24 Hours in Rocky Mountain National Park

Written by Kyle

---

After seeing Charley Crockett at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, we hit the road early the next morning and headed up towards the East entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes, Colorado

Originally this trip had been planned to be a motorcycle trip, so originally we actually didn’t have much of a plan other than riding through the park. Because of the weather necessitating a drive, we brought our hiking boots and gear.  We had planned ahead and had timed entry passes (required May-October), and on the way to the park, we did a little cursory research to find some trails to hike on our way through the park. Knowing we just had the day, we wanted to be able to hike and explore a little bit in different areas and landscapes of the park.

We kept most of our hikes to only a few miles long, whether the trails were loops, or in and out trails. We were able to hike through some of the lower elevation pine forests, see beaver ponds, hike up in the tundra area where there was still was snow here and there, and were treated to the site of some elk up on a mountain top watching us go by! On the way down to the West entrance at Grand Lake we did a short hike along the Colorado river and had a picnic. (Pro Tip: There is only one restaurant in the park called the Trail Ridge Store – So unless you want to spend a long time parking and waiting in line, bring your own food in!)

All in all we hiked a total of around 8 miles throughout the day, and of course enjoyed all of the scenery driving through one of the most beautiful national parks. We decided to cap the night off with a stay in Grand Lake at the historic Grand Lake Lodge and enjoyed a delicious and well earned dinner!

I know I have written it before, but even if you don’t have time to spend days or a week in the national parks but are passing by, make the detour! You can still see what they are about and get the general lay of the land if you ever decide to go back for a longer trip!