Rocky Mountain National Park: Fantastic One-Day Visit…read more We only had one day to explore Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), so we made the most of it by hiking the Bear Lake Corridor and visiting Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake. Getting an Early Start We reserved timed entry for both RMNP and the Bear Lake Corridor with a 5:00 AM entry time and entered through the Fall River Entrance. After talking with several Colorado locals, we were advised to arrive at the Bear Lake Trailhead before 5:00 AM to secure parking. We arrived around 4:30 AM, and that proved to be excellent advice. The early start rewarded us with peaceful trails, beautiful lighting, and very few people around. Hiking the Bear Lake Corridor Bear Lake is an easy, family-friendly hike of about 0.7 miles. The hike to Emerald Lake is more challenging, with approximately 1.6 miles of uphill climbing. The route passes Nymph Lake and Dream Lake before reaching Emerald Lake, and the scenery becomes more impressive with every step. The views and serenity were unmatched in the early morning hours. As we were leaving the Bear Lake area, the parking lots were completely full, and shuttle buses were already operating. Scenic Driving After the hike, we drove Old Fall River Road, a seasonal one-way dirt road that offers spectacular views and a unique driving experience. We also visited: Alpine Visitor Center Trail Ridge Cafe & Gift Shop. From there, we drove Trail Ridge Road back toward Estes Park. Along the way, we were fortunate to see: Elk Moose Bighorn sheep Seeing all three species in a single day was a highlight of our trip. Tips for Future Visitors: I highly recommend bringing: A cooler with drinks and snacks Sandwiches or a packed lunch Bug spray Sunscreen A sun hat At least one liter of water per person per hour hike. The AllTrails app (download maps in advance for navigation) The Trail Ridge Café can be crowded and expensive, so having your own food and drinks can save both time and money. Final Thoughts: Although we wished we had more than one day in Rocky Mountain National Park, we were touring Colorado for the week and had limited time. Even so, this was one of the highlights of our trip. With an early start, a little planning, and a willingness to explore beyond the main attractions, it's possible to experience some of the very best that RMNP has to offer in a single day.

Rocky Mountain National Park is absolutely beautiful, but it's important to know before you go that…read moreit is not pet-friendly on the trails. Dogs are only allowed in developed areas like parking lots and campgrounds. We visited shortly after a major wildfire, and it was heartbreaking to see how much of the forest had burned. It really puts into perspective how powerful nature can be. One of the most interesting things we learned from a park ranger was that moose are considered one of the biggest wildlife concerns around dogs, even service animals. I never would have guessed that! The ranger explained that dogs can make wildlife feel threatened, which is one of the reasons the park has such strict dog regulations. If you're visiting with a service animal, I'd recommend checking with a ranger about recent wildlife sightings before heading out. That's just my personal opinion--you don't want to put yourself, your dog, or the wildlife in a dangerous situation. One unexpected highlight was spotting a beaver right along the side of the road while driving through the park! We completed three easy trails: * Coyote Valley Trail - About 1 mile round trip, completely flat with little to no elevation gain. Limited parking. * Holzwarth Historic Site - Around 1 mile round trip with very little incline. The trail leads to several historic cabins and buildings. Decent-sized parking lot. * Colorado River Trailhead - Our favorite of the three. It's also about 1 mile round trip and has the most elevation gain, although I'd still consider it an easy hike. Large parking area. Overall, Rocky Mountain National Park is an incredible place to visit with amazing scenery and wildlife. Just be sure to plan ahead if you're traveling with a dog and understand the pet restrictions before you arrive.

Bear Lake is located on the eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park, in the popular Bear Lake…read moreRoad Corridor. It was absolutely beautiful, with the lake surrounded by dramatic mountain peaks and a peaceful alpine setting. We spotted adorable chipmunks and beautiful blue-feathered birds along the way, which made the experience even more memorable. The roughly half-mile walk around the lake was manageable with our baby in a stroller and was a wonderful family-friendly way to experience the park. A beautiful and easy-to-enjoy stop that I would definitely recommend when visiting Rocky Mountain National Park!

The serenity and beauty are 5 star without a doubt. The lake is probably the single most visited…read morelocation in the entire RMNP. As such, it is incredibly over-crowded and over-touristed. The parking lots to the lake are full by 7am. The Park Service runs a shuttle from Estes Park (the visitor center) which is the way to go. You still need to buy an entrance permit to the park and a $2 permit to visit the lake, but avoiding the hassle of having a car in the park is worth it. The shuttle runs on a defined schedule which is available in the visitor center. They run a tight ship so buses leave promptly. If you do the shuttle (which is free) you need to buy a 1 day untimed pass to the national park (no vehicle). For the Bear Lake pass, you need to go online (recreation.gov) for RMNP the day before you intend to travel at 7pm. Do it quickly because spaces sell out quickly. You will want to reserve a specific time to get on the bus. For example, we did the 10am bus. The shuttle bus schedule is in the visitor center. They send your pass to your email that you show to driver. The lake itself is beautiful. The lake is a 256 feet "hike" from the entrance to the lake. In other words, it is so easy and accessible that everyone does it. When I say everyone, I mean imagine half the population of Manhattan. There are so many people that it is impossible to find any peace or quiet. Some people call this escaping to nature. At the Bear Lake entrance there are other hikes that range in length. The trip to Emerald lake is 1.8 miles and also very popular so expect large crowds. Overall, it is great to be in nature but the big downside is the crowds.

I don't know what it is about Southeast (Alaska), but their trail maintenance is impeccable!…read more My partner took me to Ketch for the weekend to celebrate my 40th, so we only had time for one hike, and we chose this one. The trail is steep but very well-graded, with lots of switchbacks. The first, maybe 1.75 miles are in a lush temperate rainforest: big trees, dripping rocks, creeks flowing in/out/on/around the trail. In late March, we hit snow at about 2,100 ft. If you do this trail before June, you will have to navigate snow. Depending on conditions, you could need snowshoes/skis, microspikes, or both. We only had microspikes, but definitely needed snowshoes/skis. The final quarter mile to the summit was grueling snow-wallowing through knee-to-chest deep snow. There were lots of sketch cornices near the summit area. If you don't have experience with snow travel, I'd recommend NOT going to the true summit if you see conditions like this. (the two of us do quite a bit of mountaineering, even in the winter so....while it was unpleasant, we knew how to navigate it relatively safely) Views from the summit were amazing...for a few seconds, then the clouds rolled in. Such is life hiking in a rainforest! It took us about 4 hours to reach the summit. This was largely because of the snow though. It took us only 1 hr to get from the summit to the brewery, which is the place you need to go to treat yourself post-summit!

Sweet fun trail hike it run it , great views up top . Tons of options of going furtherread more

Nice place to fish, get cooled down and for me hammock and read! My husband caught a handful of…read morefish near the power plant.

Beautiful lake in Estes park! There are lots of outdoor tables making this a great picnic spot…read more Also a great place for water sports on a warm day. It's even nice just to drive by and see the wildlife.

We came in late to Estes Park and wanted to fit in a hike before dark. One of the locals…read morerecommended this trail, and after some research, saw it was highly rated for the area. It's a pretty easy hike, be warned it can be steep at times, but if you're mostly fit, you'll be able to do it. There were a few icy patches at times, but I was fine in regular boots. The views going up just keep getting better and better, they were all so beautiful. You HAVE to check out the bathroom near the top as that might be one of the best views the whole hike! The small lake at the top was pretty, especially iced over, but nothing compared to the views on the actual hike. It was a really awesome, cool trail in the middle of Estes park without having to pay to get into the Rocky Mountain National Park, and it was super easy to get to. I would highly recommend.

This was a beautiful hike we did with our twin boys who are 12. It was a bit longer than we…read morethought, we are fairly fit but from Texas so we were easily winded and took breaks. It is a pretty easy hike BUT there is a lot of steep parts, lots of steep steps. There were a few icy patches as it was winter when we were there. The views are amazing on this trail. The lake is small but still pretty at the end! Going down is always easier haha. We enjoyed this one since Hollowell Park in RMNP was closed.

After starting my day off exploring Bear Lake, I decided to do the 3.6-mile roundtrip hike to…read moreEmerald Lake. While on hike, I passed by Nymph Lake and Dream Lake. Nymph Lake is a charming lake that is about half a mile into the hike and has pond lilies floating on the water. Dream Lake is another half mile after that. I took a little time to enjoy this lake because it was so pretty. The hike to Dream Lake begins at the start of the Bear Lake trailhead. It is a steady climb through aspen groves and ponderosa pine. From here, you can continue on to Emerald Lake. It is considered a moderately challenging hike because of the elevation gain. It is also one of the most photographed lakes because it is surrounded by steep cliffs. You can see Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain in the background. Dream Lake is a peaceful area to relax at and enjoy.

If you decide to hike to Emerald Lake, Dream Lake is the second of three lakes you'll discover…read morealong this hike. About 1.1 miles into the 1.8 mile, moderate hike, Dream Lake is a breath of fresh air. It's better than Nymph Lake and just a sneak peek of what's to come when you finally reach Emerald Lake. We did this hike in mid-June, and it was around Dream Lake when we began finding snow still on the trail. I use hiking sandals and was able to manage in the snow for this hike (was definitely not able to use them for the branch-off for Lake Haiyaha). But do be careful if you're not used to walking in snow. Even though Emerald Lake is the goal (and more gorgeous), make sure to take some time to sit and take in Dream Lake. It's a relaxing spot - drink some water and eat a snack. Just make sure to take all your trash with you! This hike is located on Bear Lake Road, so make sure you make the appropriate reservations - you will need a reservation for Rocky Mountain AND a reservation for Bear Lake Road. You'll park at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead, which is the location of some of the most popular hikes on the road. Even though the lot is big, it does fill up. The park & ride isn't too far away, and the shuttle will drive you in. While there is a good amount of shade on this trail, there are still portions in the open sun. Make sure to pack sunscreen, a hat, and plenty of water. Beautiful destination. If you can, make sure to continue on to Emerald Lake!

What a beautiful ride! The views of the Rockies are spectacular (of course). It is very well run…read moreand right near downtown with parking on site. The trams are smallish and we went up with 6 people on board (plus a wonderful, sweet operator named Michelle (she is so sweet...). Plenty of room and windows open on 3 sides! Up top there are trails and rocks and views in every direction. On the way down it was just the two of us and another very friendly and enjoyable operator named Lance. A second shout out to Michelle and Lance for making the experience that much more pleasant. Highy recommended!

The wife wanted to do this and it looked like fun so off we went. The cost in July 2026 is $40 for…read morean adult and $25 for a kid. There is paid parking as well. There is a gift shop before you begin and at the top. The ride takes about 7=8 minutes each way. They have continuous one car up and one car down. Each car holds 8-10 people, depending on their weight. They do a good job of keeping groups together. The lines can be long and we waited about 45 minutes to go up and another 25 minutes on the way down. Once at the top, there are hiking trails, some great overlooks, and of course spectacular views. I would say that the views are worth the price. You can buy peanuts to feed the chipmunks, which seemed to be a popular activity. The chipmunks were happy and well fed. The reason for 4 stars is the long wait in line. The views are 5 star but you have to be patient for the payoff.

Leaf peepin season in Colorado! Always the perfect drive this time of year. Beginning in Netherland…read moreand drove all the way to Estes Park. There wasn't quite as many aspens as I thought there would be along the scenic drive. When we did come across patches aspens, it was beautiful. For being a weekend, the drive was not overcrowded at all. And it's always great to stop in Netherland and Estes Park for a quick walk and a quick bite.

Lovely , beautiful drive. Not busy in midday. Glorious views. Worth our time, we felt. Experience…read moremountains and small towns Very sweet.