Caitlin & Nelson
Things To Do
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is one of our favorite places in Colorado! Saturday, September 26th is one of the free days at the park so you won't need to pay an entrance fee. There are so many wonderful hikes and sights to see in the park! We have put some of our favorite places and hikes on this page!
Rocky Mountain National Park Shuttles
Parking at trailheads can often be difficult since the park is such a popular destination especially in the Fall and on free days. If you don't plan to arrive early in the morning here are the shuttle routes that may help you get to some of the trailheads that have limited parking.
Bear Lake Trailhead
Bear Lake Trailhead is one of our favorite starting points for hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. The downside is we are not alone! This is a very heavily trafficked trailhead and parking can be tricky. For parking you will either need to leave early to park at the trailhead or plan on parking in the shuttle lot and riding the shuttle to the Bear Lake or one of the others on the Bear Lake Trailhead route. One family friendly .7 mile walk is Bear Lake Nature Center Trail.
Alberta Falls
Alberta Falls is an easy 1.7 out and back trail which is great for families. The waterfall has steep cliffs so please make sure you keep your kids close! You can start this hike at Bear Lake Trail Head or Glacier Gorge trailhead, you can get to both on the Bear Lake shuttle. If you start at Glacier Gorge you avoid a steeper climb on your way back to the trailhead. To get to this trail enter at the Beaver Meadows entrance.
Emerald Lake
Emerald Lake is a very popular moderate hike that starts from Bear Lake Trailhead. On this hike you will hike pass three beautiful lakes. Since this hike is so popular chipmunks will eat any food you have including trying to eat through your backpack so be aware! To get to this trail enter at the Beaver Meadows entrance.
Loch Lake and Mills Lake
One of our favorite hikes and our first hike together Rocky Mountain National Park. This is a moderate to hard hike 7 mile. Hike. You can hike to just one lake but we would recommend adding the extra mile to go to both lakes! You can start from two different trailheads Glacier Gorge or Bear Lake. We would recommend starting at Glacier Gorge Trailhead to shorten the hike a bit and eliminate a steeper uphill climb at the very end of the hike. To get to this trail enter at the Beaver Meadows entrance.
Deer Mountain Trailhead
A good hike for great mountain peak views is Deer Mountain. It is a 5.6 mile moderate to hard hike that starts from Deer Mountain Trailhead. There is not a shuttle that I know of that passes the trailhead so plan on parking at the trailhead. You can enter the park from the Beaver Meadows entrance or the Fall River entrance.
Sprague Lake
Sprague Lake trail is a .8 mile easy hike around a beautiful lake that would be great for families. To get to this trail enter at the Beaver Meadows entrance.
Cub Lake Trailhead
This is a great moderate 6-mile hike with about 700 feet of elevation gain. It is easiest to enter from the Beaver Meadows entrance but you can also enter through Fall River, the drive in the park will just be a bit longer. We would recommend hiking the Cub Lake Loop so you can see all the beauty this trail offers from valleys, to a mountain lake and a raging river! If you did not want to hike the whole 6-mile loop we would also recommend hiking through the first valley, it is very picturesque and pretty much flat!
Ouzel Falls
A bit further from Estes Park is another favorite hike call Ouzel Falls which starts from the Wild Basin entrance to the park from the Wild Basin Trail. This is a moderate to hard hike but you can hike as far as you want and then turn around since you pass numerous waterfalls you don’t have to get to the very top. This is another very popular hike and it does not have a shuttle so plan on arriving early to get parking closer to the trailhead.
Lily Lake Trail
Lily Lake trail is a family friendly walk in a different area of Rocky Mountain National Park. You do not go into the main part of the park for this hike.
Alluvial Fan Trail
Alluvial Fan Trail is a family friendly but very busy 0.7 mile trail. It is best to enter through the Fall River entrance for this hike.
Trail Ridge Road Summit
A beautiful drive is Trail Ridge Road. It is a great way to get to 11, 500 feet with very little effort! It is the highest continuous paved road in the United States. It goes from Estes Park into Grand Lake which is at the other end of the park. You can also drive up to the top and then turn back around.
The Taffy Shop
We are lovers of taffy as well!
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
A delicious chocolate shop!