Spend five unforgettable days exploring North Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park’s stunning trails, towns, and alpine views.
5
1
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268 mi
In October 2020, we were planning to go to a family wedding in California before the COVID-19 pandemic started here in the United States. Because of the restrictions in California, they ended up having a very small wedding with immediate family only. Luckily, we hadn’t purchased our flights or hotel yet, but we were already planning a trip. The boys get a week off of school in October, so we decided to plan a family trip during that time.
When looking up flights, there were very cheap options to fly to Denver from Houston. My cousin used to live in Fort Collins, Colorado while attending Colorado State University for his Master’s Degree. I had seen his photos and heard his stories, so we decided to take a trip there and go to Rocky Mountain National Park while in the area.
Getting There
Rocky Mountain National Park is located in northern Colorado near the towns of Estes Park on the east and Grand Lake on the west. The closest major airport is Denver International Airport (DEN) which is about an hour-and-a-half drive northwest on Highway 36.
Driving through the mountains
Best Time to Go
Rocky Mountain National Park is open year-round, though the summer and fall months are the peak season for the park. If you are traveling at this time of year, plan to arrive early and be patient. Parking lots fill up quickly, so the park offers a free shuttle around Bear Lake Road.
During the fall, winter, and spring months, the road conditions and weather conditions can quickly change in the mountains. Always check the weather forecast and road closures, and check in with a park ranger before your visit.
No matter what time of year you visit, make sure to dress in warm layers. The weather changes drastically with the elevation change throughout the park. In the open meadows in the sun, it may be warm. But when you are at the alpine areas, above the tree line, the temperature can drop.
Day One
Land in Denver and Pickup Rental Car
The first step on our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park was flying into Denver. We flew in here once before to stay in Denver and see snow when Tyler and Ryan were much younger. Ryan was just shy of two years old because we took the last trip before we had to pay for a seat for him! This time, with them being five and seven years old, they both had their own seats for the flight to Denver.
Landing in Denver is sometimes a bumpy landing because of going over the mountains for the landing. Once we made it there, we picked up our luggage and headed to the rental cars. Since we took an early morning flight, we had plenty of time to make the trip there and drive up to the hotel in Estes Park for our first night.
Beaver Brook on the River Hotel
When we started planning our trip to North Colorado, I looked at multiple options for lodging. I knew we didn’t want to stay in the park, but just outside in the town of Estes Park. Our family likes to rent homes through VRBO when we all go on vacation, but it doesn’t usually make sense when it’s just the four of us. In my searches, I found Beaver Brook on the River which are condos owned by Trout Haven Resorts. They have studio condos, two-bedroom condos, and three-bedroom condo options, which were perfect for us. We like having two bedrooms because it lets Tyler and Ryan sleep in one room and Justin and me in the other, giving us all a little bit of space and privacy.
The two-bedroom units have the main living area on one floor with a living room, kitchen, laundry room, and half bathroom. The bedrooms and full bathroom are on the other level. We chose a 2 bedroom Beaver Brook Patio View room. All of the rooms, except the studio units, have a fully stocked kitchen, gas fireplace, and laundry.
The specific building and room we were in had the main living area upstairs with direct access to the parking lot. The building is on the side of the bank, so it has windows on the lower level that have a view of the brook behind the building. There’s a pullout sofa in the living room, so the room could hold up to 6 people comfortably. Our dining area had a sliding door that opened onto a balcony overlooking the brook and the mountains behind it.
Stephanie on the balcony at the condo
Tyler and Ryan out on the balcony
Downtown Estes Park
Once we had everything settled in the condo, we decided to venture into downtown Estes Park. This was our first time in the area, and we loved it! The downtown area was very cute, and I would love to plan a trip back there in the winter to see it decorated for the holidays. We found a parking area to leave the rental vehicle and walked around from there.
One of the first places we stopped at was the historic water wheel. This is next to Twisted Griffin Pub and Restaurant on West Elkhorn Avenue where it intersects with the Fall River.
Justin and the boys at the water wheel
All four of us at the water wheel in Downtown Estes park
Dinner at The Sandwich Mafia
For dinner, Tyler and Ryan both wanted pizza, but Justin and I wanted other options. As we were walking along Elkhorn Avenue, perusing the various gift shops, we saw the sign for The Sandwich Mafia. When we looked up the menu, we saw they offer a variety of food, including pizza for the boys. Justin and I both got sandwiches and everything there was delicious.
Pizza for the boys at Sandwich Mafia
Dessert at Danish Cone Factory
Since we told the boys we would get dessert, we walked down the road to Danish Cone Factory so they could get some ice cream cones. We sat on some benches outside of the storefront for them to eat their ice cream so we could enjoy the gorgeous Colorado Fall weather.
https://www.estesparkinformation.com/the-danish-cone-factory/
Ice cream for dessert
Hot Chocolate at the Hotel
After a long day of traveling, we went back to our condo for the evening and had some hot chocolate around the gas fireplace before turning in for the night.
Day One Map
Day Two
Rocky Mountain National Park Entrance Sign
On our first day at Rocky Mountain National Park, we had to stop at the entrance sign to take a photo. This was the first time I saw the “camera pole” set up in front of the sign. It is a pole at a good height to set up your camera or phone to be able to set the timer and run into the photo.
Entrance sign for Rocky Mountain National Park
Fall River Visitor Center
The first place we stopped was at the Fall River Visitors Center. I wanted to get a trail map, speak with a ranger about what to do, get a Junior Ranger book for both of the boys, and I wanted a stamp for our National Park Passport Book. Unfortunately, the visitor center wasn’t fully open due to COVID restrictions, so I wasn’t able to get a Passport Stamp with the actual date on it. Instead, they had round stickers with the park name and year on them available to grab from the small information kiosk that was open.
Alluvial Fan Trail
The first trail we did was the Alluvial Fan Trail. This is an easy trail between two paved parking lots on an accessible pathway. This was a great place to start the day after all the travel the day before. There are many large boulders along the sides of the trail, so Tyler and Ryan were able to burn a lot of energy by climbing up the boulders instead of sticking to the paved path.
Stephanie and Justin on top of one of the boulders – photo taken by Tyler
Tyler & Justin exploring the trail
Ryan and Stephanie along the trail
Alluvial Fan Trail
Alluvial Fan Trail
Alluvial Fan Trail
Alluvial Fan
Alpine Ridge Trail
Our next stop was the Alpine Visitor Center at the top of the scenic drive on Old Fall River Road. This road is only open in the summer months and in the fall until the first snow. Otherwise, you’ll have to go up Trail Ridge Road. When we got to the top of the Alpine area, we did the short but moderate walk up Alpine Ridge Trail. The path goes up almost 200 concrete steps to a lookout at the mountains of the Continental Divide above the tree line.
Mountain view from the top
Tyler & Ryan at the viewpoint
Tyler gazing at the mountains
We could see smoke rising from the large brush fire burning in the park’s northern section.
At the top of the Alpine Ridge Trail
Steps to the top of Alpine Ridge
Alpine Ridge
Cub Lake Trail
We had to check out one of the many alpine lakes in the park so we made a stop at Cub Lake Trail near the north end of Bear Lake Road. The trail is off of Fern Lake Road. We didn’t realize until we got to the trailhead that Cub Lake is a 2.3-mile hike with 540 feet of elevation gain, so we only did part of the trail. We went to the spot in the trail where it forks, which was about half of a mile one-way. The trail splits and Cub Lake is to the right along Cub Lake Trail and The Pool Cub Lake Trail. Going to the left will take you to Moraine Park on the South Lateral Moraine Trail.
While driving through the Moraine Park area, we were able to see a large herd of elk grazing in the meadows. Since it was nearing the evening, it was the best time to view wildlife.
Creek on the trail
Creek on the trail
Creek on the trail
Stephanie, Ryan, and Tyler
Mountain views from the trail
Herd of elk in the meadow
Sprague Lake Loop Trail
Our last trail of the day was further south on Bear Lake Road to walk around Sprague Lake. Sprague Lake Trail is a half-mile loop that goes around the man-made Sprague Lake. We were here near sunset and had great views of the mountains reflected on the lake. Even though this is a short walk, we had a great time along the hike. The boys found a tree stump near the trail and examined the rings to learn about the trees. We even saw a couple getting married on the fishing pier that you can access along the boardwalk.
Walking to the main trail
Tyler & Ryan by the lake
Stephanie & Justin by the lake
A buck in the meadow near us
Sprague Lake
Looking at the rings in a tree stump next to the path
Sprague Lake Loop
Beaver Meadows Visitor Center
Since our condo was on Highway 36, I asked Justin to drive out through the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station so we could stop at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. I was hoping they would have a different Passport Book stamp here, but it was the same sticker. The boys were able to turn in their Junior Ranger books, though, and get their badge!
Day Two Map
Day Three
Bear Lake Loop Trail
This was our last day in Rocky Mountain National Park so we went straight to the Bear Lake Trailhead. Even though we were there in early October, so outside of the largest peak season of summer, the park was still busy. We wanted to give ourselves a lot of time to get a parking spot since it can be difficult. During peak season, the National Park Service runs a shuttle bus throughout the park. Even getting through the park entrance as early as 8 AM, we still had to take the shuttle since the parking lot was full.
Once we got off of the shuttle bus, we walked the half-mile loop trail around Bear Lake. The mountain views over the lake were so pretty. I would love to do some of the longer hikes in the area when the boys are older and can go a longer distance.
Ryan & Tyler at Bear Lake
Bear Lake
The trail to Bear Lake
Chipmunk on the trail
Tyler, Stephanie, and Ryan on a rock in Bear Lake
Bear Lake
Bear Lake Loop
Nymph Lake
The trailhead for the Emerald Lake Trail is at the same place as Bear Lake. We started walking along the trail until we got to Nymph Lake. The entire Emerald Lake Trail, passing Dream Lake, is 3.6 miles round trip, which is too much on the boys at ages 5 and 7. We will have to do a longer hike when they are older.
It was a bit overcast that day, but it made for some gorgeous photos of the clouds reflected on the lake. With the scenic views, I can see why this is the most popular trail in the park.
Ryan along the trail to Nymph Lake
Tyler along the trail to Nymph Lake
Tyler and Ryan, always on top of rocks!
Tyler on a pile of rocks
Ryan on a pile of rocks
Lawn Lake Trailhead
We stopped at the trailhead for Lawn Lake on Endovalley Road and walked up for a short hike. We didn’t go far, the trail would be a full day’s hike for us at 12.5 miles. But we could see that it had a great view of the meadows below. We were able to watch some elk graze in the meadows. I was hoping to see other wildlife, such as some bighorn sheep, but no luck.
Looking uphill at Lawn Lake Trailhead
A view of the meadow below the Lawn Lake Trailhead
Back to Alluvial Fan Trail
Our stop at Lawn Lake Trailhead was on the way back to the Alluvial Fan Trail. Since it was our last day in the park, we asked what their favorite things we did were. They both said they wanted to climb the boulders again near Alluvial Fan. So we made our way back and spent about 45 minutes in the area.
Day Three Map
Day Four
Drive to Denver
Sadly, our last full day in Colorado meant waking up, grabbing breakfast, and heading back towards Denver. We checked out of our condo and started the drive.
Meet Friends at a Playground
Since it’s under two hours to drive from Estes Park to Denver, we needed to kill some time before we could check into our airport hotel. I have a friend who used to live in the area, whose daughter is the same age as Tyler, so we met them at a playground.
We ended up at Utah Park in Aurora and the kids all had a great time. The playground had plenty of options for the kids to run around, burn some energy, and play with other kids. It also gave me time to catch up with my friend while the kids played.
Ryan at the playground
Tyler & Ryan on the slide together
Stay at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Denver Airport
Knowing we needed to get an early start the next morning, we chose a hotel very close to the airport. It was only a short drive to turn in the rental vehicle and get to the airport terminal. Although we didn’t use it, the hotel offers an airport shuttle so you could turn your vehicle in a day early and then take the shuttle to the airport. This time of year, though, was a little busy around the area so we opted for our own vehicle to control our timing in the morning. I like making sure we have enough time at the airport and would rather sit and wait at the gate than stress about making it on time.
Sunset view from the hotel
Day Four Map
Day Five
Fly Home
Day five meant it was time to fly back home to Houston. We woke up early, ate a quick breakfast at the hotel, and headed for the airport. Although we only had two full days in Rocky Mountain National Park, we had a great time and it was the perfect place to spend the week off from school.