Take a 0.4-mile detour to Lake Haiyaha for an added bonus. So you basically log on in July when they open it up for dates in August and quickly pick 2-3 dates? If the skies are clear, the weather forecast is favorable, and Longs Peak is on your bucket list, go for it today. Price. Drive Trail Ridge Road. Unsubscribe anytime by clicking the link at the bottom of your email. When the parking areas in Wild Basin are full, usually by 9am in the summer, vehicles will be turned away. Drive Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park You may experience lines that can stretch up to a mile long during the busy season. more, Rocky Mountain National Park Destination Experts. 15+ Best Hikes In Rocky Mountain National Park - Hiking Daily If you are looking for a relatively uncrowded trail with the chance to visit multiple alpine lakes, this is a nice hike to consider. Emerald Lake. Learn more on the national park service website. Dream Lake | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. In summer 2022, timed-entry reservations are required between May 27 and October 10, 2022, and are in addition to your entrance fee. 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. South Saint Vrain Ave/Hwy 7. If you hike to Sky Pond, you will hike through the Loch to get there. View from Mount Ida | Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary. Trailhead: Glacier Gorge (40.31053, -105.64033) Why we love it: This quiet winter hike avoids the Bear Lake throngs while still delivering the same stop-in-your-tracks alpine viewsincluding Longs Peakfor hardy snowshoers. Head to Grand Lake, a quaint, historic town surrounded on three sides by Rocky Mountain National Park. The park has gotten so popular that in 2020 a timed entry system was put into effect. Nymph, Dream, Emerald & Bear Lakes: 4.2 miles, easy to moderate, 3 hours. This entrance gives you access to Sandbeach Lake, Finch & Pear Lake, Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls, Thunder Lake, and Bluebird Lake. Many hikes top out over 9,000 feet, with some reaching up to 13,000 and 14,000 feet. Here are several to choose from. CO Are you referring to the timed entry ticket? It's like a tour of amazing mountain lakes. Length: 5.5 miles. Ideally, you want a day with crystal clear skies and no chance of rain. 10 of the Best Cities and Towns Near Rocky Mountain National Park Depending on the volume of traffic, some visitors with detailed questions must be directed to the visitor centers where the rangers and volunteers there can more adequately provide the needed assistance. To see fall colors and the elk mating season, plan your visit from mid-September through mid-October. MESA VERDE: Learn about the best things to do and how to plan your visit in our Guide to Mesa Verde National Park. Those are the 3 that were recommended to me. 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. Only 0.6 miles round trip, this flat, easy trail circles around Bear Lake. Learn about each of them and find the entrance station that will best meet your needs. 700 feet (213 m) elevation gain. Do you think this is doable? . Bear Lake: 0.6 miles, easy, 30 minutes. The permit system limited visitation to about 60% of parking capacity. 1000 US Hwy 36 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. Best nearby. Would that help mitigate some of the altitude sickness? Nymph, Dream, Emerald, Haiyaha and Bear Lake: 6.2 miles, moderate, 4 to 5 hours. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. You have a choice today: take a break from hiking and explore Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, or hike another trail. Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park; Flat Tops Wilderness; Maine. And I think that RMNP just got its first snow storm of the fall season. The last stretch to Wild Basin is a narrow, gravel road that becomes one lane in places, so it is not appropriate to bring your RV. Kawuneeche Entrance. Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 80517. To reach the Wild Basin Entrance from Estes Park, head south on CO 7. In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. Recorded Trail Ridge Road status: (970) 586-1222. If driving Trail Ridge Road or Old Fall River Road is on the top of your list and you have limited time, you may want to enter the park via the Fall River Entrance on the parks east side. Follow the Two Day Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary. Travelers favorites include #1 Trail Ridge Road, #2 Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and more. We spent seven days in RMNP and every day we did at least one hike. Timed Entry Permit System - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National It is located at 9,500 feet in a pine forest. Shuttle Bus. And you wouldn't be disappointed at any choice. After one final short and strenuous climb you arrive at Chasm Lake. This is the hotel that inspired Stephen King to write The Shining. Note: This post contains affiliate links. Rocky Mountain National Park, located in northern Colorado, encompasses an area of 416 square miles (265,769 acres). Yay!! Rocky Mountain National Park offers plenty of contrast from one season to the next. I recommend wearing waterproof hiking shoes or boots (not running or walking shoes) so that you have good traction. These are the only official entry stations into the park. Ascending only 700 feet over 3 miles, this is a great introduction to moderate hiking in the park. It is situated on the north side of Moraine Park. 7.4 miles (12 km). The Fall River entrance also has three entry booths and can sometimes be a faster way to enter the park when it is busy. 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. Trail Ridge Road winds high into the Rockies, taking visitors into the treeless tundra. Each daily reservation costs $2 per vehicle, which is in addition to the $25 daily entrance fee or $35 weekly fee per vehicle. The parking lot at the end of Bear Lake Road is large but from here, you have access to numerous popular trails in RMNP, so it also fills fast. Alpine Ridge Road reaches its highest point at 12,183 feet. 10. I am so glad you had great weather and a great 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). I think that puts the Mills Lake + Loch Vale hike somewhere around 7.6 miles total. Rocky Mountain National Park's 4 Neighborhoods to Stay in. Get answers to your questions about Rocky Mountain Do's and Don'ts When Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park, Timed Entry FAQ's and Explaining the Bear Lake Corridor. Take a tour of the historic Stanley Hotel, ride the Aerial Tramway to the peak of Prospect Mountain, go shopping, walk the Riverwalk, visit Lake Estes, play mini-golf, or visit a winery or brewery. You will reach Loch Vale before the final climb to Sky Pond. Watch the weather, enjoy the time you spend in the park, and you might find you want to hike more, or less, than you expected to. If you are coming from Estes Park, this drive takes 30 minutes. I recommend hiking Longs Peak on the day with the clearest weather. Most recently, in 2020, we spent one very busy week here, and learned a lot about this park. The Ultimate Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park - AARP Its our favorite hike in RMNP. From Bear Lake Road, turn left onto Highway 36 and continue on Trail Ridge Road. If the weather was clear yesterday, and you drove Trail Ridge Road, I recommend doing another hike this morning. I want to avoid crowds and yet have good weather ( no snow). This station is .25 miles north of the Kawuneeche Visitor Center near the beautiful Kawuneeche Valley. Cheers, Julie. The best way to . What should you not miss in Rocky Mountain National Park? 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. With that being said, you should know that crowds are the largest during the summer months, especially July and August. The Kawuneeche entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park is located 2 miles north of Grand Lake on highway 34. This entrance station gives you access to the Aspenglen Campground, Horseshoe Park, Old Fall River Road, and Trail Ridge Road. Here are six tips on what to do in Estes Park during your Rocky Mountain National Park vacation. Up above 10,000 feet the air is thin, the temps are much cooler, and the wind is usually . Get updates on trail closures and park conditions on the National Park Service website. Yes, take a look at the Where to Stay section of this article. Longs Peak is the biggest at 14,259 ft and can be seen from nearly anywhere. Call 970-586-1222 before you head out. They said if you skip bear corridor, timed entry is only needed between 9a-3p. The Wild Basin entrance is located 13.5 miles south of Estes Park just off of scenic highway 7. I am there all day Wed,Thur and Fri (in mid August), On that Tuesday afternoon, you might be able to go hiking, depending on the thunderstorm situation. Because the Wild Basin Entrance is about a 30-minute drive south of Estes Park on the parks east side, most of the parks visitors never even see the Wild Basin area. Inside the park, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy offers year-round seminars, guided fly-fishing, naturalist tours, hiking and photography classes. This gives you enough time to drive Alpine Ridge Road, Old Fall River Road, and hike a few of the trails. Note: Its a slightly shorter hike (1.7 miles) if you park at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. I recommend staying at The Residences. This entrance is right next to the intersection with Bear Lake Road providing you with easy access to this area of the park. Learn more about the national parks in our Guide to the US National Parks. Between the end of May through early October, you must reserve a permit to visit the park. Thank you! And if you hike fast, you should have no problem getting to all 3 lakes on Tuesday afternoon.