Rent kayaks, stand-up paddleboards or pedal boats and explore Grand Lake, Colorado's largest natural lake. 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. If you do not have a reservation, you will not be allowed to enter the park. If you plan to go hiking during July and August, you will have to assume that there will be a 2 pm thunderstorm. You can get to the Fall River Entrance by driving 5-10 minutes on US 34 west from Estes Park. The permit is in effect from 9 am to 2 pm. If you are an avid hiker, dont miss the Gunnison Route, a trail that takes you from the rim to the Gunnison River. Phone. Plenty of room, good WiFi, nice furnishings, and beautiful views from our balcony. Chasm Lake | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. You can also see more travel itineraries on our Travel Itineraries page and our National Park Itineraries. And bring a camera , its a beautiful park! Rocky Mountain National Park is a relatively large park, with a total area of 415 square miles. Yes, August is a great month to hike in RMNP. Illustrated t Tahosa Valley Cabin is situated near the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, easily sleeping up to four guests. Or is it pretty bad and long lasting? For more information about where to stay and where to eat, read our Guide to Estes Park. How Many Days Do You Need in Rocky Mountain National Park? Difficulty: Moderate. And if you hike fast, you should have no problem getting to all 3 lakes on Tuesday afternoon. 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. From the hotel it's a 15-minute drive to Beaver Meadows Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, while downtown Estes Park is just a couple of miles away. The Mummy Mountain Range, Lumpy Ridge, and several . Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Lily Lake. Loveland & Boulder, CO - Rocky Mountain lodging further away. Spend the rest of the day in Estes Park. You have included all of our favorite hikes in RMNP so I think your list looks good! If you are coming from sea level, you will feel the effects of the altitude as soon as you do anything strenuous. Trail Ridge Road is 48 miles long, connecting Estes Park to Grand Lake. Longs Peak is the highest mountain in the park, and the only fourteener in Rocky Mountain National Park. 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. With its large collection of hotels and restaurants, this is a great place to stay when you visit Rocky Mountain National Park. We stayed in a 3-bedroom house, #402, and it was perfect. Gorgeous alpine views can certainly be seen from this center located at 11,796' elevation! You can hike here from Glacier Gorge or Bear Lake Trailhead. Recorded Trail Ridge Road status: (970) 586-1222. Parking lot sizes vary. Cheers, Julie. The Beaver Meadows Entrance was remodeled in 2000-2001, adding another entrance lane to reduce the time spent waiting in line. Timed Entry Permit: If you have plans to visit the park in the summer months, dont forget to reserve your permit in advance. 3.4 miles, moderate, 2 to 3 hours. That is correct. Serving the park at the entrance stations and visitor centers are a group of dedicated full time and seasonal rangers and volunteers. Information? Turn around and look for the trailhead on your left. As part of the National Park system, Zion operates under the same rules as other parks. If you are an avid hiker, your itinerary will look something like this: Day 1: Nymph, Dream & Emerald Lakes plus Trail Ridge Road and the Alpine Ridge Trail Day 2: Deer Mountain in the morning, Estes Park in the afternoon/evening Day 3: Sky Pond Day 4: Continental Divide Trail to Mount Ida Day 5: Longs Peak Day 6: Rest day from hiking (Old Fall River Road and activities in Estes Park) Day 7: Chasm Lake. The west side of RMNP is not the side of RMNP that most people want to visit. Colorado has also designated Trail Ridge Road as a scenic and historic byway. We have info on this post on how to do this, so make sure you get your permit for each day that you plan to be in the park. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. With one day, I recommend going on a hike, starting at Bear Lake, and driving Trail Ridge Road (its awesome!). I hope you have a great time! ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. This year's system has loosened to 75% to 85% of parking capacity. I was thinking June but am guessing some of the hikes up about 10k feet would still have snow? You can visit Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) all year, but sections of the park close once the snow begins to fall. Also, it can snow every month of the year in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is situated on the north side of Moraine Park. You will reach Loch Vale before the final climb to Sky Pond. The job of the entrance station rangers is to welcome the visitors to the park, issue entrance passes, and answer visitor questions. From the Alpine Visitor Center, drive Alpine Ridge Road back to Estes Park. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to our use of cookies. This hiker shuttle take visitors to some of the most popular trails along Bear Lake Road. If you choose to skip Sky Pond, you can combine Loch Vale and Mills Lake into one hike. For more information about where to stay and where to eat, read our, Get updates on trail closures and park conditions on the National Park Service, Learn more about the national parks in our. This is one of the highest national parks in the USA. If you like scenic drives and going off-the-beaten-path, youll love this drive. On the west side of the park, located approximately two miles north of Grand Lake, is the Grand Lake Entrance Station. 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. You can get to this entrance without going through the middle of town by following highway 34 up East Wonderview Avenue. Stay on US 34 as it becomes Trail Ridge Road to enjoy a spectacular tour of the parks incredible landscapes. (Old Maps, 20th Century Maps, Americana, Travel, Tourism, Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park, Granby Reservoir, Granby).Grand Lake West Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.Published c. 1940's, United States.Folding cartoon pictorial travel map, printed on both sides of the sheet. And bring a headlampyoull be hiking before the sun comes up. For example, if you hike Deer Mountain at 6 am, you do not need a permit. All entrances into Rocky Mountain National Park require entrance fees, even the ones that don't have a physical entrance to drive through. 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. The road is well-graded and suitable for standard cars. The Fall River entrance is 4 miles from Estes Park a wonderful little mountain town. This is the highest continuous paved road in the United States. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Aspenglen, Moraine Park, and Glacier Basin are the most popular campgrounds and these get reserved well in advance. This is a great warm-up for those who plan to hike Longs Peak. The larger portion of the park sits to the south of Trail Ridge Road. At an elevation of over 14,000 feet, guests will be in awe of the breathtaking craggy peaks and lush valleys. Arrived at the park entrance before 5am which allowed us access to Bear Lake Road before the timed entry kicked in. And I think that RMNP just got its first snow storm of the fall season. During the summer months, afternoon thunderstorms are very common. Lake of Glass, seen on the hike to Sky Pond. Rocky Mountain National Park is a special place any season, but fall brings out the best in the park. Go back to the fork and then take the trail to Loch Vale. 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. Known as a "scenic wonder road of the world," it traverses 48 miles between Estes Park on the park's east side and Grand Lake on the west, taking in several not-to-be-missed sights. Crowds are still big in September, both to see fall colors and the elk mating season. Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the United States. Length: 5.2 miles round-trip. However, Old Fall River Road is only open during the summer months. Only 0.6 miles round trip, this flat, easy trail circles around Bear Lake. Mills and Black Lake. Two of them, Beaver Meadows and Fall River, are just west of the town of Estes Park. The park has gotten so popular that in 2020 a timed entry system was put into effect. For 48 miles, this road runs from Estes Park in the east to Grand Lake in the west. This entrance gives you access to Sandbeach Lake, Finch & Pear Lake, Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls, Thunder Lake, and Bluebird Lake. And for FREE checklist of the US National Parks, take a look at our article US National Parks List. But its only worth it if skies are clear. Mills Lake and Loch Vale are very nice and might be perfect for you. Timed Entry Ticket: Park Access (excludes Bear Lake Road Corridor) is sufficient unless you choose to hike to Fern and Odessa Lakes. Emerald Lake. Bear Lake: 0.6 miles, easy, 30 minutes. The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. Rocky Mountain high means snow, ice, and thin air - in exchange for jaw-dropping beauty. This gives you enough time to drive Alpine Ridge Road, Old Fall River Road, and hike a few of the trails. Thats a great question! Park Fee: $25 per vehicle, valid for 1 day. This hike starts just under 12,000 feet of elevation and it is a stair climb to the top. Plan on being at the trailhead by 7am (or earlier) if you want to park at the trailhead itself. From the summit you have a great view over Moraine Park and Longs Peak. Are you referring to the timed entry ticket? They are also happy to answer quick questions, but you have to keep them very short as there will almost certainly be others waiting behind you. Acreage: 265,769. If you are planning your Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary, this is a great place to start. Cheers, Julie. Mount Ida. 2. 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. If you are an avid hiker, I recommend spending five or more days in Rocky Mountain National Park. Pass Type. Thank you! The best time for this Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary is from Memorial Day through mid-October, when Trail Ridge Road is open. To see fall colors and the elk mating season, plan your visit from mid-September through mid-October. I think Augusts dates open on Jul 1 but i will be at Lassen NP around then (so idk about internet coverage and the morning ones usually fly out fast). This hike starts at Bear Lake and summits Flattop Mountain before arriving at Hallett Peak. If you had afternoon thunderstorms on Day One, drive Trail Ridge Road in the morning. Ideally, you want a day with crystal clear skies and no chance of rain. Lily Lake. On the other side of this entrance station you enter the meadows of the Kawuneeche Valley. In this Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary, many of days end by the early afternoon, because of these storms. To reserve a campsite at Elk Meadow Lodge & RV Park, call (970) 586-5342. . 15 Best Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. This road will lead you out of town and to the Beaver Meadows Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Cheers, Julie. If you are visiting between late May and mid-October during peak hours, then you will also need to show your timed entry permit to gain entry. Grand Lake's bustling little downtown with its charming historic boardwalk is right outside of Rocky Mountain National Park's West Entrance. Entrance Sign to Rocky Mountain National Park Photo: Depositphotos. Earth Trekkers is my starting point for every hiking vacation. You'll need to be prepared to pull over regularly to let cars pass that are coming the other way. Ah one for each day, got it Ty !! 4. From here, you can park at the trailheads and hike some of the best trails in RMNP, like Emerald and Dream Lakes, Alberta Falls, Sky Pond, Mills Lake, and Hallett Peak. Best nearby. If you want low crowds and dont mind cold temperatures and snow, plan your visit from November through May. By fv1989.