Rocky Mountain National Park - Hiking

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cychuck

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Jun 9, 2020
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What do you want to see? Lakes? Peaks? Animals?

How far are you wanting to hike? Ouzel falls isn’t bad effort wise and was mentioned earlier. Alberta falls and emerald are real popular I believe but can get crowded. Emerald is really a must do if you haven’t been there.


We will be doing plenty of long hikes (girls and wife are in good shape it's me I'm worried about!!) but looking for things to do that are more restful on a couple days. Either in Estes Park or we might spend a couple days at Grand Lake also. I loved the idea of going to the continental divide and watching a sunset.

Any secluded hot springs in the area or a good swimming hole?
 

JM4CY

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We will be doing plenty of long hikes (girls and wife are in good shape it's me I'm worried about!!) but looking for things to do that are more restful on a couple days. Either in Estes Park or we might spend a couple days at Grand Lake also. I loved the idea of going to the continental divide and watching a sunset.

Any secluded hot springs in the area or a good swimming hole?
Well I am not an expert on springs. I would offer that going up to flattop and circling around to Hallets peak is a pretty amazing hike. It’s a different world up there on that is an absolutely amazing experience.

Twin Sisters is cool too. Gives you a view of the whole range. Get going early enough and you will likely see mountain goats waking up as the sun hits them if they still live up there.

There’s a pretty cool spot I found one summer that over looks Moraine Valley that’s about a 45 min walk from the end of that little road that goes into the Valley. Good spot to get to and watch the sunrise and sip some coffee. I’ll have to do some research though. I can’t remember exactly how to get there.
 

JM4CY

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We will be doing plenty of long hikes (girls and wife are in good shape it's me I'm worried about!!) but looking for things to do that are more restful on a couple days. Either in Estes Park or we might spend a couple days at Grand Lake also. I loved the idea of going to the continental divide and watching a sunset.

Any secluded hot springs in the area or a good swimming hole?
Also, I almost forgot. Sky Pond is freaking incredible if you can make it up there. The last little bit is a little sketchy if they have a lot of rain because you have to hike up next to a stream/waterfall thing but trust me, it’s worth it. It not bad going up until the very end with a crap ton of steps but again it’s worth it.
 

EIClone

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Nov 21, 2011
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Cub lake and Fern lake are nice trails for day hikes also. You will need to get to the trailheads early, parking tends to fill up. Last year I hiked up Deer Mountain, shorter hike buy a great view of Estes Park and Beaver Meadows. It has limited parking at the intersection of 34 and 36 in the park.

Check on Wild Basin, it is currently closed. But no telling when it will open.
 

JM4CY

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Bump.

Heading out in 48 hours if anyone has any last minute tips on trails. Got passes. That’s a fiasco, btw.
 
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EIClone

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Nov 21, 2011
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Bump.

Heading out in 48 hours if anyone has any last minute tips on trails. Got passes. That’s a fiasco, btw.

Report back on how things go. Wait to enter the park, trails, and overall experience. We are going in October.

Enjoy the trip and have fun.
 

cyclone1975

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Feb 4, 2007
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Just got back from Estes and RMNP yesterday. I recommend booking an entrance time between 6-8am. Both days there was virtually nobody in line when we arrived. However, on multiple days when we drove by the entrance between noon and 2:00 it was backed up a Iong way. I cannot figure out why with timed entry. But that is what seemed to happen every day.

Bear lake parking at Trail head was full by 10am when we left the trail.

I was a little bummed that the short but really steep trail from the Alpine Center was closed.

Pretty much every “Discovery Center” in the park was closed except Beaver right before the entrance.

I recommend Smokin Dave’s BBQ between Estes park and the RMNP entrance. We ate there twice.

Masks are required pretty much everywhere. Many stores would politely tell customers they had to leave if they didn’t wear a mask.

It was a great trip. We drove the entire 11 hour drive home yesterday with a 10 year old and a 12 year old. Proud that they made it. It is a boring drive.
 

MuskieCy

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Nov 4, 2006
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Just got back from Estes and RMNP yesterday. I recommend booking an entrance time between 6-8am. Both days there was virtually nobody in line when we arrived. However, on multiple days when we drove by the entrance between noon and 2:00 it was backed up a Iong way. I cannot figure out why with timed entry. But that is what seemed to happen every day.

Bear lake parking at Trail head was full by 10am when we left the trail.

I was a little bummed that the short but really steep trail from the Alpine Center was closed.

Pretty much every “Discovery Center” in the park was closed except Beaver right before the entrance.

I recommend Smokin Dave’s BBQ between Estes park and the RMNP entrance. We ate there twice.

Masks are required pretty much everywhere. Many stores would politely tell customers they had to leave if they didn’t wear a mask.

It was a great trip. We drove the entire 11 hour drive home yesterday with a 10 year old and a 12 year old. Proud that they made it. It is a boring drive.
It is 11 hours for us also, 10 hours on I-80 across Nub and Missouri to Mississippi in Iowa.

You can have a good nap between N Platte and Kearney and another from Kearney to Grand Island. And that is while driving.

Yuck.
 

JM4CY

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Just got back from Estes and RMNP yesterday. I recommend booking an entrance time between 6-8am. Both days there was virtually nobody in line when we arrived. However, on multiple days when we drove by the entrance between noon and 2:00 it was backed up a Iong way. I cannot figure out why with timed entry. But that is what seemed to happen every day.

Bear lake parking at Trail head was full by 10am when we left the trail.

I was a little bummed that the short but really steep trail from the Alpine Center was closed.

Pretty much every “Discovery Center” in the park was closed except Beaver right before the entrance.

I recommend Smokin Dave’s BBQ between Estes park and the RMNP entrance. We ate there twice.

Masks are required pretty much everywhere. Many stores would politely tell customers they had to leave if they didn’t wear a mask.

It was a great trip. We drove the entire 11 hour drive home yesterday with a 10 year old and a 12 year old. Proud that they made it. It is a boring drive.
Thanks! I completely forgot about Smokin Dave’s. Ate there once years ago and remember it being good. Do you know if they do take out?
 

Remo Gaggi

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Aug 28, 2018
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Thanks! I completely forgot about Smokin Dave’s. Ate there once years ago and remember it being good. Do you know if they do take out?
We love Smokin Daves as well. Looking forward to the new Dunraven on Lake Estes.

Will be there in early October, hoping there won't be a reservation system necessary then, but we've always hit the park early anyway.

Are the shuttles running from the park and ride up to Bear Lake?
 

SEIOWA CLONE

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Dec 19, 2018
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Son lives in Greeley. Greeley is 11 hours from Muskieville. EP is another hour.

Last summer, the Boss wanted to see a sunset from the continental divide. She did a little research and found a great guy who grew up in Berthoud and retired in EP. He has been in the park over 500 times.

We met in EP at 7pm. He drove us to some way out of the way places(Angry Falls) the back on Trail Ridge Road. We stopped at the Lava Cliffs to absorb the sunset at 12K'.

So different than near sea level(home). The sky is very compressed. The sliding of earths shadow is like a curtain opening across the most spectacular star show I have ever seen. Saw five satellites crossing the sky. A airliner looked to be about a thousand feet above us.

On the way down, Bruce(our guide) saw something. We stopped, got out, and watched a caribou buck strut within 20 yards, bugling for the girls. Late July is the start of the ruck.

My CF pic is me at a peak 12005' above sea level. Get in solid shape before attempting any hike like that.

We were there last summer in EP, spent the day driving up through the park. Man the air is thin at 14,000 feet. I was sucking are just walking a couple hundred feet down a trail.
But its beautiful country, and we plan on going back next summer. Love Colorado.
 

cyclone1975

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Feb 4, 2007
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Yes, did takeout from Smokin Dave’s twice. That was one of our struggles on vacation—going out to eat. Not ready to sit family down in a restaurant yet. So we ordered takeout and ate in our room or car. Kind of limited outdoor seating in Estes Park.

We did find a really good food truck called “Rations.” It was these two moms who made gourmet sandwiches to fund their children’s college education. Limited menu, but so good. I will never think of food trucks in the same way.
 

Sousaclone

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Apr 29, 2006
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Just got back from Estes and RMNP yesterday. I recommend booking an entrance time between 6-8am. Both days there was virtually nobody in line when we arrived. However, on multiple days when we drove by the entrance between noon and 2:00 it was backed up a Iong way. I cannot figure out why with timed entry. But that is what seemed to happen every day.

I've seen that at a bunch of parks even without timed entry. I went to Carlsbad Caverns and got there at like 9-10 AM. Not super busy or much of a line. Left about 3-4 hours later and the line was super long. Same thing with Arches. Roll in at 8 AM park is practically deserted. By noon it was jammed to the gills.

I guess with younger kids it's harder to get up and go super early. Or maybe a lot more people are like my BIL who don't want to get up early for any reason while on a vacation (even if driving cross country. Seriously who waits until 10 AM to get on the road if all you are doing is driving?).
 

MyCyView

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Sep 3, 2014
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Just got back from Estes and RMNP yesterday. I recommend booking an entrance time between 6-8am. Both days there was virtually nobody in line when we arrived. However, on multiple days when we drove by the entrance between noon and 2:00 it was backed up a Iong way. I cannot figure out why with timed entry. But that is what seemed to happen every day.

Bear lake parking at Trail head was full by 10am when we left the trail.

I was a little bummed that the short but really steep trail from the Alpine Center was closed.

Pretty much every “Discovery Center” in the park was closed except Beaver right before the entrance.

I recommend Smokin Dave’s BBQ between Estes park and the RMNP entrance. We ate there twice.

Masks are required pretty much everywhere. Many stores would politely tell customers they had to leave if they didn’t wear a mask.

It was a great trip. We drove the entire 11 hour drive home yesterday with a 10 year old and a 12 year old. Proud that they made it. It is a boring drive.

If you miss your timed entry slot, can you still enter? I did see where re-entry was allowed.

Going in August and still need to do the passes so any guidence would be appreciated!
 

JM4CY

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If you miss your timed entry slot, can you still enter? I did see where re-entry was allowed.

Going in August and still need to do the passes so any guidence would be appreciated!
Will report back in a week with your answer. :)
 
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JM4CY

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Got back from Estes late last night. Few thoughts for those still going out there:

- similar to what others reported, masks are required pretty much everywhere you go. You will need them.

- didn’t eat out much at all and brought our own food but that food truck called “Rations” is very good.

- did some fishing for the first time out there. That is a treat. Never did that before.

- many wear masks on the trails but some don’t. It’s not required while hiking but busier ones you will see a lot of people getting off the trail and letting you go by and are very mindful of social distancing.

- Fall River road didn’t open until Saturday because of trees they had to move off the road.

- All trails are good and ranking them is extremely subjective in my mind. That said Gem lake is a nice little hike with some good elevation gain and it’s trailhead is really accessible. I hadn’t done that one before. I probably wouldn’t strongly recommend that one though. I find hikes down at wild basin and the ones to mills lake or the loch a little more beautiful. But you have to coordinate parking and things with those.

- I heard in town from locals that there are about half as many people doing business as normal. HOWEVER, bear lake parking lot was full most days way earlier than normal. Like 9AM at the latest some days. So if you don’t want to use the shuttle and deal with that, get there really early.

- we did the black lake hike for the first time. I would strongly recommend that one. Absolutely stunning. There was some snow to hike up at the end but wasn’t too sketchy.

- Hikes to peaks still have a little snow on them due to late snow out there but I’m guessing that won’t last much longer. I was told to take micro spikes up to black lake by a ranger but didn’t end up needing them.

- if you haven’t used the wilderness office for the most up to date trail information, you should. It’s back behind the beaver meadows visitor center. Just walk up there and ask them where it is and they will tell you. Got lots of good info there.
 

ajspatio19

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Jun 9, 2020
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You may know about this already but "AllTrails" is an awesome hiking app I recently used in Wyoming. It gives ratings to each trail based on difficulty and length and highlights some of the key aspects of each trail. There is a review section for each trail so people that have recently hiked that trail can leave photos and thoughts from their hike. People would usually mention if there was still snow on the trail at the time they hiked so that might be helpful. I highly recommend taking a look at this app. It helped us find a lot of nice trails in the Tetons.
 

Remo Gaggi

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Aug 28, 2018
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Got back from Estes late last night. Few thoughts for those still going out there:

- similar to what others reported, masks are required pretty much everywhere you go. You will need them.

- didn’t eat out much at all and brought our own food but that food truck called “Rations” is very good.

- did some fishing for the first time out there. That is a treat. Never did that before.

- many wear masks on the trails but some don’t. It’s not required while hiking but busier ones you will see a lot of people getting off the trail and letting you go by and are very mindful of social distancing.

- Fall River road didn’t open until Saturday because of trees they had to move off the road.

- All trails are good and ranking them is extremely subjective in my mind. That said Gem lake is a nice little hike with some good elevation gain and it’s trailhead is really accessible. I hadn’t done that one before. I probably wouldn’t strongly recommend that one though. I find hikes down at wild basin and the ones to mills lake or the loch a little more beautiful. But you have to coordinate parking and things with those.

- I heard in town from locals that there are about half as many people doing business as normal. HOWEVER, bear lake parking lot was full most days way earlier than normal. Like 9AM at the latest some days. So if you don’t want to use the shuttle and deal with that, get there really early.

- we did the black lake hike for the first time. I would strongly recommend that one. Absolutely stunning. There was some snow to hike up at the end but wasn’t too sketchy.

- Hikes to peaks still have a little snow on them due to late snow out there but I’m guessing that won’t last much longer. I was told to take micro spikes up to black lake by a ranger but didn’t end up needing them.

- if you haven’t used the wilderness office for the most up to date trail information, you should. It’s back behind the beaver meadows visitor center. Just walk up there and ask them where it is and they will tell you. Got lots of good info there.
Thanks for the update, we are heading out the first week of October. Never been there in the fall and looking forward to the leaves changing. Since we probably won't be watching football, I don't mind heading there in October.
 

JM4CY

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Thanks for the update, we are heading out the first week of October. Never been there in the fall and looking forward to the leaves changing. Since we probably won't be watching football, I don't mind heading there in October.
Well put. Pm me if you have any questions and newer to it.