TROUT HAVEN IS THE DEFINITION OF A TOURIST TRAP!!!…read more I specifically asked an employee to explain the pricing before we started. I asked, "So we can donate the fish?" He said, "Correct." What he didn't explain is that you pay for EVERY fish caught--even the ones you "donate" back to them. We brought six kids. One son caught 17 fish by himself in 45 minutes. Staff watched us fill buckets without saying a word as our bill climbed to nearly $400. Using the word "donate" is INTENTIONALLY MISLEADING. You're not donating anything--you're buying fish and giving them back to the business. In my opinion, this pricing model is PREDATORY and relies on tourists and families not understanding the rules until they're standing at the register. If your kids have the (virtually guaranteed) experience of catching (likely multiple) fish, prepare to pay dearly for it.

TOURIST TRAP OF THE WORST ORDER…read more Good: Any age WILL catch fish within seconds over and over because the pond is heavily stocked with 95% captive adolescent trout that aren't fed much. Bad: the fish will very likely be small, which is fine if you're going with little kids, but PAY ATTENTION because EVERY fish you catch WILL cost you BY THE INCH on top of whatever you paid for admission or poles. If you think the "donate" option for the fish caught will be free, you're mistaken. The Really Ugly Bottom line- the pricing is intentionally predatory and confusing. As someone who lives locally this was a bad look at a classic tourist trap. We took out of town family hoping to show them a good time. $400 later we left apologizing for the way our guests had been taken advantage of.

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.

Amazing father-son trip with four of my best friends and their boys. The shop was efficient and…read morefriendly, getting our group ready for the river without any hassle. The guides (Peter, Ben, John, and Mark) not only got us on a bunch of fish but also took the time to teach and educate along the way. We really appreciated their patience and expertise. We'll definitely be planning another wading or float trip soon!

We had a large group and Peter Johnson and the other fishing guides were very knowledgeable,…read moreprofessional and all of us caught fish. Kirk's fly shop had everything we needed to make our trip successful and one we will never forget. Thank you Peter and your entire team for making this a Trout fishing trip of a lifetime. We are already looking at dates for next year.

Our family (two adults, three kids ages 10, 9, 9) went on a Family Fun Cookout with Sasquatch Fly…read moreFishing in August 2026. Our fishing guides were Spence and Julia, and Josh was in charge of the cookout. We had the best time! Spence and Julia were wonderful instructors - and especially great with the kids. Josh was so fun to have there too! We had an active busy week in Colorado and our outing with Sasquatch Fly Fishing was everyone's favorite activity. Highly recommend!

Today we were fishing a stretch of the Big Thompson. A section where a permit is required to enter…read more We arrived around 8:30, and parked next to a family with two women and two small children. The days here have been unfortunately hot, so I forewent putting my waders on, grabbed my gear, and headed over to my favorite bend in the river. My wife stayed at the car, suiting up in her waders. About thirty to forty minutes into my fishing, my wife came to the beach and greeted me. We chatted for a moment and I could hear an adult and children approaching me. "Excuse me?" She says I turn and greet her, happy to meet another angler. But it went south from there. "I'm a guide here." She says. "Are you familiar with the concept of high holing? Because that's what you just did." I then turn quickly to my wife for some type of weird reassurance as I do not understand the sin I committed against her. If anything, she was coming to "my" spot, though the entire river is walkable and great fishing. I didn't understand. I said "huh? I've been here since before you came on the water." "No you haven't. We got here before you and we were on the river before you." Figuring she didn't see me, I broke it down. "No, I left my wife at the car to suit up and came in here to fish some time ago, in fact yall have been walking towards me this whole time." Now. At this point, she could accept the truth and then apologize, but instead she gaslit me, saying I was not there at all and that I had been alongside them the whole time taking up their fishing space. That's when I got super mad, because I was not lying but she was accusing me of exactly that. Also, I'm a local who has lived here ten years. I work hard and on my days off I love to fish. I DONT love being interrupted by some privileged woman shoving me out of a spot. I dropped an f bomb and said are you effing serious (which was a mistake, and I am sorry to have said that in front of two children. But she did bring her children right alongside her to "confront" me about her space on the river) Also, to approach me and make this accusation, she had to walk past 200 feet of perfect bends and holes and spots on the river to fish. I suspect deeply that because she had children, she wanted my wide open spot of beach so she could watch the children. The really strange thing is???? The river belongs to us ALL. Had she approached in a friendly manner and asked if I minded sharing said spot I would have happily waded up river to fish another spot. But she confronted me, said I broke rules I didn't break in an attempt to encroach on where I was casting, and ruined our peace. She loudly bragged that she is a guide for Sasquatch Fly Fishing. Two weeks ago I met MK out on the same stretch of river and had the nicest conversation and was so excited to learn of her business out at the Y. But when I spoke to the family about what happened they just shrugged and said "whatever". I maintain that maybe just telling your guides not to be bullies and jerks is a course of action. Won't ever be using this shop for guiding, shopping, or any other services as there are plenty of guides I've met on our rivers who were kind, informed, and friendly. This girl just wanted her own spot, and to flex her little "guide" muscles somehow. If you want really great guides, check out Kirk's or Estes Angler. Happy fishing everyone!!!

What a HIGH FLYING establishment!…read more The booking process = easy peasy. The staff = absolutely kickass. The location = beauty on beauty. The fish = YOU CATCH 'EM. My husband and I had a standout day with our very cool guide, Sarah. She was knowledgeable, fun and chill. Nothing more you could want in a guide! It was early June so the runoff was pretty intense but the fish were still biting. We caught a total of 5 fish! Truthfully, we should have caught more but our reflexes were a bit rusty haha. :D We had an epically amazing day! In fact, we were suppose to have a second day when the weather took a turn for the worst. Sarah was a champ and warned us the day of before we left our home, which is about an hour and half away from Estes. She even was able to get us a full refund for the second day booking due to weather, which many fly fishing services do not provide. It was such a SOLID! With that kind of care for your clients, I'll never use another fly fishing service in Estes. We cannot wait to go back for another fly fishing excursion soon!

Such an amazing experience and with great prices! Matt took us to a beautiful location where he was…read moreable to spend time with each member of our group of four 1:1 throughout the trip. I will absolutely take all of our out of town visitors on a guided tour here!

family has stayed in the trout house every year for the past 5 years and was able to take dogs…read moreevery time. This year I called and they were rude and said no pets. Shame cause this place was good at one point but I will never give them my money again. My entire family and friends all stayed here and will now be looking elsewhere. You have been warned The Andersons

We wanted a drive in the mountains and my daughter wanted to fish at a lake. We googled it and…read morefound this place on the Fourth of July weekend. My brother who lives in Denver, insisted it would be busy and he read all of the bad reviews. I suppose if you are a fishing snob, you shouldn't go here because the rods are cheap but this isn't the point of the trout farm. It was gorgeous. The buildings look Bavarian and nice. There was enough room around the pond to find your own personal space. The staff was totally willing to help and even ran out to help when we caught fish. The pond was full of foot long trout and it was easy and exciting to catch them. It was super fun! The pricing for the fish I feel is reasonable for the experience. You are going to spend $50 at the movies. This is way more fun and you get cleaned fish to take home and eat! Awesome experience and it wasn't busy at all!

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.