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. On day two, as you are still acclimating to the altitude, I recommend one of these hikes: Deer Mountain. This is the highest continuous paved road in the United States. Once the snow begins to fall, you can still hike many of the trails that we list, but you will need snowshoes. Cheers, Julie. One week was perfect for us. We stayed in a 3-bedroom house, #402, and it was perfect. Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the United States. The Fall River entrance is 4 miles from Estes Park a wonderful little mountain town. In July I will be doing Glacier NP so the hikes there should warm me up for RMNP QQ For RMNP, I noticed you mentioned the need for the extra pass (outside of America the beautiful) Are those passes setup in a way that they last 3 straight days (like how Yosemite or Glacier) or just limited to one day? Rocky Mountain National Park - Estes Park-Grand Lake Alternatively, continue straight ahead and you'll find yourself on the dramatic Trail Ridge Road which leads over the Continental Divide to the west side of the park and Grand Lake. Take the shuttle to avoid parking hassles. The road is well-graded and suitable for standard cars. You will need a Bear Lake Road Corridor + Full Park Access Timed Entry Ticket (Park Access +)for this day. Entrance tickets and fees. Do you think I can do Nymph, dream and emerald lakes (or at least 2 out of those 3?). To visit Rocky Mountain National Park from May 26 to October 22, 2023, you will need to reserve a permit in advance. Rocky Mountain National Park Fees. I dont know if it is too late, but you could always try to get a permit so you dont have to start super early. But more often than not, in the summer, afternoon storms will occur. Typically this road12,183 feet at it's highest point, remains closed from late-October to late-May. First-timer's guide to visit Rocky Mountain National Park Want to receive a printed insiders guide to Colorados four national parks including Rocky Mountain National Park? This road is gravel and is quite narrow. Trail Type: Out-and-back. Rocky Mountain National Park Travel Guide - Earth Trekkers For now, the forecast does call for afternoon thunderstorms from what i can see on weather.com, It depends. Inside the park, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy offers year-round seminars, guided fly-fishing, naturalist tours, hiking and photography classes. 5 Best RV Parks Near Rocky Mountain National Park - RV LIFE Rocky Mountain National Park is open all year. Take a 0.4-mile detour to Lake Haiyaha for an added bonus. I recommend hiking Longs Peak on the day with the clearest weather. After the passes and permits are sorted, they will offer you a park map and a park newspaper. Should I spend my time on the east side or the west side of the park? Rocky Mountain National Park Travel Guide - Parks & Trips If you have no desire to fill each day with a hike, your itinerary will look something like this: Day 1: Nymph, Dream & Emerald Lakes plus Trail Ridge Road and the Alpine Ridge Trail Day 2: Gem Lake in the morning, Estes Park in the afternoon Day 3: Sky Pond Day 4: Old Fall River Road and Estes Park Day 5: Mills and Black Lakes Day 6: More activities in Estes Park Day 7: Deer Mountain. 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. Alpine Ridge Road reaches its highest point at 12,183 feet. If you are coming from Estes Park, this drive takes 30 minutes. On our first attempt it was cloudy and we could barely see the lake and we couldnt see the spires of rock around the lake at all. When is the best time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park? Park Details. View from the Alpine Ridge Trail | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. The best way to . Is there anything you recommend to bring on the hikes? The Inn on Fall River & Fall River Cabins. This hike passes Cub Lake, Fern Falls, Fern Lake, Odessa Lake and Lake Helene. Hike to one of the most popular waterfalls in RMNP. From the summit you have a great view over Moraine Park and Longs Peak. Earth Trekkers is my starting point for every hiking vacation. Flattop Mountain to Hallett Peak. If so, you need one for each day that you plan to visit RMNP. Also, if Longs Peak is on your list, watch the weather report for your visit. Drive Trail Ridge Road. Mount Ida. If you want to see some of the best lakes such as Bear Lake, Glacier Gorge, or Sprague Lake, then you should go to the Beaver Meadows entrance. We are going to put RMNP last so we have time to get used to the altitude, because we are from the East Coast. Located just a couple minutes from Grand Lake, the Grand Lake Entrance is arguably the parks best-kept secret. This hike is much different than many other hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. Cheers, Julie. The job of the entrance station rangers is to welcome the visitors to the park, issue entrance passes, and answer visitor questions. If you did not do it yet, you have the option to hike the short but sweet Ute Trail to Tombstone Ridge. 4. Restaurants. Site by, Learn about the different park pass options available, Temporary Closures In Lumpy Ridge And Loch Vale Areas Begin February 15 to Protect Nesting Raptors, Winter Adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park, RMNP continues pilot timed entry permit reservations from May 26 through Oct 22, Winter Pile Burning Operations On Both Sides Of Park. The best entrance for Rocky Mountain National Park is Beaver Meadows Entrance or Fall River Entrance. They can linger into September, when fall colors continue to attract visitors and hikers. If you live in Colorado and/or are planning on visiting the park more than once, you can get the Rocky Mountain National Park Annual Pass for US$ 70 per vehicle. If you have five or more days in Rocky Mountain National Park (lucky you! One of the drawbacks of visiting Rocky Mountain National Park during the winter months is that Trail Ridge Road is closed. Timed Entry Ticket: Park Access (excludes Bear Lake Road Corridor) is sufficient unless you choose to hike to Fern and Odessa Lakes. Funds from RMNP passes insure the preservation of the Lily Lake area and help to maintain the parking lot, vault. Rocky Mountain National Park also offers a lot to do for those who arent big fans of hiking. How long does it take to drive Trail Ridge Road? How Many Days Do You Need in Rocky Mountain National Park? However, this property gets rave reviews. 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. The Mummy Mountain Range, Lumpy Ridge, and several . Elk on Trail Ridge Road | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. When to Visit. Start your trip off right, with a hike from the Bear Lake trailhead at the end of Bear Lake Road. 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. Not bad for a town of 400 residents, all of whom seem . This is one of the most popular hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. This entrance is right next to the intersection with Bear Lake Road providing you with easy access to this area of the park. Or visit recreation.gov to make your reservation. If you are an avid hiker, dont miss the Gunnison Route, a trail that takes you from the rim to the Gunnison River. Longs Peak is the biggest at 14,259 ft and can be seen from nearly anywhere. Grand Lake, Colorado at Rocky Mountain National Park It is only staffed in the busy season and during the busiest hours of the day the line can get long. Visiting RMNP from Breckenridge regardless of which entrance you use is not ideal. 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. In the winter months, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing top the list. But its only worth it if skies are clear. Cheers, Julie. 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). 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. Rocky Mountain National Park began addressing crowding . 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. Black Lake looks similar to Chasm Lake, as both of these alpine lakes are surrounded by jagged mountain peaks. You can also see more travel itineraries on our Travel Itineraries page and our National Park Itineraries. Lily Lake. This route will lead you up past the Stanley Hotel. 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. I was thinking June but am guessing some of the hikes up about 10k feet would still have snow? This is the best Timed Entry Permit for visitors planning to drive over Trail Ridge Road, recreate on the west side of the park, as well as access Longs Peak, Lily Lake, East Inlet, Wild Basin, and all other outlying areas of RMNP. (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. Hiking poles can help you keep your balance in the snow. You can hike here from Glacier Gorge or Bear Lake Trailhead.