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Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO

Photo: Daniel Mayer (Mav), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & OutdoorsIconicOutdoor Adventure

Rocky Mountain National Park

Drive Trail Ridge Road across the alpine tundra to 12,183 feet, or hike to the lakes along the Continental Divide.

Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, 1000 US-36 · Estes Park, CO

About Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park straddles the Continental Divide about 55 miles northwest of Denver, between Estes Park and Grand Lake. Trail Ridge Road (US 34) crosses the park for 48 miles, with 11 miles above treeline and a high point of 12,183 feet. From May 22 to October 12, 2026, you need a timed entry reservation to enter between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Bear Lake Road needs the Timed Entry+ option. A one-day vehicle pass is $30 and a seven-day pass $35. Arriving before 9 a.m. avoids the reservation.

  • #national park
  • #scenic drive
  • #alpine tundra
  • #hiking
  • #wildlife viewing

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What's around here?

The closest stops to Rocky Mountain National Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions

    Fun City

    Check prices

    Family amusement park in Estes Park offering rides, go-karts, mini golf, and water-based attractions near Rocky Mountain National Park.

    2.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Stay
    Iconic

    The Stanley Hotel

    $50+

    Tour or stay at the 1909 mountain hotel where Stephen King dreamed up The Shining, with ghost and history tours.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    2.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Rocky Mountain Botanic Gardens

    No admission fee

    A nonprofit garden in Lyons showcasing native Colorado plants across several ecological zones.

    18 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing

    Cache la Poudre-North Park Scenic and Historic Byway

    Check prices

    A roughly 101-mile scenic byway linking Fort Collins with Walden through a canyon river corridor and over a high mountain pass.

    20 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Lory State Park

    Under $25

    Foothills state park near Fort Collins with trails for biking, hiking and horseback riding, plus picnic areas beside Horsetooth Reservoir.

    25 mi awayMore like this

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Caribou Ranch Open Space Park

    Check prices

    A Boulder County open space near Nederland with forest, meadow, and wetland scenery plus a historic mining complex.

    25 mi awayMore like this