Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

As I am writing this post, I have just completed my seventh visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. This, I have deemed, makes myself just slightly worthy of writing a blog post about this incredible sanctuary!

Every time I have been to the park I hav been with a different friend, family member, or hiking partner to explore this rugged wilderness with, and every time I am left feeling thankful and blessed to be so close to some place so special.

​Living in Denver gives me many opportunities to see truly incredible places near home, and Estes Park, where Rocky Mountain National Park is located, is one of those magical places. Sadly, I don’t come here enough, but when I do, it is a special occasion. ​
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There are many ways to travel throughout the park - by car, bus, foot, bike, or even horseback, I am going to lay out the ways I have traversed through the park and give some insider recommendations! 

Looking down into Rocky Mountain National Park!

Know Before You Go:

Entry Permits

New in 2020 and remaining through 2021 is a permit system to enter the park. You must have a timed entry permit to make it through the Ranger's gates.

Permits can be purchased, here: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm

Permits go on sale a month before and sell out quickly. Do not panic!

They release HUNDREDS of permits at 5 p.m. the night before and it is still very easy to get it.

Also, if you enter before 5 a.m. or after 6 p.m. there is no permit required. Please note there is always permits required for any camping or over night stays in the park!

Entrance Fees

There is a $25 entrance fee to enter into Rocky Mountain, and many other National Parks. I recommend purchasing the $80 annual park pass to avoid paying every time.

Bonus - if you enter before 6 a.m. where there is no ranger you don't have to pay the fee!

Summer Vs. Winter

Rocky Mountain National Park is open year round from the east side, or Estes Park entrances, but certain roads close at the start of winter and the entrances from Grand Lake become far less in the winter. This includes leading up to The Alpine Visitors Center, which is also closed in winter. (It took me seven trips to the park to time make it there!)

I personally do not think you can go wrong in either season, but one time of the year definitely has more open and accessible - and that would be summer.

To handle the influx of people in the summer, there are more visitors centers and restrooms open, and the towns are bustling with people and open shops. It's a plus and minus to have people and operating businesses, but its nice when you are with other tourists just bumping around! 

Things really pick up after Memorial Day and stay busy through August. I personally like May (if you are okay with the chill!)

Photo taken in March during my sister's spring break visit - click to read more!

Driving Around The Park:

The easiest way to the most of the park is drive yourself! There is a bus you can take from point to point but I have never personally ridden.

I recommend starting from Estes Park and working over towards Grand Lake, or even turning around at The Alpine Visitors Center or at the winter gate of Highway 34. There is a lot more to do near Estes Park, and as of 2020 the wildfires have really closed off the western park of the park.

I usually just drive clockwise around Highways 36 and Highway 34 and only one time did I make it up the road during the right season to go to The Alpine Visitor Center.

A big horn sheep.

View from the car window.

Sitting at the parking lot that becomes the point of turn around during the winter on Highway 34.

Watch more from the time I drove my grandparents through the park! This is the only time I have ever drive all the way through to the Grand Lake side.

Hikes I Have Been On Inside The Park:

Brainard Lake

Snowshoeing up to Brainard Lake.

​The first hike I took in Rocky Mountain National Park was also my first time snowshoeing! I met up with a fellow hiker through the Women Who Hike Colorado Facebook Page, and we hit the “trail”.

I say “trail”, because we would find out that we were not following the trail at all! Instead, we were just following another group's shoeprints in the snow. We knew that the lake is at the top of the hill, so we kept trekking and eventually made it to our destination and back onto the proper trail.

​It was a stunning and steep hike up, but the frozen lake at the top was well worth the confusion and difficult walk! The only thing to note is that the squirrels and marmots are relentless up there and will steal your snacks. Don't be like us and have your food stolen while you're taking pictures!

Standing on a frozen snowy Brainard Lake.

Bear, Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes

My next venture into the park was in the summertime and it was a totally different experience than my first time. This time, there were no snowshoes or heavy coats involved, because it was hot--very hot--and buggy, but yet we still encountered the snow and had to hike across it at some points! It was a wild experience and the views were just jaw-droppingly beautiful.

My now fiance and I had such a wonderful afternoon trekking up the mountains, stopping at all the different lakes to catch our breath, and trying to take in the scenery. We absolutely loved this hike, and so do many others. It’s one of the most popular in the park for good reason!

We had intentions to hike all day and see as much as we could, but an afternoon storm drove us back to the trailhead just after noon.

Loch Lake

It would be winter again before I returned to the park. Again, I was hiking to a lake, but this time a friend and I went ice skating at Loch Lake! I met up with my good friend Natalie, and we were both prepared for cold temperatures, but we were not expecting the wild storm that greeted us at the trailhead!

We actually sat in our car and debated if we should continue before deciding to get out and hike as far as we could. We were both glad we stuck it out, because it was an epic experience! We hiked up the snowy trail for about 3 miles with no issues or bad weather until we reached the lake. ​

At Loch Lake, the winds were released, and we found ourselves in a tornado of whipping gusts. It didn't stop us from strapping on our skates and trying out the ice. The ice was extremely bumpy, because the water froze in place as the wind pushed it into waves. Needless to say, it was difficult to skate on, and compared to my friend Natalie who was a collegiate hockey player, I was an embarrassment! We let the wind push us around the ice until we nearly froze. Then, we took off our skates and quickly made it back to our cars.

Each of my experiences inside the park has been such an adventure, and I cannot wait to go back and explore even more. The park has so much more hiding inside its thousands of protected acres, and I cannot wait to see what I discover next time!

See more from Colorado's other National Parks on my "Parks Page" 
- Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Mesa Verde National Park