Rocky Mountain National Park Planning & Tips

The Art of Smart Timing
You'll find more flexibility in lodging and slightly fewer crowds if you visit before late-June or wait until the last week in August or early September. Just be prepared for possible snow or fickle weather too early in the season. Call 970-586-1222 for status Trail Ridge Road conditions. Accommodations fill quickly for July and August, so plan on making those reservations early.

Summer is the best for viewing wildflowers and enjoying warm sunshine, as well as the full lineup of ranger programs on everything from astronomy to birding and looking for signs of wildlife. If you can visit in September or October, traffic lightens up, fall weather turns forests into patchworks of dark green and gold, and the wildlife -- especially elk -- put on a spectacular show fighting for female attention.

Win the kids over with a chance to see Colorado's champion sheep, llamas, alpacas, rabbits and goats at Estes Park's Wool Market the third weekend in June. Enjoy more traditional Western entertainment and a carnival at the Rooftop Rodeo the third week in July or a week of celebrating the Scottish-Irish Highland Festival the weekend after Labor Day.

Getting There
From Denver, it's about 60 miles to Rocky Mountain National Park via Estes Park. Follow Interstate 25 north to Colorado 66 and then head west on U.S. Highway 36. Another route is following Interstate 25 to U.S. Highway 34 at Loveland and west through Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park.

Park entrance fees are $20 per vehicle and good for the week.

Getting Around
There are daily shuttles from Denver to Estes Park (about a 60-mile trip), but rental cars are limited once there. Any rentals should be reserved in advance.

Having a car is helpful but not necessary. Downtown is easy to navigate by foot thanks to pretty walkways and a trolley. There also are summer shuttles into the national park. They stop at key points downtown and at many of the big resorts. Shuttles run within the park, as well, stopping at campgrounds, trailheads and park-and-ride lots. These may not be the most convenient if you have babies or toddlers with potty emergencies and the need for constant snacks or bottles, but they're great for older kids as well as mom or dad who might miss the scenery or get stressed by driving the tight curves and tending to kids' backseat needs.

Altitude Sickness
Use caution if you're coming from flat states or lower elevations. Estes Park and Grand Lake are both more than 7,000 feet above sea level, and the park's Trail Ridge Road climbs above 12,000 feet. Save highest elevations for the second or third day to give bodies time to acclimate. The lower oxygen at these elevations can cause headaches, dizziness, breathlessness and even aggravate other illnesses. Activities such as hiking may require extra exertion. If you're hiking with an infant or toddler in a backpack, check for alertness. It helps to drink more water than usual, but the quickest cure for symptoms is to get to lower elevations.

Outdoor Smarts
Tuck pants into socks during tick season and dress in layers for temperatures that drop as elevations rise. Plan hikes for the morning as most storms don't brew until afternoon. They can appear quickly, so take raingear, too. Sunburns happen more quickly at higher elevations, so slather on the sunscreen, too.

Plan Ahead
Keep your vehicle well stocked with snacks and entertainment and take potty breaks when you can in case traffic gets stalled. Delays of up to 30 minutes can occur with major resurfacing work on Trail Ridge Road throughout 2010 and 2011. There also may be a few delays as park staff removes trees decimated by the pine beetle.

Off the Radar
Locals with kids in the 3- to 12-year-old age range suggest visiting Rocky Mountain Park's Alluvial Fan, one of the park's scenic picnic spots with a rushing river popular for fly fishing. It's the big boulders, though, that kids can't resist climbing over and around. They're everywhere. Lawn Lake broke through the mountain moraine in 1982 and send 29 million gallons of water -- and car-sized boulders -- thundering into this valley. Keep an eye out (and hands off) the adorably chubby marmots. They like the sun-warmed rocks, too.

If you don't like lines of tourist in the park or simply crave fresh scenic sights while lulling a toddler to sleep in the car, other pretty drives are to Glen Haven, about seven miles northeast of Estes Park or to Allenspark on the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway south of town.

Visitors Bureaus
Estes Park Convention and Visitors Bureau
Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce