Colorado
Estes Park is the front door to Rocky Mountain National Park: a mountain town at about 7,500 feet with a river through its main street, elk on its lawns and the Continental Divide on its skyline.
This guide books the area properly, from Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the country, and the alpine lakes of Bear Lake Road to bugling elk, guided hikes, horseback rides, winter wildlife tours and a haunted-hotel evening at the Stanley, the 1909 landmark that inspired The Shining. It adds day trips to Grand Lake and the waterfalls of Wild Basin, then matches you to a place to sleep, from a lakeside resort and central lodges to family cabins and quiet lodges on the park's west side.
Stanley Hotel Tours
The Colorado grand hotel where Stephen King spent room 217's famous night and left with The Shining — daily history-and-hauntings tours, the night spirit tour, the hedge maze, and the fourth floor's children who never checked out.
Trail Ridge Road
The highest continuous paved road in the United States: 48 miles over the Continental Divide, with tundra overlooks above 12,000 feet, the Alpine Visitor Center, and elk and marmots at the pullouts.
Bear Lake Road Corridor
The park's busiest and most rewarding road: Bear Lake, Nymph, Dream and Emerald lakes, Alberta Falls, and Glacier Gorge, all within a few miles of one paved route.
Elk Watching in Estes Park
Rocky Mountain elk wander through town and the meadows of Moraine Park and Horseshoe Park, and in autumn the bulls bugle at dawn and dusk. A guided tour finds them and keeps you at a safe distance.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
The Colorado grand hotel where Stephen King spent room 217's famous night and left with The Shining — daily history-and-hauntings tours, the night spirit tour, the hedge maze, and the fourth floor's children who never checked out.
The highest continuous paved road in the United States: 48 miles over the Continental Divide, with tundra overlooks above 12,000 feet, the Alpine Visitor Center, and elk and marmots at the pullouts.
The park's busiest and most rewarding road: Bear Lake, Nymph, Dream and Emerald lakes, Alberta Falls, and Glacier Gorge, all within a few miles of one paved route.
Rocky Mountain elk wander through town and the meadows of Moraine Park and Horseshoe Park, and in autumn the bulls bugle at dawn and dusk. A guided tour finds them and keeps you at a safe distance.
A broad glacial valley and a mirror-still lake with an accessible loop: the easiest big-scenery stops in the park, with elk in the meadows and the Continental Divide on the skyline.
A local guide picks the trail, handles the permit logistics and explains the geology, wildlife and wildflowers on a small-group day hike in the national park.
An early start that beats the crowds and the permit window: wildlife in the first light, alpine lakes without the traffic, and the Continental Divide turning pink.
A guided two-hour ride on park trails through aspen groves and meadows, the classic Rocky Mountain way to see the backcountry at a walking pace.
A guided 4x4 outing from Estes Park into the high country, with stops for panoramic views, wildlife and local history in a vehicle built for rough roads.
A guided ride on electric bikes around Lake Estes, the river and the trails of a mountain town, with help on the hills and a guide who knows the local stories.
A guided winter outing for wildlife, snowy peaks and quiet valleys, with no crowds, no permits and the park at its most peaceful.
A short cable-car ride up Prospect Mountain for wide views over the town, Lake Estes and the peaks of the park, with trails and photo points at the top.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$Estes Park, Colorado
The haunted-hotel summit — the 1909 Georgian grande dame that gave Stephen King The Shining, with room 217's resident housekeeper, the fourth floor's children, a whiskey bar for the nerves, and the Rockies filling every window.
Check rates →Lake Estes, Estes Park
A lakeside resort on the shores of Lake Estes with an indoor pool, a dining room and a level path into town, a relaxed base for a Rocky Mountain National Park trip.
Check rates →Estes Park
A mountain-town hotel in the Ascend Hotel Collection, handy for downtown Estes Park and the gateway roads to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Check rates →Estes Park
A budget-friendly, family-oriented lodge with a shared playground and free cribs, close to the shuttles and trails of the Estes Park area.
Check rates →Estes Park
A budget-friendly lodge with cabin-style rooms, lake and mountain views, a shared playground and free cribs, aimed at families.
Check rates →Downtown Estes Park
A three-star lodge in the heart of Estes Park, pet-friendly under its policies, with suites that include kitchens and easy access to the town.
Check rates →Estes Park
A riverside retreat in Estes Park, a quieter alternative to the busy main street with the sound of the Big Thompson nearby.
Check rates →Grand Lake
A lodge in Grand Lake on the park's quiet west side, handy for the Kawuneeche Valley, the lake and the western end of Trail Ridge Road.
Check rates →Grand Lake
A Grand Lake lodge for travelers crossing to the west side of the park, close to the lake, the boardwalk and the Kawuneeche Valley.
Check rates →Rocky Mountain National Park area
An inn in the Rocky Mountain National Park area, a gateway base for visitors who want to be near the park rather than in the heart of a resort town.
Check rates →A three-day plan that fits the park's biggest sights around its timed entry rules, adds a west-side day, and leaves room for the town, the elk and a night at the Stanley.
How the park's seasons work, when timed entry applies, which roads open and close, and the best months for elk, wildflowers, aspens and snow.
Where elk are found around Estes Park, what the autumn rut sounds like, how to watch safely and what to pack for dawn and dusk viewing.
A guide to choosing between lakeside resorts, central lodges, budget cabins, riverside retreats, the Stanley and the west-side lodges of Grand Lake.
What to do in Estes Park from late autumn to early spring: snowshoeing in the park, winter wildlife tours, closed roads, cozy evenings and driving safety.
How a 1909 mountain hotel inspired Stephen King's The Shining, what the tours cover, what is real about the ghost stories and how to plan a visit or an overnight.
