Rocky Mountain National Park is the crown jewel of Northern Colorado.
“Rocky Mountain National Park’s 415 square miles encompass and protect spectacular mountain environments. Enjoy Trail Ridge Road – which crests at over 12,000 feet including many overlooks to experience the subalpine and alpine worlds – along with over 300 miles of hiking trails, wildflowers, wildlife, starry nights, and fun times. In a world of superlatives, Rocky is on top!”
The park is only a 45 minute drive from the wedding venue along beautiful St. Vrain Canyon. If you start early on Sunday after the wedding, you can visit the park and return via Big Thompson Canyon to the Open House at the Turley’s in the afternoon – making this an extremely scenic round trip.
The lower exertion version of touring RMNP is by driving Trail Ridge Road – the highest continuous paved highway in the US. The road reaches a high point at 12,183′ elevation. There are numerous pull-outs to enjoy the spectacular scenery. You will likely see herds of elk in the tundra above treeline. You can also make it a loop by driving up unpaved (but very good surface) Old Fall River Road to the Visitor Center on the west side of the Continental Divide, returning via Trail Ridge Road.
For the very energetic, I would recommend cycling across Trail Ridge Road – as Kim and I did most recently in 2006. It’s a great way to see the scenery – but watch out for the hail!
There are hiking trails for all abilities throughout the park. Starting from a lower elevation can help with your altitude adaption issues! There are some great hikes for kids in Rocky which combine shorter distances, less climbing, and scenic destinations. We particularly like Bear Lake, Alberta Falls, Alluvial Fan, and Gem Lake with kids.
The park has set records for attendance each of the prior two years. If you have the time, you may do better visiting after the end of the Labor Day holiday weekend. Otherwise, be sure to arrive early to avoid being turned back at the entrance gate. There are shuttle buses available from the Visitor’s Center in Estes Park if you want to go for a hike – they do not drive over Trail Ridge Road. You can also use some of the less popular trail heads on the periphery of the park such as Wild Basin or Lumpy Ridge.
Estes Park is the gateway to RMNP. It’s a bit touristy, but has a great selection of restaurants and shopping. You’ll need to struggle a bit to get through the traffic in town, but you should be able find parking.
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