We are heading to Estes Park next week for a family vacation (Me, Wife, Kids 4 and 2). Any recommendations on hikes or activities that would be good/open this time of year. I realize this is a weird season to be there, but its what we got.

TIA

Rocky Mountain National Park, obviously. But more specifically, Trail Ridge Road is still open for a few more weeks, I think. Check current status here: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/road_status.htm

Walk around town and look at the elk, just don't get too close.

Bear Lake is usually pretty nice to hike to. Not very long if I remember correctly (or not much of a hike at all. It's been a while). I went in the "spring" when they still had everything covered in many feet of snow but it's probably quite nice right now.

Trail ridge is open. Stop at the top. Walk up the quarter mile to the "top". There are lots of short walks off this road. Go to bear lake trailhead. Hike the 2 miles to emerald lake if you can carry the kids that far. Glacier gorge trailhead. Walk up to the first waterfall. Good tread.

In town see the elk. There is a super cheap 2 a person mini golf that is out the west side on 36. Tiny town gold I think. West end of downtown has a Mexican food place with good bison enchiladas. You can see the Stanley hotel. They filmed some of the shining there

If you like golf, see if you can play the 18 hole course. Good views.

Accidental emoticon

Trail Ridge Road is great... we took it all the way to Grand Lake, then made our way back. Elk are fantastic... actually got a closer look at Elk on the side of the road in town than we did in the actual park. Lots of good hikes... I specifically remember going to the Bear Lake Trailhead and hitting up the trail that goes the Dream Lake and then Emerald Lake.

Stanley Hotel ghost tour. They filmed parts of The Shining and Dumb and Dumber there.

Me and the wife went last year, we drove to cheyenne wyoming, went to The Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, really neat.

So far the high country I'm RMNP only has had a dusting of snow up high. At 11k feet today only a bit of the first snowfall remained in the shade. Most everything is still open and hikable.

Estes Park is awesome, I was there last October. The massive elk herd hanging out on the baseball fields is pretty cool.
Pretty small town with not a whole lot goin on, but tons of beautiful scenery.
Some of the peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park are pretty impressive.
The Big Thompson River between Fort Collins and Estes Park is really neat.
Theres a little cafe on the right hand side headed towards Allens Park that has pulled pork huevos rancheros that were awesome, and absolutely nothing like the huevos rancheros you get in Texas. (If I can think of the name of it, I'll edit this post with the name.)
Cool little mountain town with some of the best scenery you will ever see.

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Stanley Hotel ghost tour. They filmed parts of The Shining and Dumb and Dumber there.

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My wife and I stayed in the Stanley Hotel the week before Christmas in 2008. It was 90% empty which gave it a great eerie feel.

The Stanley, however, was not used in the filming of the Shining. Steven King stayed in The Stanley and it was his inspiration for the book. Filming mostly took place in Elstree Studios, including all the interior scenes. The exterior shots were the Timberline Lodge in Moot Hood, Oregon. No scenes were from The Stanley.

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Stanley Hotel ghost tour. They filmed parts of The Shining and Dumb and Dumber there.

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My wife and I stayed in the Stanley Hotel the week before Christmas in 2008. It was 90% empty which gave it a great eerie feel.

The Stanley, however, was not used in the filming of the Shining. Steven King stayed in The Stanley and it was his inspiration for the book. Filming mostly took place in Elstree Studios, including all the interior scenes. The exterior shots were the Timberline Lodge in Moot Hood, Oregon. No scenes were from The Stanley.

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. Your right the inspiration for King. . I forgot that. Kubrick used the awahnehee for the basis of the films inside shots.

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Estes Park is awesome, I was there last October. The massive elk herd hanging out on the baseball fields is pretty cool.
Pretty small town with not a whole lot goin on, but tons of beautiful scenery.
Some of the peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park are pretty impressive.
The Poudre River between Fort Collins and Estes Park is really neat.
Theres a little cafe on the right hand side headed towards Roosevelt National Forest that has pulled pork huevos rancheros that were awesome, and absolutely nothing like the huevos rancheros you get in Texas. (If I can think of the name of it, I'll edit this post with the name.)
Cool little mountain town with some of the best scenery you will ever see.

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The poudre runs up 14 and doesn't go to Estes park. The big Thompsom is between Loveland and Estes park. Currently the road, 34, that runs up
It is closed for construction.

The best (not too difficult) hike is Loch Vail off the Bear Lake Trailhead. Can go higher to Lake of Glass and Sky Pond if you want. Still my favorite

Ya your right, I was thinking about the Big Thompson

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The best (not too difficult) hike is Loch Vail off the Bear Lake Trailhead. Can go higher to Lake of Glass and Sky Pond if you want. Still my favorite

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The shorter starting point is Glacier Gorge trailhead and its still 8.4 miles RT to Sky Pond. This is the hike I mentioned earlier. You pass Alberta Falls at less than a mile. Then you get to the Loch. Right before Sky Pond you get to Timberline Falls. 8.4 miles with two falls and two lakes.

This might be the best time of year to go. I took the family up there in late July, and I bet we passed 500 people on every trail we hiked.

One other question:

Does anybody know about open/concealed carry in Colorado while hiking?

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Stanley Hotel ghost tour. They filmed parts of The Shining and Dumb and Dumber there.

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My wife and I stayed in the Stanley Hotel the week before Christmas in 2008. It was 90% empty which gave it a great eerie feel.

The Stanley, however, was not used in the filming of the Shining. Steven King stayed in The Stanley and it was his inspiration for the book. Filming mostly took place in Elstree Studios, including all the interior scenes. The exterior shots were the Timberline Lodge in Moot Hood, Oregon. No scenes were from The Stanley.

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. Your right the inspiration for King. . I forgot that. Kubrick used the awahnehee for the basis of the films inside shots.

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Oh well, screw The Shining

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We are heading to Estes Park next week for a family vacation (Me, Wife, Kids 4 and 2). Any recommendations on hikes or activities that would be good/open this time of year. I realize this is a weird season to be there, but its what we got.

TIA

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Just returned last night from Estes Park (visited uncle who lives in Estes Park). We were there from Sept 23-28. Beware: text a little long since I was just there.


Leaves changing color are at their peak right now (especially the Aspen Trees in RMNP). Temperature is perfect right now with snow in the higher elevations combined with the fall colors but not so cold that it is uncomfortable even if you are moving (hiking).

It was beautiful on the hikes in RMNP. My wife and I (along with our 10.5 month old daughter) drove to Bear lake trailhead and took photos at bear lake and we hiked the trail to Nymph lake, then to Dream Lake, where it finally ended at Emerald lake. It was a relatively easy hike for us "sea-levelers" (Houston). I carried our daughter in an Osprey hiking baby carrier that we rented from Hiking Hut in town (very friendly place and only $10/day) and I had no trouble with it (a little icy on the steps near emerald lake though). Be sure to do it early. We got into RMNP early and we had to park at shuttle lot since Bear Lake Trailhead parking lot was full. If shuttle lot fills up they will turn you around.

We also did Sprague Lake Hike which is also off of bear lake road between the bearlake shuttle lot and the bearlake trailhead on the left. 3/4mile loop around with some scenic views... very easy with stroller and very quick.

Trail Ridge Road was closed past Rainbow Curve the first two days we were there due to a cold front that brought a lot of snow on the mountain. Trail Ridge Road later opened all the way on day 3 but we didn't have time to go to the top. Plus due to the peak of leaves changing color there is traffic along the road due to people slowing down to photograph a tree instead of pulling off to the side of the road. That cold front closed Fall River Road and it will remain closed for the rest of the season.

Elk are rutting so expect to see a lot of them in the town area and the lower elevations of RMNP. When you see people slowing down on the road or a lot of people gathering with cameras out you can expect to see a lot of Elk.

I also recommend going to the YMCA. They have horseback rides from an hr long to all day. Rides 2 hrs or longer go into the RMNP. Wife and I did a 1 hr horseback ride ($40/person) while uncle watched baby. There are also pony rides for young ones. We saw elk wondering the property there as well.

For breakfast I recommend Cinnamon's bakery. Only really sell cinnamon rolls (plus coffee, hot coco, and gluten sensitive blueberry muffins) but they are the best Cinnamon rolls I have ever had. They open at 7 or 8am and they close at 10 or when they sell out but even at 8am there is a line out the door (small shop). They always sell out before 10am so get there early

Elk fest is Oct 1-2 and according to my uncle so the town center will have lots of activities for kids to do.

Bump for the Carry question above.

McGregor Mountain Lodge is a great place to stay. The owners are great at recommendations and occasionally play tour guide.

Bitter Old Man said:

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Bump for the Carry question above.

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I live here and I have no clue. I have NEVER felt the need to carry. RMNP is busy and extremely safe. A sidearm isn't an effective deterrent against a large animal anyway. Your greatest danger from an animal is probably a Moose that is ticked off. A can of bear spray would be better for that. The hippies won't attack you.

Sorry....as I said, I can't speak to what's allowed around Estes Park.

How are the bars & restaurants in Estes Park? We're going somewhere in that region in October and I'd like to stay in EP for the proximity to RMNP. My wife thinks there isn't going to be anything to do.

We were there last November and had a lot of fun at the bars and restaurants in town. There aren't a ton of them, but that didn't hinder us.

We spent a lot of time at The Wheel, an interesting hole in the wall feeling, but very large bar right in the middle of the main strip. We watched the Aggies lose to Mississippi St here with a bunch of Aggies. Pretty good bloody mary that helped that loss go down.

We also spent a couple nights at The Whiskey bar at the Stanley Hotel. Very large whiskey collection, nice place and they make some good food and drinks. My wife was obsessed with their cocktails.