Tag: colorado

Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado

Published on by Skylar M. Beck3 Comments

This past summer my boyfriend, Patrick and I took our first big road trip out west. The first stop along our road trip was the beautiful, Colorado. We only spent a few days in Colorado and our main focus was the Rocky Mountains National Park. The park exceeded our expectations! We are dreaming of our next trip to RMMP! We had about two full days in the park which was a decent amount of time for a quick visit. I would recommend at least 3-4 days in the park to enjoy several activities and hikes. Throughout this guide I’ll be sharing our experience in the Rocky Mountains National Park.

Things to know before visiting RMNP 🌲

  • Timed Entry Reservation system: Currently RMNP requires visitors to have a timed entry reservation pass throughout the months of May-October. There are two types of timed entry reservations:
    • The Bear Lake Road Corridor [required during the hours of 5am-6pm (MDT)]. This pass will give you access to the entire park as well. I would recommend trying to get this pass to experience all parts of the park.
    • Park Access, No Bear Lake Road [required during the hours of 9am-3pm (MDT)]. This reservation allows access to the park but not the bear lake road area.
    • The timed entry reservations can be purchased on the RMNP park’s website and they cost $2 per vehicle. Note, you’ll need a timed reservation pass for each day you plan to visit the park.
    • Exceptions for the timed entry reservations tickets:
      • If you have a reservation with a campground in the National Park, you can show your campground reservation in place of having a timed entry reservation and enter at any time as long as the dates of the campground reservation match the dates you want to enter the park.
      • You can enter the park before or after the allowed times! If you are unable to get a reservation, you can enter the park before 5am/9am depending on the area you want to access. However, keep in mind if you enter the park this way, once you leave the park you will not be allowed back in during the hours required for a timed entry ticket. Similarly, you may enter the park after required hours (i.e., after 6pm or 3pm depending on the area).
  • Afternoon Thunderstorms: The RMNP is known for afternoon thunderstorms especially in the summer time. Keep this in mind when planning hikes and other day activities.
  • Elevation Change: The RMNP has a significant elevation range which can cause altitude sickness without proper time to allow your body to adjust. The only way to treat altitude sickness is to return to lower elevation.
  • Fees: It costs $25 per vehicle to enter the park which covers the cost of 7 days. We bought the America the Beautiful pass which is $80 for the year and covers entrance fees for all National Parks. I would highly recommend this if you plan to visit multiple National Parks!
  • Phone reception: Like many National Parks, there is no cell reception available within the park (including campgrounds!). Keep this in mind if you need to download directions to trails in advance.
  • Accommodations: If you plan to stay at a campground while visiting the park, book early! Campgrounds are available to book 6 months in advance and definitely fill up quickly. I imagine hotels/lodges in the area fill up just as quickly.
  • Area: Estes Park is the closet town/area to the RMNP. In Estes Park you’ll find restaurants, hotels/lodges, and grocery stores.

Things to Do in RMNP:

DAY ONE

Estes Park & Bear Lake Corridor

Overview:

  • Stop at Kind coffee, Estes Park before a full day of hiking
  • Spend the day at Bear lake trailhead:
    • Hike to Bear Lake
    • Hike to Nymph lake
    • Hike to Dream Lake
    • Hike to Emerald Lake (3.2mi one way)
  • Explore Estes Park
  • Check into campground, Glacier Basin

On our first day in the park, we drove in from Boulder, CO which was about an hour drive. Before going into the park we stopped in the park’s closest town, Estes Park. This town is definitely worth exploring either before or after a day in the park! I’d recommend stopping on the way into the park for a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich at Kind Coffee before starting a big day of hiking.

After some coffee and breakfast, we spent our first day in RMNP exploring the Bear Lake corridor area. This area features several hikes but we focused on the lake hikes that all connect: Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake. If you hike all the way to Emerald Lake it’s about 3.2 miles. We were only able to hike to Dream Lake and back due to a rain storm that started coming in. And although we missed out on Emerald lake, this hike was still one of my favorites in the park!

After a full afternoon of hiking, we spent our evening exploring more of Estes Park. We then checked into our campground for the next couple nights, Glacier Basin campground. If you’re looking to book a campground, I highly recommend Glacier Basin, it’s great proximity to the park and clean.

DAY TWO

Trail Ridge Road & Mount Ida

The highlights:

  • Drive along Trail Ridge road and catch the sunrise
  • Hike Mount Ida (park in Milner pass parking lot) 9 mi roundtrip
  • Stop at Alpine visitor’s center for souvenirs
  • Enjoy dinner back in Estes Park at The Bird and Jim

We started our second day in RMNP bright and early (4am!) for a drive along the Trail Ridge road on our way to Milner Pass parking lot for a big hike. From this trial head we started our hike to Mount Ida. This hike is strenuous and long but the 360 views make it all worth it! I recommend starting as early as we did to beat any thunderstorms that may roll in during the afternoon hours. This hike was a total of 9mi round trip and took us about 6 hours. Keep in mind this trailhead is on the opposite side of the park, so plan for a lengthy drive. From our campground, we were about an hour away from the trailhead.

My Tips

  • Start hikes early!– Even with the timed reservation system, the RMNP is still very crowded! Starting hikes before 7am ensures the trail to yourself or with only a few others. You’re also more likely to see some amazing wildlife.
  • Carry bear spray!– As a precaution it’s always best to be prepared in case you encounter an aggressive bear.
  • Wear layers– we visited RMNP in August and the mornings and evenings were cold but by the afternoon the sun was strong.
  • Plan in advance– if possible, start planning your trip to RMNP (or any national park) well in advance (6+ months) to ensure you can reserve an overnight accommodation.
  • Leave no trace– only leave footprints and only take photos + memories!