With its scenic trails, stunning lakes, and abundant wildlife, this national park is a must-visit destination for any nature lover traveling in Colorado.
Rocky Mountain National Park requires a reservation for a timed entry during peak season! (Usually between end of May and end of October, from 5 AM to 7 PM, please check well in advance on the NPS website!). This is to manage the number of visitors and prevent overcrowding. Nevertheless, on weekends or around holidays you may encounter long lines of vehicles at the park entrance, sometimes all the way back to Estes Park.
Hot tip for campers: if you have a reservation at one of the campsites in the national park, you don’t need a timed entry! But note, there’s a separate reservation needed for access to Bear Lake Road.
Best season to visit? We think, all of them!
The best time to visit depends on what activities you want to do and your personal preferences. The park is open year-round, but weather conditions can vary greatly depending on the season.
Summer (late May to early September) is the most popular time to visit because of the warmer weather and longer days. This is a great time for hiking, camping, and wildlife watching but crowds will be heavy and parking will be difficult, especially when traveling with a RV. In summer, we think making yourself comfortable on one of the campgrounds and using the free park shuttle is by far the best and most relaxed way to get from A to B. The drivers are also in contact via radio, informing each other about wildlife sightings or similar.
Fall (September-October) is a beautiful time to visit as the leaves spectacularly change colors and crowds thin out. The weather is usually mild during the day, but can get pretty chilly at night.
Winter (November-March) offers a unique experience with snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and other winter sports. The park also hosts various winter festivals during this time. For the safety of all motorists driving in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Vehicle Traction Law may become active at any time based on weather and road conditions!
Spring (April-May) can be unpredictable with changing weather patterns. However, it’s a great time for wildlife viewing as animals come out of hibernation.
Some areas of the park may be closed due to weather conditions during certain times of the year, check https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/conditions.htm beforehand to avoid disappointments.
How much time do I need to see everything? Years.
Rocky Mountain National Park is a vast wilderness area covering over 415 square miles. To see even a fraction of the more developed parts of the park, you will need at least 3-4 days.
If you are interested in hiking, plan to spend more time in the park as there are over 350 miles of trails to explore. The park has a variety of trails ranging from easy walks to strenuous hikes that can take several hours or even days. Some of the most popular hikes include Bear Lake, Emerald Lake and Longs Peak, the latter more climbing than hiking and not for people with a fear of heights.
Our favorites
Driving Old Fall River Road
Driving through the park is also a great way to see the sights, but, as mentioned above, it can be crowded during peak season.
If you are traveling with a vehicle that is not too big (our truck is 7.50 m or 24.6 feet long, but has a tight turning circle), we recommend driving the Old Fall River Road in the snow-free months. Built between 1913 and 1920, a drive up Old Fall River Road is an incredible 9.4-mile scenic drive. This unpaved road begins next to Endovalley Picnic Area and follows the steep slope of Mount Chapin’s south face. The road ends at the summit of Fall River Pass and the parking area for the Alpine Visitor Center at an elevation of 11,796 feet. But don’t worry about being too slow, you can pause or overtake on the bends.
To complete the round, take Trail Ridge Road back down which takes you through alpine tundra and offers breathtaking views of mountains and valleys. The drive itself can take several hours if you stop at various lookout points along the way.
Our beloved lakes trail
You’ll need to bring some time for our favorite hike, it covers 13.9 miles and 3,120 ft of elevation gain (claims AllTrails, I’ve never measured it).
It’s best to spend the night at Moraine Park CG (also nice in the fall to observe mating season), you can take the shuttle to Fern Lake trailhead early in the morning and do a loop via Fern Lake, Odessa Lake, Lake Helene, Bear Lake and Cub Lake. The scenery is beautiful and the hike is strenuous but not technically challenging. If you haven’t had enough with 13.9 miles, you can of course hike down from the loop towards the lakes (highly recommended), climb Flat Top Mountain (not for me…) or run back and forth to the trailhead from the campground or make a detour to Bierstadt Lake (not really worth it in my opinion).
As always in the Rockies, bring water, maybe bug spray, for sure some layers of clothing and, during shoulder season , gaiters, poles and spikes. There might be some snow patches until well into June and new snow as soon as late September.
References
- https://www.nps.gov/romo/
- https://www.rockymountainnationalpark.com/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_National_Park