Rocky Mountain National Park Trip Planner

Day 1 Alpine Ridge (Trail Ridge Road) + West Side (Grand Lake / Kawuneeche Valley)

1. 

   Alpine Visitor Center and alpine tundra

   Alpine Ridge (Trail Ridge Road) · 1 hr · easy pace

   The highest visitor center in the National Park System, at 11,796 feet on Trail Ridge Road. From the parking area you can step onto tundra above treeline, where the growing season runs about 40 days and roughly 200 species of tiny alpine plants hug the ground. It is closed in winter. Give the altitude a day to settle before you come this high.

2. 

   Trail Ridge Road and Forest Canyon Overlook

   Alpine Ridge (Trail Ridge Road) · 3 hr · easy pace

   US 34 crosses the park for 48 miles between Estes Park and Grand Lake and reaches 12,183 feet, the highest continuously paved through-road in the United States. Eleven miles run above treeline, and pullouts at Forest Canyon and Gore Range look across valleys cut by Ice Age glaciers. Set aside at least a half day, and know it closes with snow.

3. Tundra Communities Trail at Rock Cut

   Alpine Ridge (Trail Ridge Road) · 1 hr · easy · 1 mi

   A one-mile round trip from the Rock Cut parking area to the Roger Toll Memorial, most of it above 12,000 feet. The trail is paved at the start and then gravel, with about 200 feet of gain, crossing ground where pikas, marmots, and bighorn sheep live. Lightning is the real hazard above treeline; be off the ridge by noon in summer.

4. 

   Holzwarth Historic Site

   West Side (Grand Lake / Kawuneeche Valley) · 1.5 hr · easy pace

   A 1917 homestead in the Kawuneeche Valley that became the Holzwarth Trout Lodge dude ranch. The log cabins sit a half-mile walk from the parking area on a level gravel trail; in summer rangers and volunteers open the buildings and tell the family's story. In winter the trail is not plowed, and the site is reached on snowshoes or skis.

5. 

   Kawuneeche Valley moose viewing

   West Side (Grand Lake / Kawuneeche Valley) · 1 hr · easy pace

   The west side is the park's moose country: look along US 34 where willows and aquatic plants grow. Moose return to the same feeding patches year after year and can be active at any hour, so scan slowly from the pullouts. Give them room; a moose can run 35 miles per hour, and cows with calves are protective.

Day 2 East Gateway (Estes Park / Beaver Meadows) + Bear Lake Road Corridor

≈55 min drive from Alpine Ridge (Trail Ridge Road)

1. 

   Estes Park gateway

   East Gateway (Estes Park / Beaver Meadows) · 1 hr · easy pace

   The town on US 36 at the Beaver Meadows entrance, and the last cluster of gas, groceries, and lodging before the park. The Beaver Meadows Visitor Center sits at 7,840 feet, open year round, with the park film, water, and flush toilets. On summer mornings the wait at the entrance station can run 30 minutes or longer.

2. 

   Longs Peak viewpoint

   East Gateway (Estes Park / Beaver Meadows) · 45 min · easy pace

   Longs Peak is the park's only fourteener, and its flat summit and east face are visible from the east side without a climb. The trail to the top runs 8.0 miles one way and gains about 4,885 feet, with a class 3 scramble on exposed rock; it is not a family hike. Drive CO-7 south of Estes Park for the view and leave the summit to climbers.

3. 

   Bear Lake shore and nature loop

   Bear Lake Road Corridor · 45 min · easy · 0.5 mi

   A half-mile loop around Bear Lake at 9,475 feet, at the end of Bear Lake Road. The first stretch is paved and wheelchair accessible, then becomes packed dirt around the shore. It is the shortest walk to a lake-and-peaks view in the park and the trailhead for the climb to Nymph and Dream lakes. Parking fills early in summer, so use the Park & Ride shuttle.

4. 

   Nymph, Dream, and Emerald lakes

   Bear Lake Road Corridor · 3 hr · moderate · 3.6 mi

   A 3.6-mile round trip from Bear Lake up through three lakes, climbing about 605 feet to Emerald Lake below Hallett Peak. Nymph Lake at a half mile is the short turnaround, and Dream Lake at 1.1 miles is the usual family goal. The trail is dirt and rock with roots, and the last stretch to Emerald can hold snow into June.

5. 

   Sprague Lake loop

   Bear Lake Road Corridor · 45 min · easy · 0.8 mi

   A flat 0.8-mile loop on packed gravel, dirt, and boardwalk around Sprague Lake, with benches, a fishing pier, and the Continental Divide across the water. The park measures the average running slope under 3 percent, which makes it the most stroller-friendly trail in the corridor. Moose are seen here at dawn and dusk.

6. 

   Moraine Park elk rut at dusk

   Bear Lake Road Corridor · 1.5 hr · easy pace

   From mid-September into October, bull elk move into Moraine Park and bugle through the evening. Moraine Park is one of several meadows that close to off-road foot travel from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. during the rut, so watch from the road and established trails. Keep at least 75 feet back; a bull can close that distance fast.

Day 3 South End (Lily Lake / Wild Basin)

≈30 min drive from East Gateway (Estes Park / Beaver Meadows)

1. 

   Lily Lake loop

   South End (Lily Lake / Wild Basin) · 45 min · easy · 0.8 mi

   A flat 0.8-mile loop on boardwalk and gravel just off CO-7 south of Estes Park, with Longs Peak across the water. The park lists the Lily Lake Trail as open to power-driven mobility devices, one of only a few trails with that access. It sits outside the main entrance, so a timed-entry reservation is still required in summer.

2. 

   Wild Basin to Ouzel Falls

   South End (Lily Lake / Wild Basin) · 4 hr · moderate · 5.4 mi

   A 5.4-mile round trip from the Wild Basin Ranger Station up the North St. Vrain drainage to Ouzel Falls, climbing about 950 feet past Copeland Falls and Calypso Cascades. The trail is dirt and rock, with a footbridge at the falls. This south end sees far fewer people than Bear Lake, and there is no water at the trailhead.