Hike the Parks: Rocky Mountain National Park. Brendan Leonard
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GETTING TO THE PARK
During the busy season, the park recommends using the shuttle system (open May 23 to October 18) to access busy trailheads on the east side of the park, where several parking lots fill quickly and early in the morning. The shuttle will get you to trailheads for many of the most popular hikes, including Bear Lake, Glacier Gorge, Cub Lake, Fern Lake, Sprague Lake, and Bierstadt Lake.
During summer and fall weekends, when the lot for the park’s shuttle also fills up quickly, minimize frustration by parking at the Estes Park Visitor Center and then taking the Hiker Shuttle Express bus to the Park & Ride lot; from there you can take the Park & Ride shuttle to your trailhead.
Shuttle schedules vary with more runs during the heart of the day and fewer in the early morning or evening hours. Most park-operated shuttles are wheelchair accessible. Fullytrained service animals are allowed on shuttles, but pets are not. There is no park-run shuttle service on the west side of the park.
SUGGESTED ITINERARIES
These itineraries are designed to pack a wide variety of experiences into either a one- or three-day visit.
ONE DAY
Hopefully you’ve got more than one day to explore Rocky Mountain National Park, but if you don’t (or you just want some suggestions), here’s an ambitious-butdoable itinerary that provides a tour of a couple of the best spots in the park.
•Watch the sunrise at Sprague Lake.
•Hike the Four Lakes Loop (Hike 7) or the Bear Lake Trail (Hike 1).
•Drive Trail Ridge Road to the Forest Canyon Overlook and then the Alpine Visitor Center.
•Hike the Tundra Communities Trail (Hike 27), weather permitting. Be aware that this trail is fairly exposed—not ideal if the forecast calls for an afternoon thunderstorm.
THREE DAYS
This three-day itinerary combines a selection of diverse hikes with some mellow sightseeing drives and walks, and spans the park from east to west.
Day One:
•Hike to Mills Lake (Hike 4) or do the Four Lakes Loop (Hike 7) in the morning.
•Drive down to Sheep Lakes by early afternoon for a chance to see grazing bighorn sheep.
Day Two:
•Watch the sunrise at Sprague Lake.
•Hike up Deer Mountain (Hike 29) or Lily Mountain (Hike 21).
•Hike the Moraine Park Loop (Hike 11) in the afternoon.
A section of trail on the Upper Beaver Meadows Loop (Hike 31)
Day Three:
•Drive Old Fall River Road to Fall River Pass and the Alpine Visitor Center.
•Hike the Alpine Ridge Trail (Hike 26).
•Drive Trail Ridge Road down to the east, stopping to hike the Tundra Communities Trail (Hike 27) and take photos at the Forest Canyon Overlook.
VISITOR CENTERS
The Alpine Visitor Center is located on Fall River Pass (11,796 feet/3595 m) at the junction of Trail Ridge and Old Fall River Roads, and is open Memorial Day through midOctober, depending on weather. Hours vary by season. See Contacts for details for each of the centers.
The Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is located just inside the park’s main entrance on the east side of the park at 1000 US Highway 36.
The Fall River Visitor Center is located on the east side of the park at 3450 Fall River Road, five miles west of Estes Park.
The Kawuneeche Visitor Center is located at the park’s west entrance at 16018 US Highway 34.
GATEWAY TO THE PARK
Estes Park is best known as the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, for good reason: The majority of visitors to the park enter from the east side, and the most popular park entrances are accessed from Estes Park. The town sits at an elevation of 7522 feet (2292 m), and from many spots in town, you can see the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as park features like the granite formations of Lumpy Ridge. Estes Park offers all the amenities you might need: hotels and vacation rentals, gas, restaurants, grocery stores, outdoor gear shops, and equipment rental.
The Estes Park Visitor Center (see Contacts), located at 500 Big Thompson Avenue in Estes Park, provides information on the town, the park, and the surrounding area. Between May 23 and October 18, the Estes Hiker Shuttle Express bus travels between the Estes Park Visitor Center and the Park & Ride lot inside the park where you can access shuttle buses to its popular trailheads. The Hiker Shuttle Express bus operates from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm.
A view of Hallett Peak from the Flattop Mountain Trail (Hike 13)
WEATHER
One piece of advice for exploring Rocky Mountain