The best things to do in Rocky Mountain National Park

Heaven on Earth

One of the most popular destinations for residents and tourists alike is the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) just outside the beautiful Estes Park, Colorado. Only a stone’s throw from Denver and about 2.5 hours from Colorado Springs, RMNP entices visitors of all ages for its backpacking, camping, wildlife viewing, hiking, rock climbing, and stunning, picturesque views of the rugged Rocky Mountains

Jump to:

1. Best pit stops in Boulder
2. Best pit stops in Estes Park
3. Entering Rocky Mountain National Park
4. Best sights in Rocky Mountain National Park
5. Camping in RMNP and in/around Estes Park
6. FAQs

The most common route to the park from Colorado Springs or Denver is via Highway 36 through Bolder, Lyons, and Estes Park. I’d be lying if I said you won’t be drooling over the views you’ll get as you make your way to RMNP.

Best pit stops in Boulder

First stop: Boulder, Colorado! Home to the University of Colorado at Boulder and the majestic rock formation known as the Flatirons. If time allows, you will be doing yourself an absolute service by visiting some iconic locations within this awesome town.

For stretching your legs

For starters, get out and stretch your legs at Chautauqua Park, just a few blocks from CU’s main campus. Here you’ll find a handful of trails of variable difficulty from a simple stroll to a long summit hike of the Flatirons themselves.

If ease is your goal, start at the main Chautauqua Park trailhead and head south towards NCAR. This research center was designed by I. M. Pei, the same guy who designed the Louvre pyramid in Paris! You can also stroll through CU’s amazing campus and admire the beautiful Tuscan Vernacular Revival architecture.

However, if you’ve got a few extra hours or a lot of pent-up energy, hike up to the summit of the 1st Flatiron for unbeatable views of the rock formations and the city below.

• 

• 

• 

Where to grab a bite to eat

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a stop at the world-famous Pearl Street as you make your way through Boulder. Pearl Street is my choice location for eating each time I pass through Boulder due to it’s ambiance, up-scale dining and shopping options, and… street performers! If you’re looking for food or dining recommendations on Pearl Street, I’d recommend:

• Snooze (long wait times, but incredible brunch dishes and drinks)
• Avanti (a conglomerate of food truck style restaurants in one large space with a roof top bar)
• Boulder’s own Biergarten!

However, If you’re not up to dealing college kids bumbling about (trust me, I get it!), stay completely outside of town and hit up the iconic Avery Brewery on the northeast side of town on your way to RMNP; great beers, amazing food, and views of the Flatirons from their dog-friendly patio!

Back on the road, you’ll cruise west on Highway 36 out of Boulder towards Lyons, CO. Though the views are enticing, try to remain cognizant on this stretch of highway–bicyclists are extremely frequent here! As you reach the end of the highway, hang a left, and continue on your way to RMNP.

If you didn’t stop in Boulder for food or drinks and now you’re regretting that decision, fear not! A quick pit stop at Oskar Blues‘ flagship location can easily recharge your batteries with great craft beer, amazing food, and a dog-friendly patio. Then, it’s back on the road for just under an hour until Estes Park!

Best pit stops in Estes Park

Estes Park could be a post all on its own, but I’ll try to capture the highlights for you real quick!

For stretching your legs

If you didn’t stretch your legs in Boulder or Lyons, now’s the perfect time to get out and walk around! As you pull into town, you might recognize a large, white building near the base of the mountains and an eerie chill going down your spine as you hear the echo of “REDRUM”. Well, you guessed it, that’s the famous Stanley Hotel! While Jack Nicholson no longer haunts these grounds, you can rest assured that your visit through the halls will be safe. Be sure to stop in at the little cafe in the bottom of the hotel for a snack!

For a bite to eat

Feeling like bypassing the tourist attractions? Head onto main street and park next to the Park Theatre Cafe (40.37W, 105.52N) for free parking and enjoy a lavender latte at Inkwell and Brew as you look through their quirky store full of journaling materials.

Need more than a snack? Head down Elkhorn towards Ed’s Cantina & Grill for a poblano grilled cheese and a local beer. Be sure to order local beer straight from the Estes Park Brewery also!

Lastly, if you’ve got a few extra hours, become a total tourist for a little bit by walking down main street and touring the local tourist shops. No trip to Estes is complete without buying some Rocky Mountain taffy from one of the dozen candy stores!

• 

• 

Entering RMNP

There are two ways into the park from Estes: the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center entrance and the Fall River Visitor Center. Either one you choose will eventually get you to the same places throughout the park, so don’t fret on choosing one way over the other.

My recommendation is through the Beaver Meadows visitor center location as it puts you on a good path towards some of the highlights of the park. Once inside the park ($25 per car or free for military with the America the Beautiful Pass), I’d recommend Bear Lake as your first stop.

Best sights in Rocky Mountain National Park

Bear Lake

Bear Lake is by far my favorite place in the park, and my favorite place in the entire world. While I’ve been to the top of the Eiffel Tower and touched the remnants of the Berlin Wall in Germany, Bear Lake holds a special place in my heart for it’s beauty, serenity, seclusion, and vibrations.

There’s a path around the lake and I recommend going counterclockwise when you decide to take it. Shortly into the small trek, look towards the south and notice Long’s Peak framed perfectly atop Bear Lake with an intense sawtooth range accompanying it like the edge of a serrated knife.

If you’re there in the fall sometime, be sure to admire the aspens changing from to neon yellow to deep red as they set the landscape ablaze with color and awe. If you’ve found yourself here in the winter, walk out onto the ice and spin in circles in admiration for the winter wonderland you’ve found yourself in. Maybe you decide to visit in the summer like I have countless times before to notice the submerge yourself in the sounds of nature as you sit on the rocks on the lake’s shore.

Listen to the birds whistling their songs, the leaves falling from their limbs back to mother earth, the calling of water from the small waves lapping the shoreline. Be at peace here.

Dream Lake

Once your visit to Bear Lake is finished, you’ve got a few options. Option one is to continue to your car and off to another incredible attraction accessible by car (which I’ll get to later either way) or option two is to hike to another highly-photographed location in RMNP, Dream Lake. The trek is only a 2.2 mile roundtrip from the Bear Lake trailhead, and it’s an absolute beaut of a hike. To get there, rather than continuing on to the parking lot (or if you’ve decided to pass Bear Lake all together), take the trial to the left just before the beginning of the trail around Bear Lake and head south.

I should note that neither Bear Lake or Dream Lake are dog friendly, so if you have a fur baby, I’d recommend leaving them either at the camp site, or in the car if it’s not too hot.

If you’ve decided to continue on after the short stretch of trail around Bear Lake, or if you’ve just finished the hike to Dream Lake, I’d recommend giving your legs a short break by visiting the Trail Ridge Summit Road for unparalleled views of the Rocky Mountains.

Trail Ridge Summit Road

There are two ways to get to here: 1) Take Trail Ridge Road, which takes about an hour from the Bear Lake Trailhead. That time will fly as you wind through curvy mountain roads, overlooking hundreds of miles of evergreen forests and mountain ranges. 2) Take Old Fall River Road, an 11-mile long gravel road that switchbacks through the Rockies alongside Fall River to the Alpine Alpine Visitor Center, the highest visitor center of any National Park in the US! The road is steep and doesn’t have a guardrail, but there’s a few spots to pull out to park and enjoy some real park scenery; see below!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Once up here, keep a watchful eye for wildlife enjoying the summertime sunshine! Not uncommon to see at this altitude are marmots, big horn sheep, elk, ptarmigans, and even wolves!

• 

• 

• 

Moose spotting

When you’re done snapping insta-worthy selfies and landscape photos, head back down Trail Ridge Road towards the Fall River Visitor Center and see if you don’t spot a large moose at one of the most popular viewing locations on the east side of the park. Pull off at Beaver Ponds to easily spot young moose as they feast on the willow and aspen growth.

Camping in Estes

If you’ve managed to squeeze all these locations in in one day, then you’re likely exhausted and looking to start making your way to camp. Camping inside the park can be hard to secure with reservations filling months in advance, so try camping just outside the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center at Elk Meadow Lodge & RV Park. If that’s full, go a little further in town to Mary’s Lake Campground for a spot near an amazing mountain lake.

However, do yourself a solid and swing by Moraine Campground before you leave and see if there’s not a first-come, first-serve spot still available. This spot has incredible views of Long’s Peak (the only 14er in a National Park and the highest point in RMNP) and countless chances to spot wildlife meandering throughout the park.

If dispersed camping is more your thing (as it is mine), head east back out of Estes a few miles and keep your eyes peeled for National Forest entry signs to the north. Much quieter and fewer peeps!

• 

• 

• 

Each day in the park will seem to go by entirely too fast. For that reason, bask in the sights you come across and bathe in nature as long as you can before reluctantly proceeding back reality. If nothing else, let these locations and images inspire you to seek out your own favorite location in the park and make it yours! As always, if you know of some epic spots in this area that I didn’t call out, comment below and let your fellow globetrotters know!

FAQs

• Is Rocky Mountain National Park open? Does Rocky Mountain National Park require reservations?
  • Yes and yes. Rocky Mountain National Park is open daily however; visitors will need to ensure they make a reservation due to the Timed Entry Permit until October 2021. More details can be found here.
• Is Rocky Mountain National Park dog friendly? Does Rocky Mountain National Park allow dogs?
  • Dogs are allowed into Rocky Mountain National Park, yes. However, none of the trails in the park are dog friendly, meaning they’ll need to remain at your camp site or will be only allowed to go where a car could go (e.g., paved roads, etc.).
• Is Rocky Mountain National Park Free?
  • No. RMNP is $25 per car or free for military with the America the Beautiful Pass
• When does Rocky Mountain National Park Open? When does Rocky Mountain National Park close?
  • Rocky Mountain National Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, weather (and wildfire) permitting! Make sure you have a reservation if you plan on visiting before October 2021 here.
• Can you enter the park before the posted hours?
  • Yes, yes you can. It’s very wise to do this to ensure you beat the crowds and get amazing sunrise photos also!
• How far is Rocky Mountain National Park from Denver?
  • Depending on traffic, RMNP can be as quick as an hour and 30 minutes! However, if you follow the advice in my blog and stop to stretch your legs or grab some food, budget a good 3 hours or so.
• How big is Rocky Mountain National Park? How high is Rocky Mountain National Park?
  • Rocky Mountain National Park is 415 square miles large and its tallest point is Longs Peak at 14,259 feet above sea level! Want to climb it? Check out my guide here! Want to drive to the highest point? Take Trail Ridge Road to drive at over 12,000 feet!
• What to do in Rocky Mountain National Park?
  • Read my post!
• When to visit Rocky Mountain National Park?
  • It depends on what you want to see! Want to see the changing Aspens? I’d recommend going in early- to mid-August. Want to see the snow-covered mountains? The snow starts falling here in late September/early October and continues until mid-May! Interested in wildflowers? Arrive here around mid- to late-June, possibly even the beginning of July.
• Where is Rocky Mountain National Park?
  • Just west of Estes Park, Colorado, USA
• Who established Rocky Mountain National Park? Why was Rocky Mountain National Park established?
  • Rocky Mountain National Park was established thanks to the Rocky Mountain National Park Act signed by President Woodrow Wilson on 26 January 1915. Icons Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir, and others had established a culture of appreciation towards nature around the 1900s at the national level and declaring this land persevered for future generations was a manifestation of that culture.