My Rocky Mountain Park

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Our stuffed-full mailed packet is filled with maps, activities, national park information and more. Plan the Colorado vacation of a lifetime.

Explore Colorado National Parks

We love Colorado and exploring its national park sites with diverse and unexpected landscapes. Rocky Mountain National Park spans the Continental Divide with alpine lakes, the headwaters of the Colorado River and dozens of mountain peaks. Mesa Verde National Park showcases human history at ancient cliff dwellings from 1,400 years ago. Sled or hike a spectacular array of dunes trapped by mountains at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, and watch birds take a deep dive between the vertical canyon walls of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. We invite you to travel the depths of Colorado and discover your own place of adventure.

Longs Peak, the highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park

Drive up Trail Ridge Road and you'll spot Longs Peak in the distance. Down in Rocky's meadows, watch the park's most crowd-drawing wildlife, herds of elk.

Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park.

Described as the pyramids of North America, the ancient ruins at Mesa Verde hold the early stories of our nation from 1,400 years ago.

Sunset of Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. Photo by Grant Ordelheide

Is this south central Colorado or the Sahara? It’s not always easy to tell at this unique park where the continent’s tallest sand dunes join the rugged Sangre de Cristo mountains.

The Painted Wall in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

At this impossibly sheer, narrow canyon in southwestern Colorado, 40 feet at it's narrowest, rock walls plunge a half mile down.

Independence Monument and the Book Cliffs in Colorado National Monument, with the town of Fruita in the background

Cruise Rim Rock Drive for a striking upper level view of canyons filled with pillars. Along the road, stop at 19 overlooks and 14 trailheads.

The sun sets over Echo Park's Steamboat Rock in Dinosaur National Monument.

Two visitor centers, one in Colorado and one in Utah have interactive displays. One leads to the wall of bones. Raft the Yampa River past the iconic Steamboat Rock.

Colorado is blessed with healing mineral waters. Here are our favorite places for après-anything soaking.

How do you pack for a place where temperatures can fluctuate 35 degrees in one day? Here are the top 14 items to bring to the park.

Stop on your way to the parks to see wild horses, caves, hiking trails, vineyards, mountain peaks, historic towns and attractions.

Where is Rocky Mountain National Park?

RMNP is 412 miles of wilderness located in northeastern Colorado. The Beaver Meadows entrance to the park is a one-hour-and-45-minute drive from Denver, Colorado.

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Estes Park Aerial Tramway. Photo by Jeff Spackman

Known for its lodging, small-town charm, and knowledgeable outfitters, Estes Park serves Rocky Mountain National Park and access to the national forest.

Grand Lake sunrise reflection by Don Graham via Flickr

Grand Lake, CO is located just one mile from the West Entrance of the Park. Home to Grand Lake, the largest and deepest natural alpine lake in the state.

To access the park, there are four entrances, three on the park’s east side and one on the west. Here's how to pick your approach

Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park

Known appropriately as the Highway to the Sky, Trail Ridge Road crosses the continental divide at a whopping 12,183 feet. Colorado has also designated Trail Ridge Road as a scenic and history byway.

Regardless of where you start your Rocky Mountain National Park vacation, you'll find an exciting scenic route to the park when you follow one of these suggested Rocky Mountain maps and itineraries.

Denver International Airport's glowing tented roof at sunrise designed to look like snow-capped mountains.

How to get to the national park by flying to Denver or Cheyenne and then driving. Info includes rental cars, and airport shuttles.

Skip the traffic and enjoy the ride on one of the many shuttle buses around Rocky Mountain National Park including options from Estes Park and Grand Lake.

Where should I stay on my Rocky Mountain vacation?

Although there are no lodges inside the park, there are several campgrounds. In the gateway towns, you will find many lodging options including hotels, cabins, and campgrounds.

A personalized guide to help you decide where to spend the night, from car camping paradise and remote backcountry sites to RV heaven.

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Visitors to Rocky Mountain and Colorado's other national parks will find a large variety of hotels and motels to choose from to fit every need and budget.

Lake Helene in Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo by Grant Ordelheide

Waterfalls, mountain ranges, glaciers, lakes, rivers, and meadows, are all just a few of the natural wonders inside Rocky Mountain National Park and surrounding regions.

People at an overlook off of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park

Forget having to hike miles to experience the sight of open tundra, alpine vistas, and towering peaks. Trail Ridge Road, has three must-see turnouts.

Traveling in herds across open tundra and low-lying valleys, Elk are routinely considered the main wildlife attraction.

Moose Bull in Kawuneeche Valley. Photo by Erik Stensland

Seeing moose in the Park typically is not that difficult. Since they are so large it's hard to miss them grazing in the low-lying valleys and wet areas near lakes.

What is there to do in the Rocky Mountains?

Hiking, horseback riding, wildlife watching, and scenic drives are the main activities here. See our list of the top ten things to do in the park and beyond. Are you prepared for high altitude weather? Be careful of afternoon thunderstorms.

Horseback rides at Sombrero Ranch. Photo by Dave Camara courtesy of YMCA of the Rockies

The park and the Estes Park and Grand Lake areas are a Things to Do Mecca! Here are our top picks including hiking, horseback riding and scenic drives.

Colorado is a hiker’s playground. Even summit one—or all—of Colorado’s 54 14,000-foot peaks. The journey may be painful, but the views are unprecedented.

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Wildland Trekking outdoor guide, Robin Guthrie gives the inside scoop of why winter is the best time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park.

Find your perfect hiking trail in Rocky Mountain National Park by answering a few questions. Then view our personalized guide to the trail.

Our stuffed-full mailed packet is filled with maps, activities, national park information and more. Plan the Colorado vacation of a lifetime.

Autumn aspen on the Glacier Gorge trail in Rocky Mountain National Park.

This 5-day vacation for two people includes Estes Park lodging, meals, and guided hiking tours through golden autumnal trails in Rocky Mountain National Park.