Entrance Sign to Rocky Mountain National Park Photo: Depositphotos. 4. As part of the National Park system, Zion operates under the same rules as other parks. You have included all of our favorite hikes in RMNP so I think your list looks good! Take the shuttle to avoid parking hassles. After one final short and strenuous climb you arrive at Chasm Lake. If you hike to Sky Pond, you will hike through the Loch to get there. Many of the taller peaks make up the Continental Divide, where snowmelt runs . . Most recently, in 2020, we spent one very busy week here, and learned a lot about this park. , Tombstone Ridge | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. Rocky Mountain National Park was established on January 26, 1915, and has a total area of 265,795 acres (415 square miles, or 1,076 square kilometers). Nymph, Dream, Emerald, Haiyaha and Bear Lake: You can learn more about all of these hikes on our post, For full details on how to spend one day in Rocky Mountain National Park, read our post, Two Day Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. Get a free Colorado national park trip planner for inspiring itineraries and essential information. This station is .25 miles from our newest visitor center, the Fall River Visitor Center. 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. Waterproof hiking shoes or boots are a great idea too, since snow is a possibility on some of these trails, all year. You'll need to be prepared to pull over regularly to let cars pass that are coming the other way. And if you hike fast, you should have no problem getting to all 3 lakes on Tuesday afternoon. Once you are finished hiking, hop back into your car. Snow can start to fall in September. See five lakes in one hike. best things to do in Rocky Mountain National Park. For a longer list, read our post about Estes Park. Nymph, Dream & Emerald Lakes: 3.6 miles, easy to moderate, 2 to 3 hours. There are pull outs along the road for viewing but can get busy during the day so head . 11. Acreage: 265,769. Pre-hike fuel: Near the main junction in Estes, hit up Notchtop . Flattop Mountain to Hallett Peak. To ensure everyone gets a chance to experience the park during this . Parking at the most popular trailheads fill up extremely early in the day. If you are coming from a lower elevation and plan to hike to these taller peaks, you will need to spend a few days in the park, acclimating to the higher elevation, before you tackle these hikes. Private vehicle: $30, valid for 1 day / $35, valid for 7 days; Motorcycle: $25, valid for 1 day / $30, valid for 7 days; Per person (including cyclists): $15, valid for 1 day Equally enjoyable on foot or from your car, there are four separate ecosystems: montane, subalpine, alpine tundra, and riparian. Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado From May 25 through Oct. 22, you'll need what Rocky Mountain National Park calls a timed entry permit , aka a reservation, depending on what time of day . Ideally, you want a day with crystal clear skies and no chance of rain. Emerald Lake | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. Ty in advance for your help as usual ! The Wild Basin entrance is located 13.5 miles south of Estes Park just off of scenic highway 7. Turn west onto Highway 84 (Wild Basin Road) and follow it for 0.4 miles to the Wild Basin entrance station. 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. By fv1989. RMNP is quite popular, with about than 3 million visitors a year. Colorado Springs. Length: 5.2 miles round-trip. This gives you enough time to acclimate to the higher elevation (very important if you live at a low elevation) before tackling some of the higher, tougher hikes (such as Mount Ida, Hallett Peak, or Longs Peak). However, Old Fall River Road is only open during the summer months. Anything to keep in mind? From the summit you have a great view over Moraine Park and Longs Peak. 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. We still had some snow in a few spots at the higher elevations. Plan on being at the trailhead by 7am (or earlier) if you want to park at the trailhead itself. 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. Entrance tickets and fees. Here are six tips on what to do in Estes Park during your Rocky Mountain National Park vacation. On the west side of the park, located approximately two miles north of Grand Lake, is the Grand Lake Entrance Station. Trailhead Location. For those with an interest in historical sites, make sure you visit the Holzwarth Historical Site and learn more about the life of Colorado homesteaders. View from Mount Ida | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. Complete Rocky Mountain National Park Winter Guide. BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON: One of the best things to do on the South Rim is to drive South Rim Drive to the overlooks of the Black Canyon. Cheers, Julie. I love all of the information you provide and find your advice extremely helpful. Park at Bear Lake Trailhead. Yes, August is a great month to hike in RMNP. It is about 2 hours to get to the western entrance and 2 3/4 hours to get to the eastern entrance, taking the least scenic routes in both cases and hoping for no significant delays for the Twin Tunnels construction near Idaho Springs. Our website uses cookies. Is it worth going to RMNP if I only have 4 hours? Stop at Alpine Visitor Center, the highest visitor center in the US national parks. Gem Lake | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. The best entrance for Rocky Mountain National Park is Beaver Meadows Entrance or Fall River Entrance. Take your pick from one, two, three, and four bedroom houses that come equipped with a full kitchen. This hiker shuttle take visitors to some of the most popular trails along Bear Lake Road. When is the best time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park? There will be people. If you plan to visit multiple national parks, consider purchasing the America the Beautiful Pass ($80 and valid for all of the national parks for one year). But one afternoon, they went until dinner, off and on. If you are looking for a relatively uncrowded trail with the chance to visit multiple alpine lakes, this is a nice hike to consider. It may sound counterintuitive, but if you really want to see Rocky Mountain National Park hassle-free, leave your car behind. During the busy summer months, a free shuttle service is provided by the national park service. You spend very little time below the tree line, so the views are incredible for most of the hike. In July, we hiked through a snowstorm on the way back from Sky Pond. I lucked out and it didnt rain on the 3 main days i was hiking (there was some rain on the day i came in but even that stopped around 4p and i was able to do nymph to dream to emerald and bear lake hike that evening). The Beaver Meadows Entrance was remodeled . That is correct. While in Rocky Mountain National Park, please practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace: plan ahead, stay on the trails, pack out what you bring to the hiking trails, properly dispose of waste, leave areas as you found them, minimize campfire impacts, be considerate of other hikers, and do not approach or feed wildlife. 94 within 3 miles. The Kawuneeche entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park is located 2 miles north of Grand Lake on highway 34. This helps control crowd levels on the roads and hiking trails. This entrance is right next to the intersection with Bear Lake Road providing you with easy access to this area of the park. You will need a Park Access (Excludes Bear Lake Road Corridor) permit if you plan to hike Chasm Lake or Mount Ida. I recommend wearing waterproof hiking shoes or boots (not running or walking shoes) so that you have good traction. Are you referring to the timed entry ticket? or maybe 4? After the trail split, the hike gets easier and the views of Longs Peak and the alpine landscape is jaw-dropping. If you plan to do a lot of hiking and drive Trail Ridge Road, plan on visiting Rocky Mountain National Park between Memorial Day and mid-October. Due to its large size and long list of noteworthy hikes, you need several days to explore Rocky Mountain National Park. 9. 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. GREAT SAND DUNES: In our article Best Things to Do in Great Sand Dunes National Park, we cover the top experiences, plus how to plan your time, where to stay, and more. This tough hike follows along the Continental Divide, starting at 10,800 feet and tops out at 12,899 feet on Mount Ida. Trail Type: Out-and-back. Best Things to do in Rocky Mountain National Park. Your email address will not be published. Here you'll have access to Holzwarth Historic Site, the Coyote Valley Trail, the Colorado River Trail, Green Mountain, and Onahu Trail as well as Trail Ridge Road. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. For now, the forecast does call for afternoon thunderstorms from what i can see on weather.com, It depends. Hiking poles can help you keep your balance in the snow. Cheers, Julie, Your email address will not be published. Also, it can snow every month of the year in Rocky Mountain National Park. Outside the usual water, bug spray, sunscreen, etc? Never been to park at all. Just wrapped up my RMNP trip, ty so much for your help with the itinerary. It includes Bear Lake Road and the hikes that start here (Bear Lake, Emerald and Dream Lakes, Alberta Falls, Sky Pond, Hallett Peak, and Sprague Lake). 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. Elk on Trail Ridge Road | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. 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. Along the way, its a quick stop to see Chasm Falls. Unsubscribe anytime by clicking the link at the bottom of your email. It is only staffed in the busy season and during the busiest hours of the day the line can get long. View from the Alpine Ridge Trail | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. What would be the best time to hike RMNP after labor day? What are some alternate routes if Trail Ridge Road is closed? It is close to my Rocky Mtn NP trip (going there next week tue-sat), I wanted your opinion for this following itinerary and if it is doable 1) Tuesday afternoon: I will be at RMNP around 4pm. Have a great trip! 2. After the passes and permits are sorted, they will offer you a park map and a park newspaper. 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. At this elevation, its not enough to cause altitude sickness, but you will tire and get out of breath easily. The west side (Grand Lake side) is more about the Kawuneeche Valley and the Colorado River. Emerald Lake. Thank you! Length: 5.5 miles. For five days or more, follow our four day itinerary and for each additional day that you have, add on another hike. Bodies of Water. Once you pass through the entrance booth, you have access to that area of the park (for example, if you are coming from Estes Park and enter through the Beaver Meadows entrance before 9 am, you do not need a permit and can tour the park, with the exception of the Bear Lake Corridor, for the rest of the day). There are four entrances into Rocky Mountain National Park, and in 2022, you will need a park pass plus a separate day-use reservation to get into the park, regardless of which entrance you take. A Quick Geography Lesson. Alberta Falls Trail. The elevation of the lowest sections of the park range from 5,600 to 9,500 feet. This hike has a little bit of everythingwaterfalls, alpine lakes, high mountain views, and fun river and stream crossings. Are current Colorado fires affecting or near RMNP? You wont find major grocery stores here, although you can drive 25 minutes to Granby and shop at the enormous City Market. This hike starts just under 12,000 feet of elevation and it is a stair climb to the top. If you had afternoon thunderstorms on Day One, drive Trail Ridge Road in the morning. But even with a week here, there are still a lot of hikes left on our to-do list. You can hike here from Glacier Gorge or Bear Lake Trailhead. Few people hike out this far so this is a great place to leave the crowds behind. There are four main entrance stations to Rocky Mountain National Park. Just a mile from the park's west entrance, Grand Lake, Colo., offers incredible family friendly activities from paddle boating and nature walks to world-class theater productions. A Park Access (Excludes Bear Lake Road Corridor) timed entry ticket is sufficient for this day. Here are you options: The private vehicle entrance fee, good for 1 day, is $25. Get updates on road conditions on the national park service website. miles of dramatic beauty, high rugged mountains, sparkling lakes, 350 miles of hiking trails, and abundant wildlife. WorldMark Estes Park. And bring a camera , its a beautiful park! If the skies stay clear, you can stay in the park and do more exploring. The best places to have your questions answered is at one of the park visitor centers. If you are an avid hiker, I recommend spending five or more days in Rocky Mountain National Park. This family friendly hike is a great intro to hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. You have a choice today: take a break from hiking and explore Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, or hike another trail. If you are not acclimated to the higher elevation, it is normal to get out of breath easily. The job of the entrance station rangers is to welcome the visitors to the park, issue entrance passes, and answer visitor questions. This is a great hike for newbie hikers who want to summit a mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Fall River entrance is 4 miles from Estes Park a wonderful little mountain town. You will need a Bear Lake Road Corridor + Full Park Access Timed Entry Ticket (Park Access +)for this day. Dream Lake | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. One of the drawbacks of visiting Rocky Mountain National Park during the winter months is that Trail Ridge Road is closed. 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? 1-Day Pass - Automobile - $25. Park Access +:This permit gives you access to everything in Rocky Mountain National Park. Best Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes: Easy Tundra Hikes. The park has gotten so popular that in 2020 a timed entry system was put into effect. Loveland and Boulder are two Colorado cities that are located much further away than the other options for where to stay when visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. By 4 to 5 pm, the skies begin to clear. Cascade Cottages & Colorado Cottages. Thats awesome that you got Bear Lake permits and thats so COOL that you got them while on Lassen Peak (yes, I cant wait to visit that park). The elevation of the lowest sections of the park range from 5,600 to 9,500 feet. South Saint Vrain Ave/Hwy 7. This road will lead you all the way up to the Alpine Visitor Center and across the Continental Divide to Grand Lake. There is also a shuttle bus that runs from Denver International Airport straight to Estes Park. or are there better/rewarding hikes that i can sub in instead of the above listed ones? Funds from RMNP passes insure the preservation of the Lily Lake area and help to maintain the parking lot, vault. The scenery is beautiful, as you gradually twist and turn through the mountains to get to the Alpine Visitor Center. Hike to one of the most popular waterfalls in RMNP. Enter the number of passes you would like to purchase from the available choices below: Site passes table.