Overview:
Rocky Mountain National Park (“RMNP”) is one of the most beautiful and easily accessible parks in the US (only 90 minutes from Denver). While I most love this park for its stunning backcountry trails in the high alpine tundra, it has a lot to offer everyone, even if you never venture far from your car.
In this post you will find ideas for how to plan your adventure, including thoughts on where to stay, when to go, and where to explore. I hope you enjoy!
Navigating the Park and When To Go
RMNP is at high elevation, and so it gets some pretty intense storms and LOTS of snow in the winter. While the park is “open” in the winter for intense adventures, most of the roads are not, including the Trail Ridge Road which connects the east and west sides of the park. That’s why for a first visit I’d recommend going when you can drive the road, typically in June - September (exact dates differ each year depending on snow levels).
The Trail Ridge Road, (also known as The Highway in the Sky by locals) is one of the most beautiful roads in the US. The 48-mile road, which climbs above 12,000 feet elevation, is the highest continuously paved road in the US, and will take you up into areas of high alpine typically only seen by hardcore hikers. The alpine tundra, well above the tree line, with its beautiful, sensitive vegetation and jaw-dropping mountain vistas is one of my most happy places (and doesn’t even require any physical fitness to get to!). While driving the road be sure to stop at the Alpine Visitor Center (the highest visitor center in the National Park System), and all of the pull-outs along the top where you’ll get to hang out with the delightful marmots.
Pro tip: rather than taking Trail Ridge Road the whole way, the more adventurous will choose Old Fall River Road. It’s a splendid, one-way roadway starting near the Alluvial Fan, near Estes Park, and terminating at the visitor center near the top of Trail Ridge Road.
If your goal is intense hiking, the best time to visit is July through early September. It always surprises people, but because of the elevation, many of the most stunning alpine lakes and summits trails are under snow until July (sometimes later).
I had to posthole through pretty serious snowfields to get even to this point around 12,000 feet of elevation on July 5th, 2019.
While I haven’t been, I’ve heard from a number of people that mid-September - October can also be a beautiful time to visit for leaf peeping and elk watching (however, the weather can be more unpredictable this time of year so be prepared for road closures).
Pro tip: if RMNP has any downsides, it’s that it can get quite crowded. Not surprisingly, summer is the busiest season, which can make parking at popular trailheads or the Alpine Visitor Center problematic in the middle of the day. RMNP has buses to many of the popular trailheads to help with parking congestion. That said, even during popular holidays like the fourth of July (when I went as park of my walkabout in 2019), starting early is a sure way to beat the crowds and enjoy the best photography and hiking conditions.
Where to stay?
RMNP can be divided in two: what’s east of the continental divide (entered through Estes) and the west continental divide (entered through Grand Lake). The Trail Ridge Road connects the two sides. If you are already in Denver and only have one day it can be nice to do a loop, entering on Estes side of park, driving the Trail Ridge / Old Fall River Road, and exiting out at Grand Lake before returning to Denver via Winter Park.
However, with so many mountains to explore and over 300+ miles of trails (not to mention hundreds more in adjacent national forests), the park is simply too big and diverse to explore properly in a day (let alone a few). The best way to experience it is on multi-day backpacking trips (there are countless classic routes and backcountry camp sites); however, if that’s not your speed, it’s important to decide where you want to spend your time and where you want to set up basecamp – east side or west side.
East Side (Estes Park), the primary gateway to RMNP is only 90 minutes to Denver (with no traffic). I’ve visited Estes many times in my life, and I love taking the longer scenic way on 34 which winds through canyons, amidst pine forests, and beside roaring rivers. Whether you go this way, or more directly from Denver, you’ll be greeted by the dramatic range of giants towering above the town, including Longs Peak, at 14,259 feet, only 10 miles away but 7,000 vertical feet above you.
There’s no question this is the busier side of the park, and that comes with tradeoffs. Parking and restaurant reservations can be hard to come by on summer weekends, and many of the trails (especially the easier ones) are often packed with people (especially in the middle of the day and on weekends). However, the views are stunning, and you are much closer to many of the parks most famous hikes and peaks.
If staying on the east side, there are plenty of lodging options in Estes and campgrounds in the park you could use a basecamp, including Aspen Glen, Glacier Basin, Longs Peak, and Moraine Park.
West Side (Grand Lake), is further from Denver (2-3 hours with no traffic).
While Grand Lake has less dramatic views of the mountains than Estes, they are still beautiful. In truth, I appreciated that it felt (a bit) sleepier than Estes, while still having plenty of restaurants and activities. As someone who seeks out the most isolated and quiet parts of every park, I also valued finding some truly stunning (and less busy) hikes near the park entrance.
If you’re looking to travel fancy, the Grand Lake Lodge is a beautiful property. While I didn’t stay there, I did have a nice meal in their restaurant which has an awesome view of the Lake and mountains. Other cheaper hotel options are available in Grand Lake, or south in Winter Park, Fraser, and Granby if you’re willing to drive further for lower prices. The only camping option inside this part of the is Timber Creek, however there are lots of backcountry campsites not too far from the trailheads if you want to unplug for a few days.
Hiking:
You can find whatever you are looking for in Rocky Mountain National Park – wheel chair friendly meadow loops and short easy strolls (Toll Memorial Trail is particularly nice) all the way to a 14er (Longs Peak) and off trail scrambles.
When deciding where to hike don’t be fooled by the trail lengths alone, especially if you are coming from lower elevation. The air feels extremely thin your first few days (especially up in the alpine tundra) and many of the trails have significant elevation gains. Save your harder hikes at high elevation for after your body has had time to acclimate.
Two of the most popular (and beautiful) hikes out of Estes Park are Sky Pond (8.1 miles and 1,765 vertical) and Chasm Lake (9.4 miles and 2,600 elevation gain). Both trails can get quite busy so start early if you’re planning to hike either one.
If you’re looking for something intense and more remote on the West side of the park, I really enjoyed Spirit Lake via the East Inlet Trail. It’s a butt kicker at 16 miles round trip with 2,900 net vertical gain, but it’s worth it both for the solitude you’ll get and for the views of three separate and very different looking mountain lakes. You can do a less intense (but still plenty hard) version of the hike by turning around at one of the earlier lakes as well.
Note: a number of hikes (and parts of the road) climb above the tree line. While it is magical to explore the mountains so high up, be careful. Sudden lightning storms are common and deadly in the summer in the Rockies. To avoid, make sure to check the weather often and hike early. If you are at elevation and see a storm forming (even if the forecast was clear earlier in the day) head for lower ground below the tree line immediately.
Photography:
There are easier to access photography spots on the eastern side of the park. Dream Lake is a particularly common at sunrise, partly because it is beautiful and partly because it is not a far hike; however, I think climbing to more remote lakes makes for even more interesting compositions if you’re willing to carry your gear.
The park also has a lot of wildlife which can be framed in interesting ways. While I didn’t set out to do any wildlife photography in the park, I’m sure you could spend days doing so. That said, elk and moose are both plentiful, and just carrying your camera on any major hike is likely to lead to at least one close encounter. (Stay away though - both can be quite dangerous, especially mothers with their young and males during the rutting period in the fall.)
However, my favorite animals in the park were actually the common marmots, a curious and adorable ground rodent that live in the alpine tundra.
Happy exploring friends! Don’t be shy to leave a comment or send me a note if you have other favorite spots that make the park special to you.