solid days? For now, the forecast does call for afternoon thunderstorms from what i can see on weather.com, It depends. It is equipped with a sofa bed and a double bed, and there is a fireplace in both the bedroom and the warm living room. Rocky Mountains National Park June 2023 Dec 05, 2022. Your email address will not be published. Trail Ridge Road is 48 miles long, connecting Estes Park to Grand Lake. This entrance station has two booths and is generally one of the quieter entrances of the park; however, on busy days you may have a short wait. Trail Ridge Road winds high into the Rockies, taking visitors into the treeless tundra. In 2021, RMNP was the fifth most visited park in the USA, receiving 4.4 million visitors. I think that puts the Mills Lake + Loch Vale hike somewhere around 7.6 miles total. The Fall River entrance also has three entry booths and can sometimes be a faster way to enter the park when it is busy. The most popular hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Crowds are still big in September, both to see fall colors and the elk mating season. Rocky Mountain National Park is home to 2 fantastic scenic drive opportunities. From Glacier Gorge parking lot (get there super earlypeople are rolling into the park before 5 am if they dont have a timed entry ticket so parking lots are filling up earlier this year), hike to Mills Lake. For your afternoon activities, just keep your fingers crossed that you wont have afternoon thunderstorms on those days. Rocky Mountain National Park made our list of the best national parks for kids. Looking at the trail signs on our Sky Pond guide, it looks like hiking the spur only to Loch Vale adds 1.6 miles total. Restaurants. Find out what to do, what to see, tours to join and more! Thank you! 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There are four main entrance stations to Rocky Mountain National Park. Dont miss Forest Canyon Overlook, one of the best on the drive. Be aware that you'll need to make a left turn at the stoplights onto Moraine Avenue. Best nearby. The main entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park is located on highway 36 just four miles west of downtown Estes Park. Follow the three day Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary. We spent one wonderful week in Rocky Mountain National Park in July. On the west side of the park is the Kawuneeche entrance, located just north of the town of Grand Lake. Whats the Best Season to Visit Rocky Mountain National Park. Park Details. Mills Lake and Loch Vale are very nice and might be perfect for you. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of our nation's most spectacular national parks with 415sq. 11. Moraine Park Campground. Mills and Black Lake. Crowds will begin to quiet down in October, but snow on the trails becomes a lot more likely. But its only worth it if skies are clear. 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. This year's system has loosened to 75% to 85% of parking capacity. Cheers, Julie. You're going to want to start early, because parking fills up fast. 1. Bear Lake with Longs Peak and the Keyboard of the Winds in the background. This station, which is one mile west of the park's headquarters and Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, usually receives the highest volume of visitors. Learn more on the official National Park Service website. This is an essential hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. If you are coming from sea level, you will feel the effects of the altitude as soon as you do anything strenuous. This is the hike that I recommend for today. Information? If you have five or more days in Rocky Mountain National Park (lucky you! At this elevation, its not enough to cause altitude sickness, but you will tire and get out of breath easily. Cheers, Julie. Cheers, Julie. 80517. Youll reach Trail Ridge Road a lot faster than those waiting in line at the Beaver Meadows Entrance during the summer and fall seasons. This hike adds on Lake Haiyaha, another very pretty alpine lake.