Liz & Drew
Things To Do
Lily Mountain Hike
This is maybe our favorite hike in the Estes Park/RMNP area. It's only about a 15 minute drive from the YMCA campus, and it offers an unmatched bang-for-your-buck as far as hikes go. The journey is about 4.0 miles round trip with 1,200 feet of elevation gain. It's a pretty easy stroll most of the way up, then just before the summit it changes into a fairly difficult scramble to climb on top of the rocky peak. Once you make it up you are well rewarded with spectacular 360 degree views of the surrounding valleys and mountain ranges. Note this is outside of RMNP, so you do not need a national park pass. Pro tip from when we went: If you start before sunrise there's a good chance you won't see another person until you come back down!
Rocky Mountain National Park
Our wedding will be right on the doorstep of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), with ample views of the mountain ranges. If you have some free time, we'd recommend visiting the park itself and all of the amazing hiking it has to offer. Fun fact: We took this thumbnail picture on our sunrise hike to Alberta Falls and Mills Lake just before we toured the Mountainside Lodge for the wedding! Definitely would recommend this as a relaxed morning hike with gorgeous sunrise views. We started at the Glacier Gorge Junction Trailhead if you're curious, and it was nice and quick, just under 5 miles to the lake and back.
Snowy Peaks Winery
This little winery is definitely worth a stop if you're exploring downtown Estes Park. They're a woman-owned business with a nice selection of wines, where some are made in-house and others are from nearby local partners. We recommend dropping in for a tasting to see what they have to offer, it's a super cute little place.
Downtown Estes Park
Estes park has a nice walkable downtown center full of various shops, sweet treats, small parks and restaurants. You'll likely drive right through it on the way in, but it's a great place to come back to and explore, especially in the evening after a nearby hike.
Lake Isabelle Hike
This hike is a little bit further away from Estes Park, but it's worth it if you have the time. The entire hike is approximately 5.5 miles there and back, with around 551 feet of elevation gain, but know that this is a more heavily trafficked trail. The lake is absolutely stunning, and there are a handful of waterfalls from glacial runoff. Not only did I take this picture, it's still my phone's background today because I thought it was so pretty.
Pearl Street Mall (Downtown Boulder)
If you have some extra travel time on the way in or out, you can make a detour to go through Boulder and see the Pearl Street Mall. This outdoor shopping center has a number of nice restaurants and unique stores, so it's always a fun place to spend a day.