On our first family trip to Colorado, visiting Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) was the #1 attraction on my list of places to visit. However, we didn’t get to RMNP on our trip, flexibility is the name of the game with kids and it wasn’t in our cards that trip. I remember feeling sad that we missed such a great experience and hoped we’d be able to bring our kids back for a visit and see all the animals and birds we’d just learned about the previous week. Little did I know we’d be moving to Denver weeks later and would visit the park so often we became annual park pass holders. We went from Disney World annual pass holders to Rocky Mountain National Park pass holders, you just never know where life is going to take you!
Estes Park
There are two sides to enter Rocky Mountain National Park, through the south entrance by Grand Lake, 45 minutes from Winter Park (the closest ski town). The most popular way to enter Rocky Mountain National Park is through the two entrances in Estes Park. Estes Park is about a 90 minute drive, north and west of Denver. It’s a cute mountain town, with tons of charm during the winter season, but not a ski town. As you descend on the town by car, a large lake greets you before getting into the downtown maze of streets and shops. Lots of great hot drinks (or ice cream for my daughter, even in the winter) and shopping for souvenirs or needed winter gear. Don’t forget to stop at the Christmas Shoppe anytime of year to pick up an ornament to commemorate your trip to Estes Park or RMNP. Depending on the time of year, there are so many activities to take part in, especially in the great outdoors, so pack for the weather. The most popular time of year is to come during the Elk Rut in autumn when the leaves are at their peak colors and the elk are out and about, trying out their mating calls, or should I say bugles. Also try these attractions while in Estes Park.
- Estes Park Museum
- Estes Park Aerial Tramway
- Open Air Adventure Park & Fun City
- Mustang Mountain Coaster
- Hiking & biking trails
- Horseback riding
- Whitewater rafting
- Fishing and fly fishing
- Alpine skiing and snowshoeing
- Rock climbing
- Off roading (ATV, UTV, etc.)
- Longs Peak
The Stanley Hotel
The Stanley hotel is infamously known for the movie The Shining. This was its inspiration hotel and a must see when visiting Estes Park, even if you’re not staying at the hotel. There are four tours that run during the day and night including a Historic tour, the Shining tour, Stanley Night tour or the Ice House tour. We were there during the day, so we took the historical tour rather than the ghost tour at night, but we still got to ask all our ghost questions. The Stanley hotel was originally conceived by Freelan Oscar Stanley from Maine after a tuberculosis diagnosis pushed him out west looking for weather and fresh air to cure him. He quickly recovered and decided to build a summer house and grand resort hotel in Estes Park. The hotel opened on July 4th of 1909 with the first few buildings, including a replica of the Boston Symphony Hall for his wife. The following year, the Bachelor Pad building opened to house single men, so they were not required to sleep in tents in the parking lot any longer. This building is now called the Lodge, with hotel rooms and the restaurant Brunch and Co.
The hotel was originally called Elk Horn lodge and painted a mustard yellow & red color. Which was eventually changed to its infamous white and red colors. The hotel was a seasonal hotel for only the 4 summer months, when the weather and conditions were not too cold and only became a year round hotel in the 2000’s with an update to the heating and cooling system. The hotel is built on a free floating foundation, right from the mountain that can be seen in the tunnel area under the hotel. This tunnel area goes out to the parking lot, which allowed the staff to enter and leave the building during a time when staff were not to be seen coming or going. This hidden location is found in the basement next to the whisky vault and tour gathering areas. The Vault at the Stanley Hotel is located in the basement and is a great whisky tasting experience. Hubby and I typically do wine tastings when we travel, but decided to try this whiskey tasting instead on a recent trip and it was fantastic. There was a small group of 10 or so and we all sat at tables inside the whisky vault. Outside the vault is a whisky store where all visitors can purchase a distilled souvenir or enjoy a ghost tour in the evening.
The Stanley hotel’s main building has small, well preserved rooms on the 2nd-4th floors. The 4th floor is considered the most haunted because of one ghost known as the cowboy and reports of child ghosts, since this floor used to be a dormitory style open room with bunk beds where the children and nannies slept. The 4th floor has been converted into small, attic style rooms. The 2nd floor is the most popular, especially room 217 known as the Steven King room, where the writer was inspired to create the story of the Shining. The story goes that Steven King and his wife arrived on the last day the hotel was open and begged for a room for the night. The only room still made up was room 217, so they were allowed to stay just one night. The grounds keeper Grady was created from the bartender who said the infamous line, “Your money’s no good here.” The reason behind the phrase was that the bar had closed the books for the season and it was not worth reopening, so he poured Mr. King a drink from his personal stash before he went to bed. Steven King wakes later that evening after having a terrible nightmare about his son, who wasn’t even on the trip. He went out on the terrace of his room and by the next morning he had written the whole plot of the Shining. Today, room 217 is booked out for the next 3 years and on Halloween it is booked for the next 7 years with a room rate of over $800, double the cost of the other rooms in the hotel. Stephan King had another coincidence with Freelan Oscar Stanley, having attended University of Maine 100 years after Mr. Stanley opened The University, ironic. These men had destiny written all over their lives!
There are a few dining options at the Stanley hotel including Cascades Restaurant & Lounge, Brunch and Co and Post Chicken and Beer which we tried on a trip. I thought this casual, yet expensive, chicken restaurant would get high ratings from my chicken loving family, but it was mediocre at best. My daughter, the chicken finger queen was satisfied, but the rest of us were not as easily impressed and have not wanted to try another Post location since. The Stanley Chocolate Factory is located in the lower level of the hotel for you to indulge your sweet tooth. They specialize in truffles and have both standard size and mini truffles in a variety of flavors, my favorites were vanilla, champagne and Irish cream. My daughter ate my coffee truffle accidentally and reported it was awful, I’ll need to try it myself next time we visit. There is also an interesting garden maze outside of the front doors on the way to the hotel, give it a try…if you dare.
Estes Park Accomodations
Your typical lodging is available here in Estes Park, however you’ll notice on point searches for the big hotel chains like Hyatt or Hilton, those chains are in Denver or Boulder, but not convenient to Estes Park. Like many small Colorado towns they have a choice hotel and Holiday Inn in Estes Park, or other options such as:
- Hotels & Motels
- Bed & Breakfast, Inns & chalets
- Cabins & cottages
- Campground & RV Park
- Condos and vacation rentals
We have stayed at the Appenzell Inn a few times and would be my go to pick any time we start planning an overnight as a family. The Appenzell has 2-3 bedroom apartments that are perfect for our family, with a kitchen and porch chairs. Food in Estes Park can be expensive and crowded. We like to stop at the grocery store to buy breakfast foods, sandwich and picnic supplies, snacks for the kids and dessert items for midnight munchies. We will typically go out for dinner or pick up take-out and again this place is a perfect setup for families. It also has an indoor pool that’s heated, but not to a very warm temperature (I still can’t get used to how cold ‘heated’ pools are outside of Florida). There is an area with an outdoor jacuzzi and beautiful forest views that I love to start my morning in with a coffee. The Appenzell Inn is my favorite location because it feels like a German hotel I stayed at years ago and has that cozy Alpine feel.
Another popular option with families is the YMCA because it has the best amenities by far! School and athletic groups often stay on property for the educational opportunities in nature and all the indoor and winter activities you could ever want. Ice skating, sledding, indoor swimming pool, board games, tennis, basketball courts, roller skating rink, arts & crafts and many other activities. Use their schedules and map to plan out your whole itinerary, they have something for everyone, running all the time. The YMCA sits on a huge property and has cabins for every size group from couples all the way to family reunions and school field trips. However, the food is really not great, think of school cafeteria or camp style meals. I suggest you plan meals in your cabin, either cooking in the full kitchen, getting take-out or making reservations. These cabins also encourage you to bring your dogs and make it easy to walk and clean up after them. We had our Zoe up there with us for one trip between Christmas and New Years. She loved when she got to travel with us and got to enjoy all the smells.
Eating & Drinking in Estes Park
For breakfast and lunch, we return to sister restaurants in the Safeway shopping center, Mountain Home Cafe and Notchtop Bakery & Cafe trip after trip. There are lots of steakhouse and specialty restaurants in the area for dinner, take advantage of them out of season or have advanced reservations made for each night. Snowy Peaks winery and tasting room is a must stop for wine lovers. Plus there are also a few distilleries that host whisky tastings and brewery tours are plentiful depending on your taste. We also stumbled upon a coffee shop where the kids can buy food and feed the birds. What started out as a trip to the rock shop with my rock collecting kids, turned into a hitchcock movie with ducks instead of birds! Try these other great eating and drinking spots in Estes Park.
- Hunters Chophouse
- Twin Owls steakhouse
- Bird & Jim
- The Sandwich Mafia
- Munchin house (coffee & ice cream)
- The Birds Nest (coffee)
- Coffee on the Rockies (coffee)
- Snowy Peaks winery
- Estes Park, Lumpy Ridge, or the Barrel brewery
- Hogback or Elkins distillery
Rocky Mountain National Park
The top attraction that draws people to Estes Park is Rocky Mountain National Park. The 30 mile long continental divide falls in the middle of the park, deciding if water flows to the east or west. RMNP has the country’s highest (continuous) paved road called Trail Ridge Road. It’s 48 miles long and its highest point is at 12,183 ft above sea level. Longs Peak is the tallest mountain in RMNP at 14,259 ft. tall it is the 24th highest peak in Colorado, but said to be a more difficult climb. The RMNP Website has great maps of the entire park and is the best resource for up-to-date weather and conditions as well as closures. Don’t let the mascot fool you, they have a Bighorn sheep as their symbol and claim that there are 400 bighorn sheep in the park, but I have yet to see one! I’ve seen lots of other cool animals and birds, but those Bighorn sheep are evasive creatures.
My favorite way to see the area, especially in the fall when the leaves are the prettiest, is by horseback. I may be a city girl, but I arrived in the west with the ability to ride a horse. I learned as a child in Ireland, taking my favorite horse Skippy out on trail rides one summer. I couldn’t bring Skippy back to the States with me, but I certainly brought the love of riding with me and have many special memories riding horses all over the world. Now, as I travel with my kids, two of them enjoy riding and we look for interesting places to book a trail ride. We have tried a few stables in the area and our favorite place that we now return to is National Park Gateway Stables. It is located right on the inside of RMNP, but before the entrance gates (factor this in when driving, at high traffic times you will get stuck in entrance traffic). The trail leaders are knowledgeable and have experience working with all levels of riders. Not everyone is as comfortable in the saddle as my kiddos and me and this is a great place to come with kids, first time riders and even grandparents who have not ridden for decades and need a step to their saddle. This relaxing trail ride takes you through the most beautiful landscapes and mountain scapes, yet you never feel too high. Keep your cameras at the ready, because there will be lots of great photo moments and maybe even a few wild animals. We had turkeys running around the last time we were out there. I do not recommend horseback riding on the SW side of the park or near Granby because of a wildfire years ago. It is a sad ride through black trees, charred in the fire. They will come back, but it will take many years and not look as lush as on the other side of the park. If you’re going to pay for the experience, get the pretty side of the park.
RMNP has two entrances from Estes Park, Beaver Meadows and Fall River visitor center. Beaver Meadow is the busiest and most famous of the entrances, where you can watch a short video on the park (runs on the ½ hour). There are also rangers to interact with and answer any of your questions as well as sign up kids for the Junior Ranger Program. Fall River is the northeastern entrance and also has rangers and a special hands-on exhibit. However, this entrance will be undergoing a major construction project, along with a few construction projects in Estes Park in 2024-2025. Due to all the congestion starting May 24, 2024 RMNP will be running a pilot program for their reservation system. You will need to have purchased a permit for either the Bear Lake Rd corridor (including full entrance, no departure time) or “rest of the park” permit and Bear Lake will not be available on your trip. Permits are released on the 1st of the month for the following month (i.e. May 1st will release the month of June tickets).
Only after Memorial day can the Alpine Visitor Center be reached, until the snow shuts down Trail Ridge Road for the season. The center is located at 11,796 ft and has great views of the Alpine tundra. You might even be lucky to see some pika, cute rodent-like animals that only live above the tree-line. In the summer months, four additional visitors centers are open: Sheep Lakes, Moraine Park Discovery Center, Kawuneeche and Holzwarth historic sites. Summer visitors come to camp, hike and fish in the park, kids can attend ranger programs and everyone hopes to see wildlife enjoying the sunny days. If you are planning a hike, check out this detailed information about many hikes in RMNP. Bring a picnic to eat at a picnic table site located around the park, but please pick up after yourself. No trace left behind!
With our annual pass, we come on long weekends and day trips, during all the seasons, including winter. In the winter, the park has closed Trail Ridge Road by October, so you will not be able to cross the park completely, coming out at Grand Lake. In the winter, Hidden Valley is the best place to go sledding. Take all the winter gear and sleds with you to RMNP and plan a picnic and fun day of sledding at Hidden Valley. There is lots of parking and even bathrooms in this area of the park. If you are looking for a winter activity that doesn’t need a tour or any specific place, go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. Find a good spot, throw on your gear and go…explore!
My biggest tip for visiting RMNP is to bring layers and drink lots of water. Altitude and wind can be a wicked combination, even in the summer it can be cold. Bring layers of shirts, base layer, sweatshirt, coat, etc. Don’t be like us, the tourists walking up the tundra ice in flip flops! I’ve been saying to my family, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just poor choices of clothing” ever since we moved from Florida. I’ll admit, we were spoiled in Florida where almost everyday was flip flops and shorts weather. Now we have to pack a collapsible laundry basket or giant Ikea bag with everyone’s layers of clothing and coats. There is a delicate balance between being prepared and over packing, but when you’re doing a road trip you have room for error. Speaking of road trips, be sure your car or rental car is able and prepared for this type of trek. If there is any weather 4×4 could be needed, but even in the summer an all-wheel drive car is needed at least. Snow tires or chains in the winter and will be required in snow/ice storms on the mountain roads. No matter how much warning drivers in the area get for a snow storm, there is always some person stuck on the side of the road in a smart car, not sure what happened.
Since moving to Colorado, Estes Park has been a spot for numerous fun, family trips in both winter and summer. This is also where we bring friends and family who are visiting for the first time. Rocky Mountain National Park won’t disappoint, and can be for any level of ability, even if just to view from the car and visitors centers. Don’t forget to get your permits for your date and time, especially if it is during the summer season or other high times of year. You don’t really know that Rocky Mountain high they talk about, until you’ve looked down from the top of the world.
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