Hey locals and recent travelers,
I am driving out tomorrow and wondering the weather conditions? I know it’s been a pretty dry season in CO but yall got a good amount of snow this week. Should I be worried about dangerous conditions? Are the roads in grand lake okay? Is the park going to be closed due to weather?
Hi all. Me and my fiance are going to the Breck / Idaho Springs / Estes Park area this weekend to get married in the mountains. Wondering if there are any suggestions for an easier/ shorter hike to get to that may be a little less known or busy? Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!
You need waterproof shoes if recreating this time of year
Have a campground reservation in the west side of the park at Timber Creek 05/21 and in Moraine 05/22. We want to hit the popular trails. Emerald, etc. We understand that there is a road closed in the middle of the park right now.
Our group was not expecting the current weather conditions and didn’t prepare accordingly. No spikes for our shoes and not the best clothes/camping gear. We don’t really want to spend more on equipment.
Forecasts show rain, a bit of snow and low temperatures.
I checked the reviews in all trails and it still looks very snowy with slush.
We are worried about the weather and how it can affect our experience. We were expecting warmer weather.
Our cars don’t have winter tires. And one of the truck doesn’t have AWD/4x4.
We are not sure if it is worth to make the trip or go elsewhere in Colorado. We are coming in from Denver. We are trying to be responsible and safe. I’m assuming the snow will be plowed, but with rain icy roads could become a problem.
We have no problem going elsewhere, but the Rockies were supposed to be the highlight of our week trip in CO.
We have completed Black Canyon, GSDNP, Hanging Lake.
We already experienced a minor snow storm down between lake city and creede. We woke up with snow on our tents and snow on the roads. It was a bit anxiety inducing since we have no experience in snow driving but at the end it was easy and well we don’t want to experience that again.
Should we still go given the park conditions?
Fellow psychonauts. Would love recommendations for the best trails in RMNP to hike while on psychedelics. Thanks!
My buddy messed up big time and booked the Airbnb at Grand Lake instead of Estes ;( I’ve been looking forward to Chasm lake for so long.
Is there any chance of Trail Ridge Road opening this weekend despite conditions?
All - my family (Wife and Sons aged 8 & 11) will be in the park from June 1st - 5th. Would anyone have a recommendation on guided Jeep or ATV tours in the park? Thanks!
We have an RV spot reserved at Glacier basin this weekend, what’s it like up there after a week of rain and snow?
I plan on proposing at one of these locations in early June. Any recommendations on which one would make better engagement photos? I plan on starting the hike a little after 6:00pm if that makes any difference.
Hello, from illinois where weather forecasts are alot more serious than the actual conditions wondering if it similar here. Was planning to originally drive up to Estes Park from Denver today, but there was snowy conditions predicted, which have decreased. Would appreciate locals opinions on if its safe to go today or not!
Hello!
We will be staying in Estes Park this June with our senior dog. We weren’t planning on bringing her but she was recently diagnosed with cancer and we don’t feel comfortable leaving her at home.
We already have RMNP park entry passes for 3 days that include Bear Lake. I understand our dog will only be allowed in picnic areas and on the roads.
I would like suggestions on how to still make the most out of our trip with her. We have never visited RMNP before. She gets around fine, but we will not be able to do any long hikes. I’m also pregnant so no long hikes for me either. lol
We plan on checking out some easy dog friendly trails in Estes Park then we will drive around RMNP and check out various scenic spots. We also plan to check out some dog friendly restaurants and breweries in Estes Park (greatly appreciate any recommendations).
Another idea we have is to get professional pictures with her somewhere. Would love suggestions on some dog friendly scenic areas for pictures.
Thank you!
Hello, I’m visiting RMNP and will be camping front country during my stay. I have visited the park before and am an experienced hiker. I have planned out several hikes to do during my week long stay. I am curious to know if there are any specific hikes that I should consider over the ones I have planned. Hiking distance can range up to 18 miles per hike. I know part of the challenge is weather being cooperative as well, but I plan to have rain gear with me in the event of the summer storms and will of course turn around on trails if conditions are bad.
One of the hikes I would love to do but not sure if it’s the greatest idea for me is Longs Peak as I am a lone hiker and it had been suggested by park rangers a few years ago to avoid the hike alone.
These are the hikes I have planned for my trip but seeking to know if there are any great hikes that I should not pass up on the opportunity.
Lake Haiyaha
Sky Pond and Andrew’s Glacier
Mills and Jewel Lake
Chasm Lake
Ypsilon Lake
Mount Ida
Hope to hear everyone’s responses for my list of trails, and see if there’s any other hikes that you would recommend doing!!
Hi! Myself and three friends are planning on going to Colorado in July. We wanted to do a few hikes while we're there and were looking at Keyhole/Longs Peak. I saw warnings about difficult and looking at pictures parts of the traverse does seem very exposed.
Some context: we're very experienced hikers but mostly hike in New England. I've done Mt. Washington in all seasons and have done long hikes throughout the presidentials. Other members of the group are less experienced hikers but still very fit.
We have planned to bring boots and spikes (and, of course, plenty of water/first aid/communications). Is the Keyhole and long peak too ambitious? Or is it mostly a long and strenuous hike but not unmanageably technical?
Thanks in advance.
My boyfriend's family is coming into town next Friday. We are driving from Boulder to Grand Lake for the holiday weekend. Boyfriend was supposed to look into the chain law situation since I was in the thick of it finishing my graduate degree, but he didn't so now I have to figure out how all this works before everyone gets here in a week.
Can someone ELI5/chain law for dummies me, please? I know the chain and traction laws run through the 31st. We will be taking:
Even though we are going to Grand Lake I wanted to ask in this sub since we do not yet know if we will take 70/40 or go through the Park if TRR is fully open. Do we have to keep chains in our cars if our tires don't meet the minimum tread and tire type requirements? If the weather 'looks' fine (I'm a meteorologist so I know mountain weather can change quickly) are we gambling and risking getting in trouble if we don't have chains in our cars and it looks like there will be another warmup for next weekend? Has anyone navigated a rental car since the new laws were implemented and have advice on how to proceed in that realm?
Thank you, all!
My family - my husband, myself, and our 19 month toddler - have planned to go to RMNP from the 18th to 20th. Unfortunately the weather is forecasted to be cold & rainy (30-40 degrees.) How can we make the most of this less than ideal weather?
We were really looking forward to hiking & spotting animals. Our original plan was to "easy" hikes that Bear Lake, Lily Lake, & Sprague Lake. Can we expect wildlife in the weather conditions? Should we change plans & do different trails?
If it matters, we're staying in Estes Park. We're still planning on seeing RMNP & bundling up the kid, but we'd love any advice!
TLDR; Bustang is a Colorado Bus Service, that allows you to travel to both Estes Park AND Rock Mountain Nation Park (RMNP), without worrying about timed entry passes or parking.
I see many new tourists and travelers asking about timed entry passes and anxiety over getting tickets the night before. A bit of background, the timed entry pass system was created so that traffic into the park could be managed without causing major traffic overflow. In other words, it was made to prevent hundreds of cars trying to enter a small entry at the same time. Thus entry into the park could be broken up into batches of visitors/cars, into time blocks.
When you take the Bustang bus into RMNP, you DO NOT need to have a timed entry pass.
Part of the deal that you get is that, by taking the bus, you are reducing the total number of cars at entry points, you do not need a timed entry pass.
As you can see from the photo, each bus has beautiful large glass windows, that allow you to view the amazing drive-in to the park hands free! The entire family is able to view the beauty of the park, without the driver missing out. Also for any drivers who are not used to driving on mountain roads, you can save yourself the effort.
I have taken the Bustang bus route to Estes Park and RMNP many times, and It is one of the most relaxing experiences I have ever hard, as well as beautiful.
Coming in next week May21/22. Was not aware it still snowed in Colorado during May. For us it is already summer.
I have a KIA Forte sedan. I am planning on getting winter tires and some chains. Would that be enough?
My mom might let me use her Subaru Outback, but it has all season tires, which I’m not sure is adequate given what I read.
Will be traveling all of Colorado for a week. Not too worried at lower elevations, only when we start to move into the mountains.
Anyone have any insight on whether or not the pass will be open next weekend?
Edit: Trail Ridge Road* I’m a dumbass
I was hoping to do a last minute trip to RMNP in June with my three kids age 7, 5, and 2. However, there are no timed entry plus reservations available. At least one and maybe two of the days I would like to go to the bear lake corridor with them. With three kids those ages do you think it would just be harder than it's worth if we don't have the timed entry plus? I think then we would do shuttles, but my tired mom brain hasn't figured that part out yet. I just worry with three little kids that the shuttle will be hard to navigate. If we wait until next year to go, do you have to get on the site right when it opens May 1st to be able to get those early reservations for bear lake?
I thought this year would be the sweet spot to go with carrying my 2 year old in our backpack carrier, though I'm guessing at 3 years old she will still need carrying (though if she's anything like the other two she may not want to be in the carrier at that age)
Hello, I’m visiting Colorado this week (May 12 to 17) with my parents and wanted to make my way to Estes Park / RMNP, because I don’t know if I’ll ever be back in Colorado again (much less with my parents). Although they are older, they aren’t disabled in any way and still remain active. That being said, neither of us are hikers and I am not trying to push them past their limits, so I’m hoping to keep it to mainly driving and some light walking. So my question is,
Is it possible to just drive through RMNP with an occasional stop here in there? Is that still an enjoyable experience? If so, what would be the roads/stops most recommended? Bear Lake and Trail Ridge keep coming up, but I am not sure about availability of those spots at this time of year and due to last weeks storm. I do believe I’m going just before the ‘timed entry’ required dates, but if I’m wrong feel free to correct me.
Once again I appreciate any help. I come in here with zero knowledge or experience, so I’m intimidated amongst some of you pros with my questions lol so thanks in advance! Greetings from Texas!