COME TO LIFE | Estes Park & Rocky Mountain National Park COLORADO DENVER & CITIES OF THE ROCKIES ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK CLOSE TO PARADISE: ESTES PARK Morning One of the most popular parks in the country, Rocky Mountain National Park welcomes millions of visitors a year and still manages to offer moments of solitude. ( Tip: A new seasonal Bustang route will take you to Estes Park and the national park from downtown Denver.) Take a drive on Trail Ridge Road , a roller coaster route that crosses the Continental Divide and offers photo ops as you climb past subalpine forests and windswept tundra. Or enjoy a family wildflower hike to Gem Lake . For more challenge, try the Mills Lake trek for Longs Peak views. Stop at Moraine Park for prime wildlife watching. More than 3,000 elk and 800 bighorn sheep live in the park. The Rocky Mountain Conservancy offers yearround seminars, guided flyfishing, naturalist tours and more. Estes Park and the national park are also superior birding spots, with more than 315 species — grab your binoculars for a selfguided exploration of Matthews-Reeser Bird Sanctuary . At the Open Air Adventure Park , rope bridges, aerial tightropes and swinging logs challenge folks, and the new Mountain Mustang alpine coaster offers thinair thrills. Or, get above it all in a different way at Jurassic Park . This climbing area just south of town features rock outcroppings, slabs and challenging routes. There’s also a new via ferrata course at Kent Mountain Adventure Center . BOOK A FREE PRIVATE SESSION AT THE ESTES PARK MEMORIAL OBSERVATORY (DONATIONS RECOMMENDED) FOR A TOUR OF THE NIGHT SKIES FROM ITS 16-FOOT DOME. Afternoon Downtown Estes is the gateway into the park, but it’s also a destination unto itself. Stop by The Barrel , a seasonal alfresco beer garden, and windowshop along Elkhorn Avenue , with several new boutiques and eateries. Stop for coffee and sit along the Riverwalk . Take the path east for a tranquil walk around Lake Estes ; stop at the marina to rent pontoon boats, paddleboards or kayaks. Estes Park Mountain Shop rents ebikes, as well. Then, grab a tasting at a handful of breweries and distilleries. JONATHAN PHILLIPS. TAKE A BACKCOUNTRY DEVELOPMENT COURSE AT COLORADO MOUNTAIN SCHOOL TO LEARN ALL KINDS OF HANDY SKILLS LIKE MOUNTAINEERING, SPLITBOARDING AND ICE CLIMBING. CONTINUED ON PAGE 112. 110 1-800-COLORADO
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2022: Page 110
