Rocky Mountains National Park encompasses of a spectacular mountains. Ranging from meadows to the Alpine tundra, there is something for everyone to do. Lakes here are some of the most beautiful ones in the world. You can simply park your car enjoy stroll around the lakes or hike up to see some of the beautiful lakes nestled in the mountains.Needless to say Rocky Mountain National Park is absolutely kid-friendly.
Where is Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) ?
Rocky Mountains National Park in the state of Colorado.It is located around 70 miles from Denver and takes about 1 hr 30 minutes to drive from the city center. The nearest cities to the park are Estes Park and Grand Lake, Colorado.Most people stay at Estes Park during their visit to Rocky Mountains as Estes Park offers a wide variety of accommodations and activities to do.You can easily spend a couple of days exploring Estes Park, CO.
How to get to RMNP?
The best way to get to get to Rocky Mountain National Park from outside the sate of Colorado is to fly to Denver International Airport, Colorado. You can spend a day or two in Denver before heading to Estes Park ,CO which takes about an hour and 30 minutes drive. Check this sample itinerary to see what we did in Colorado. If you would like to explore more in the state of Colorado, you can also take a flight to Colorado Springs, visit the attractions it has to offer and then head north to Denver and to Estes Park. From Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park is only about 5-10 miles depending on where you stay.
Where to stay while visiting RMNP?
There are no hotels inside the national park like some other parks do. My recommendation is to book a hotel in Estes Park, CO. Most of the hotels get booked pretty quickly, so you might have to plan a few months in advance. Here are few of my suggestions for your stay,
Alpine Trail Ridge Inn-927 Moraine Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517-8204
Located just a few minutes away from the main national Park entrance. Great hotel with all modern amenities including high speed internet. This hotel is the closest you can get to the park.
Inn on Fall River-1660 Fall River Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517-9145
This is a family friendly hotel by the stream and not too far from the National Park. The views are amazing here.
Murphy’s River Lodge- 481 W Elkhorn Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517-9030
Another hotel along the Fall River with stunning views of the Rocky Mountains. It’s close to Estes Park and perfect retreat for just about anyone.
Silver Moon Inn- 175 Spruce Dr, Estes Park, CO 80517-9044
Right in the heart of Estes Park is this great hotel which again has all the amenities and has great reviews.
Best Western Plus Silver Saddle Inn-1260 Big Thompson Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517
Another budget friendly hotel if you book in advance with all the basic amenities. Close to all the restaurants and groceries in Estes Park and around six miles to the Rocky Mountain National Park.The location is beautiful , we saw several Elk grazing in the pasture behind our rooms.
YMCA of the rockies-2515 Tunnel Rd, Estes Park, CO 80511-9501
Budget friendly option with lot of activities to do within the park. Some of the activities include horse riding, rock climbing, Archery, crafts and more. The rooms aren’t luxurious but decent. If you are looking for more things to do other than visiting Rocky Mountains then this could be a good choice.
Do I need reservation to enter the park?
Timed entry reservations is required to enter the national park from May 24 to mid-October along with an entrance fee or National Park Pass. There are two types of reservations. Timed entry(May 24th- Oct 14th) and Timed entry +(May 24th- Oct 20th) which includes access to the Bear Lake Road. If you are planning to hike to the famous bear lake and beyond then you will need to get the timed entry + for that particular day. Timed entry reservations can be made online at www.rec.gov exactly one month before the date you would like to reserve.These reservations can be sold out within minutes. So, I highly suggest that you create an account before hand if you don’t have one here. Get ready to make reservations at 8:00 AM Mountain Time to secure your entry. However, if you are unable to make reservations you can also wait until the previous day of your visit because 40% of the timed entry permits will be released the night before your chosen arrival date that is 7 P.M. MDT.
In case you are unable to get your timed entry permit you can still visit the National park before 9:00 A.M. or after 2:00 P.M. for Timed entry and before 5:00 A.M or after 6:00 P.M.for Timed Entry + that includes the bear lake corridor. Rocky Mountain National Park observes Mountain Time.
For more information on the Timed Entry system please visit the national park website.
What to do in RMNP?
It can be overwhelming to plan a trip to any destination and the first question that comes to your mind is what are the things that you can do there? So, that’s exactly what I have listed below, all the things you could possibly do with your kids while visiting the Rocky Mountain National Park.
Drive the famous Trail ridge Road.
The visit to RMNP can’t be complete without driving on the trail Ridge road.Start early in the morning so that you can reach the Alpine Visitor Center before the parking gets full. The views from this visitor center is absolutely amazing! There a also a few hikes that start here. You can either continue further down the Trail Ridge road towards Grand Lake or turn around and go back down towards Estes Park. There are many stops along the way where you can stop and take in the views, or go on hikes. One of the must do hikes here is Alpine Ridge Trail. I do recommend an entire day for exploring the trail Ridge Road.
It is a short hike but has an elevation gain of 300 ft at around 11,000 ft elevation. So consider your fitness while choosing this hike.
Hiking
It’s no doubt that Rocky Mountain National Park has a number of wonderful trails ranging from easy to strenuous. There are many hikes you can do with your kids and are great for multiple ages. The main things that you can hike up to are the gorgeous lakes and the waterfalls. Check out my top 10 hikes to do in Rocky Mountain National Park with kids if you are interested learning more about hiking with little ones(coming soon).
Wildlife watching
Who doesn’t love spotting animals in a National Park? Especially the little ones, who are always excited to spot one along the way. A lot of people visit the park and the come home disappointed because they haven’t seen any of the animals.I have also heard people asking the rangers to let them know where they can see some animals that inhabit the area. Unfortunately, rangers cannot provide an exact location on where to find them. So, where do I actually look for animals?
The answer is, the best time to spot animals is early in the morning before the sun rays get to bright and hot and a few of hours before it get dark. Drive along the trail ridge road, you will find a lot of Elk grazing in the grass. You can find marmots in the view points along the trail ridge road. If you would like to see Moose, they like to hide away in the shade by the water. So, hike along the meadows and if you are lucky, you should be able to find one.
Have a picnic by the lake
RMNP has the most beautiful lakes in the United States. Pack a snack or eat you lunch at one of the picnic tables by the lake. Lily lake is my personal favorite picnic spot. There are designated tables easily accessible from the parking lot. Finish off with a stroll around the Lily Lake. If you lucky you could also spot a Moose.
Ranger led activities.
Ranger led activities are very informational and fun. It can be Ranger talks or Ranger led hikes, the Rangers have ton of information to share and may be some stories which the kids also seem to enjoy.To check the current activities be sure to visit the Visitor Center or check on the RMNP website .
Learn about the terrains at the Moraine Park Discovery Center
Moraine Park Discovery Center is a great stop if you have young kids. They have exhibits explaining the terrains that you find in the National Park. They also have a small collection of kids books that you can sit down and read to your child. This was very fun for my toddler who was 3 years old at the time. They also have binoculars that you can use to spot animals.
Junior Ranger Activity
This is one of the best things to do for kids in any National Park. It’s not just finishing up a bunch of activities but it’s a way that the kids can explore the National Park. If you are not familiar with the Junior Ranger Program, it’s a program where kids can complete an activity booklet and show it to a Park Ranger at any visitor centers inside the park to be awarded with their very own Junior Ranger badge to take home. This program is completely free at Rocky Mountain National Park. Just visit any visitor center and ask the Range for a Junior Ranger booklet. This program is good for kids aged 3 and above.
Horse back riding
Horse back riding is another great way to explore the park and take in the beautiful views.If this is your thing be sure to check out the horse back riding on the trails that is offered .Glacier Creek Stables is locate within the park along with some other stables outside the park. Horse back riding requires at least 2-4 hrs depending on the trail.
How many days do I need to spend in Rocky Mountain National Park?
There are people who spend just a day and call it done when visiting a National Park. While this is absolutely fine if you are on a time crunch. But if you would like to actually explore most of the things the park has to offer, then I highly recommend spending at least three days in the park or up to five if you want to do longer hikes and take your time exploring the park. We were able to complete most of the hikes on our list and still had some time to do extra’s during our visit. Oh, did I mention we spent three days in the park that is not including arrival & departure from Estes Park.
Few things to know before you go
- Timed entry permits are required to enter the park. Check the details above or list this website to know more.
- Arrive early at the park as the park gets crowded towards noon and it’s really hard to find a parking spot at most of the trail heads especially the bear lake trail head.
- You can spot the wildlife mostly at dawn or dusk ,so if you have time definitely stay back at the park until the sunset for better luck spotting the animals.
- Alpine visitor center parking can get full pretty early, so you should plan to arrive drive on the Trail ridge road early in the day so you can reach the Alpine visitor center before it gets full.
- Please keep in mind that afternoon showers/thunderstorms are common in the Mountains and it is definitely not a good idea to be hiking under the trees when there thunderstorms.
- Be prepared for all kinds of weather. You definitely need to pack a jacket even if you are visiting in the summer months.
Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most beautiful national park in the United States and to help you better explore the park, here are 10 hikes you should do in Rocky Mountain National Park with kids.
