Colorado: Women’s Rocky Mountain National Park Hiking Adventure

DAY 1

We’ll meet you this morning at the Denver International Airport to head west toward the Rockies. Before the final stretch up the mountain, we’ll stop in the cute town of Lyons with time to wander and find lunch on your own. We’ll continue on to Wild Basin in the southern end of Rocky Mountain National Park for brief introductions and our first hike to the Calypso Cascades. We’ll take the Peak to Peak Highway—a designated Colorado Scenic Byway—enjoying the stunning views, of Longs Peak and a close-up look at the Continental Divide, before heading to our fun vacation rental accommodations. You’ll have time to settle in, hit the hot tub, and freshen up before a family-style dinner at 'home'.

Hiking Details: 3.6 mi round trip with 639’ elevation gain

DAY 2

Fuel up this morning with a selection of cooked and fresh breakfast choices. Today we shuttle through an official entrance into the park to explore the Upper Bear Lake Corridor. We will start at Fern Lake Trailhead with hiking options for all challenge levels. We’ll explore some of the most scenic and serene parts of the park getting us into the rugged mountain beauty that the park is famous for. The trail follows the Big Thompson River with the main destination in the area being Fern Lake. We’ll pass through lush forests and meadows, and along the way will encounter several scenic points, including Arch Rocks, The Pool, and the cascading Fern waterfall. For those looking to extend their hike from Fern Lake, continuing on to Odessa Lake is a great option for experiencing the park's most scenic high-altitude terrain, with stunning views of the lake nestled in a picturesque alpine setting. A less challenging loop hike option will take you to The Pool and then Cub Lake, a serene lake known for its abundance of lily pads and the surrounding meadows that often attract wildlife, including elk and moose. We’ll return to the house with time to relax before an early dinner so that if the weather allows, we can head to the Estes Park Memorial Observatory for a tour of the night sky from the observatory’s 16-foot dome. 

Hiking Routes:
Short Route: 3.4 miles round trip with 245’ elevation gain
Medium Route: 5.5 miles round trip with 650’ gain
Long Route(s): 7.6 miles round trip with 1372’ gain or keep going +1 more mile and + 450’ more gain

DAY 3

Today we depart for Trail Ridge Road to enjoy the journey along the highest continuous paved road in the United States. This longer drive into the park also provides a variety of spectacular and diverse landscapes for hiking. Our first stop will be the Milner Pass Trailhead, the start of the short route and a longer summit hike. The easier hike will take you through three diverse, high altitude ecosystems; the forested Montane Zone, the tree-sculptured Subalpine Zone, and the open tundra, before reaching the Alpine Visitors Center where you’ll feel like you are at the top of the world being that it is highest elevation visitor center in the National Park System. The challenging hike for this day is the only summit hike of the trip—Mount Ida. Starting at 10,759 feet, this out and back hike travels well above the tree line on a pleasant hike to a modest scramble summit 12,880 feet high on the Continental Divide. For a lower elevation hike option this day, we’ll shuttle further into the park to take on a moderately challenging out-and-back forested trail that follows the Colorado River along an old miner’s route formerly known as the Grand Lake - Lulu City Wagon Road, to reach the former site of Lulu City. The hike is more about the journey than the destination, passing through meadows, across foot bridges, and past the ruins of mines; there isn’t much left of the former silver mining town established in 1879 that was once home to a population of 500 people. After the scenic ride back along Trail Ridge Road, we’ll meet in town for a tasting at the local Snowy Peaks Winery or the Lumpy Ridge Brewing Company, and then you’ll have time to wander town and find dinner on your own in Estes Park.

Hiking Routes:
Short Route: 4.2 miles round trip with 562’ gain 
Long Route: 9.8 miles round trip 2122’ elevation gain
Medium Route: 7.3 miles round trip 898’ elevation gain

DAY 4

We'll head back along the Peak to Peak Highway today to Wild Basin, a separate and more secluded entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park located in a basin that's separated from the park's Bear Lake region by a ring of peaks. The basin feels more remote and wild than the more popular areas of the park. The short route of the day continues past the Calypso Cascades we hiked to on Day 1, and leads to Ouzel Falls a popular destination because of the powerful waterfall that plunges nearly 40 feet, creating a cool mist and a roaring sound. For a bit more distance and elevation, continue to Ouzel Lake, a nice wooded path with views of Longs Peak and the solitude of a large crystal clear lake. For hikers up for the most challenging hike of the trip, the trek can continue on as the trail climbs steeply through subalpine terrain to Bluebird Lake—a pristine and serene alpine lake surrounded by rugged cliffs and often partially covered with ice (even in summer). For our final night we’ll celebrate a great trip at the iconic Stanley Hotel. For dinner we'll enjoy the independently owned Post Chicken & Beer, then we’ll go deep into the iconic Stanley Hotel lore via an optional Night Spirits Tour.

Hiking Routes:
Short Route: 5.4 miles round trip with 950’ elevation gain
Medium Route: 10 miles round trip with 1709’ elevation gain
Long Route: 12.6 miles round trip with 2483’ elevation gain

DAY 5

On our final morning, our goal is to search out the elk and experience the elk rut! We may be lucky enough to simply take a walk along lovely Lake Estes and watch them from there, or we may head back into the park to an ideal meadow location where they are often found. We’ll have time in town for a unique brunch/lunch experience at Brunch & Co. before we depart for the airport or you can choose to continue on for other travels in Colorado.