For me, Rocky Mountain National Park is a place that that I sort-of resisted liking. I don’t know why, but I did. My family never spent any time there on our trips out west, and for some reason that stuck in my head as that just must not be worth it. But, in 2016, Matt and I spent half a day there and this year we spent a full blown week in Estes Park. We got to know the area so much better, and we both fell hard for this park, placing it near the top of our favorite national parks in the country so far.
We learned a lot during our visit here, and I wanted to share the info that we gathered both in preparation for this trip and while we were on it. So here you are, the things you need to know before visiting Rocky Mountain National Park.
Rocky Mountain National Park Requires Timed Entry
Like many parks in the US National Park System, Rocky Mountain National Park has opted for a timed entry program for every part of the park. It’s a good move for this park because the line after timed entry ended each day was bonkers. Don’t forget to reserve this as soon as possible on recreation.gov. Also, don’t forget that this is on top of your park entrance fee. If you visit multiple parks per year, I highly recommend getting and America the Beautiful annual national park pass.
There Are Two Different Options for Timed Entry that are Different
There is regular timed entry that gets you in anywhere in the park except for Bear Lake. Then there’s Timed Entry + Bear Lake. Bear Lake has a much more limited window of non-timed entry spots, so we made all of our reservations for Timed Entry + Bear Lake, but I wish I had divvied them up because we could’ve gotten into the park itself a lot earlier because those didn’t sell out as quickly as the Bear Lake ones did.
Parking is Still A Bit of a Mess on Bear Lake Road
Just because you have a Bear Lake Timed entry doesn’t mean that you’ll have a parking spot by your trailhead of choice. The park buses are still running and there’s a larger parking lot that you can park in and catch the bus. We were lucky enough to get a spot both times we went on Bear Lake Road, though, so it’s worth checking out still if you want the independence of having your own car.
Rocky Mountain National Park is the Home of the Highest National Park Visitor Center in the Country
The Alpine Visitor Center is the highest National Park Visitor Center in the entire country, perched up in the Rockies sitting just below 12,000 feet above sea level! I’m a girlie who loves weird stat-like things, so of course, I wanted to do this. It is a beautiful visitor center with views out over the tundra and the trailhead of the Alpine Ridge Trail is right up there too. Plus, there’s a cafe with simple (but expensive) food, but it has a beautiful overlook and the cocoa is wonderful!
Gear I’d Recommend for a Trip to Rocky Mountain National Park
Things We Use for Safety – I have a Garmin InReach Mini 2 that helps me feel so safe and secure in the wilderness. I think it’s especially important for any solo adventures. Just know that you do have to pay for a subscription for this. We do it monthly so that it is less expensive, and you’re not obligated to sign up for a certain amount of months. A first aid kit is especially important for tackling remote, backcountry hiking. I always like to have a basic first aid kit, but even on something small I like to bring basics like bandaids – I think these cloth ones stay on the best, Neosporin, and alcohol wipes. I also like to keep some moleskin in my pack in case I get a blister.
My Latest Gear Obsession – My Garmin Instinct 3 watch. I’m not a “techy” girl, but I’m obsessed with my Garmin watch. I love stats, I love tracking my health and activity and nothing beats this. This watch feels like it’s activity and adventure first, and smartwatch second, which is exactly what I need and want. The battery life is up to 18 days, it tracks so much in real-time including weather, altitude and more. Plus it’s built to be more resilient and I can wear it in water without even thinking about it.
Footwear – Matt and I both love our Merrell hiking boots. In fact just this year, I found my all-time-favorite hiking boots – they’re still mids, they’re lightweight and waterproof. Regardless of which brand works best or fits your foot, though, we both recommend a boot with ankle support. A lot of people recommend trail runners, but for me, nothing beats a hiking boot. These Merrell socks are perfect for my hiking adventures. I love that they’re cushioned slightly and are the perfect height for ankle boots. If I don’t wear boots and am just doing a shorter hike, just a stroll around the paved areas of a park, or a water activity, I’d wear my Teva sandals. They also make great campsite shoes but still have a lot of support for hiking and other activities
Daypack – If I’m doing a quick day hike of 10-12 miles or less, I’m obsessed with my Osprey Daylite. It’s the perfect size to cram water and snacks for the hike. Plus, if I have a light layer, it fits in the pack as well. If I’m doing a more intense or 12+ mile hike I’m obsessed with my Deuter 28L pack that holds a little more without being monstrous, but will hold more water, more layers and more snacks – ya know, just in case.
What’s in My Pack? – Water is always the very first thing that goes into my daypack and I love using these Nalgene water bottles because the wide mouth on the bottle makes it really easy to clean. Some snacks that you can almost always find in my backpack are beef jerky tender bites, peanut butter & honey crackers, peanut m&ms, trail mix and dehydrated fruit strips. If I’m going to have a long hiking day, or I’m hiking somewhere that I know I’m going to sit and hang out for a while, I am obsessed with my little mini camp chair – it only fits in my Deuter pack, though, not the Osprey.
Stargazing? Here’s What You Need – A red light flashlight or headlamp. This is super important if you’re going to stargaze because it allows your eyes to stay adjusted to the dark. I’d also recommend a camp chair. Want to get super fancy about it? I have this rocking camp chair that I’m absolutely obsessed with – and my kids love it too because they both love being rocked.
Do You Want to Track Your National Park Adventures? – I actually authored this National Park Journal and I’m really proud of it! This is the perfect guided journal with fun facts and simple tips to help you make the most of your trip and, most importantly, curate your memories in each park! I’d be honored to be part of your national park adventures in this way!
You Can See A Lot of Scenery from Your Car
Rocky Mountain National Park is still enjoyable from your car. You won’t be able to see alpine lakes or waterfalls from the road, but you will still get some incredible mountain views, especially if you do the Trail Ridge Road drive. You also have a very good chance of seeing an elk or, like, 100 elk on a drive through the park.
But Put Those Hiking Boots On – These Trails Are Unreal
That said, I do think the deep beauty of this park lies on the hiking trails. The alpine lakes and waterfalls are like the veins of this beautiful park. The water supplies that the life to the flora and fauna covering these mountainsides. Getting to hike through this is just one of the most special things I’ve ever done. I’ve not been disappointed in a hike here yet. Even the short and simple hikes are stunning.
There Are Lots of Opportunities to Spot Wildlife, but Show Them Respect
On our recent trip we saw probably 500 elk, some closer than others, a fox, marmots, pika and we even saw a mama moose and her two babies along with all kinds of birds. While we didn’t see any bears, bighorn sheep or bull moose, we were still really happy with all that we did. These animals are wild animals. They’re unpredictable, they need and deserve your respect and space. Also, for the love of all that is wild do not feed the animals! Even the small, cute ones. It doesn’t “help” the animals. It just makes them more likely to have unsafe animal/human interactions.
Thunderstorms Most Often Hit in the Afternoon
While I typically recommend hitting the trails early anyway – here, in the Rockies it’s actually safest to do so in the morning because the highest chance of pop-up thunderstorms happen in the afternoon. Now, in a park with timed entry, I know this takes a little more planning than normal. That said, check the radar, check in with visitor centers and ranger stations if you’re concerned. We had to basically exclusively hike in the afternoons because of our entry times, and while we did encounter pop-up showers, we were lucky and didn’t get any actual thunder or lightning. Just be safe. No hike is worth being struck by lightning.
Pets Are Not Allowed on Hiking Trails in Rocky Mountain National Park
Like most of the U.S. National Parks, pets are not allowed on trails, even paved one. They’re essentially only allowed, on-leash, in parking lots. So definitely keep this in mind when planning your trip through the national parks. One tip I’ve heard that I thought was smart is drop your furry friend off at a nearby local doggy day camp or even board them for a night or two in the nearest town.
Prepare for Higher Elevation
The elevation in Rocky Mountain National Park ranges from the lowest at 7,600 feet, all the way up to the Summit of Longs Peak at 14,295. Most sits somewhere comfortably in the middle of that. Typically, difficulty breathing occurs above 8,000ft of elevation. I can tell you this asthmatic mama felt it for sure at 9,000 and above. So be smarter than me and put your inhaler in your backpack if you have asthma. Know hiking times may be longer than you typically would and bring plenty of water. Don’t beat yourself up if trail seem harder than expected.
Pack Layers, Even for a Day Hike
There were days that I started a hike in a long sleeve tee and ended in my sports bra, and vice versa. Then, up in the tundra, I was actually wishing for a decent fleece or even a down coat, but hard to settle for layering long sleeves and sweatshirts – for short hikes. I wouldn’t do a long hike unprepared like that. But in late June we had everything from warm days to cool days, bright sunshine to complete cloud cover and even rain to sleet. So, the weather is unpredictable. Don’t be caught over or underdressed for the occasion.
Tread Lightly in the Tundra
This was my first time spending any time in the tundra and recognizing that it was tundra (thanks NPS for the education) and I walked away with a love and mad respect for the tundra. This environment is unbelievably fragile, but so resilient. It fights hard for its presence, for its beauty. A park ranger told Matt that the flower he was photographing (The Alpine Sunflower, see photo he took above) takes 25 years of growing to bloom. How amazing this that? There are signs posted everywhere, and unfortunately ignored, but please stay on trails up there.
Remember, Don’t Be An Asshole on Hiking Trails
Speaking of people just willy nilly stepping in the tundra despite signage, just don’t be a dick on trails. I see it every single day. People breaking rules, sometimes even laws, for their own comfort, or even worse, their Instagram photos. I wrote a whole post about not being an asshole on hiking trails if you want to check it out!
They Do Have a Junior Ranger Program
We love a Junior Ranger program! Like the other parks in Colorado that we visited, though, they hand the badge out at the same time as the book. It’s not like it’s a terrible thing, but I really love the swearing in, and so do the kids. It also is like a true reward for finishing everything. In other parks I was able to sneak the badges into my backpack before the kids saw because then I could still swear them in.
Check Road Conditions Before You Visit, Especially in Shoulder Seasons
Because of its altitude, snowfall can obviously get pretty serious up here. There are seasonal road closures of several roads including Trail Ridge Road and Bear Lake Road. They don’t necessarily open at the exact same time so if you’re traveling in May or September, check the national park website for closures and openings to be sure you have a realistic expectation of what all you can see on your trip to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Rocky Mountain National Park has made a big impact on us. Matt has it in a 3-way tie for his favorite park in the country that he’s visited so far (along with Arches and Yosemite) and it’s up there for me too – probably top 5 for sure. It left an impression and I know there will be several more visits to this stunning park in the coming years. If you’re visiting for the first time, I hope this post gives you all the insight of things to know before visiting Rocky Mountain National Park.
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