ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK HOW TO

A handful of new snowshoe tours pair with yummy side activities (fondue and whiskey tasting are two examples). ItвЂ™s easy to get there year-round and offers an alternative to the bustling ski resorts. Winter FunДЇrom extreme sports such as ice climbing and backcountry splitboarding to more relaxed activities like snowshoeing and curling up by the fire, Estes Park also caters to winter visitors. Or, liven things up at Lazy B Chuckwagon & Supper Show, where a crowd-pleasing, cowboy-style chuckwagon dinner is followed by a Western musical stage show. Newer to the town's dining scene, the farm-to-table cuisine from Seasoned вЂ“ An American Bistro and Bird & JimвЂ™s artisan approach have locals raving. Stop by the beautifully crafted antique Cascades Whiskey Bar to choose from 250 different wine labels and the largest whiskey collection in the state. Guided tours take you through an underground tunnel and reveal how Stephen King was inspired to write The Shining while staying in room 217. The elegant 109-year-old, white-pillared landmark sits on a hill overlooking downtown Estes Park. Wind down with dinner at the storied Stanley Hotel. Or ride 1,100 feet up the side of Prospect Mountain on the Aerial Tramway for fantastic views of Estes and the surrounding peaks. Take the path east for a tranquil walk around Lake Estes, or stop at the marina to rent bikes, pontoon boats or kayaks.В Then, enjoy a glass of wine inside Snowy Peak WineryвЂ™s tasting room,В the new Elkins Distilling Company, Rock Cut BrewingВ or Lumpy Ridge Brewing Co., a former gas station with a scenic beer garden and new brews on tap regularly. One block off Elkhorn, the beautifully landscaped path follows the Big Thompson River as it flows through town and hosts street performers in the summer. Stop for coffee and sit outside on the Riverwalk. Filled with one-of-a-kind stores, several fine restaurants and plenty of places for an afternoon snack, the area is just steps from the parkвЂ™s eastern entrance. Stop by The Barrel, a seasonal al fresco beer garden, and window-shop along Elkhorn Avenue, Estes' bustling main thoroughfare. AfternoonД®stes Park is the gateway into the national park, but itвЂ™s also a destination unto itself. This climbing area just south of town features rock outcroppings, slabs and routes that make for a perfect outing. to offer breathtaking (literally) cliff-camping excursions, has activities like a kids mountaineering camp, a New Year's Eve Longs Peak trek, backcountry ski classes/guiding, and a year-round вЂњsnow-climbing school.вЂќ Or, get above it all in a different way at Estes ParkвЂ™s own Jurassic Park. Kent Mountain Adventure Center, the first outfitter in the U.S. Grab your binoculars for a self-guided exploration of Matthews-Reeser Bird Sanctuary, or opt for a ranger-led bird walk within the national park.ДЄt the Open Air Adventure Park, rope bridges, aerial tightropes and swinging logs challenge folks 5 years old and up. Inside the park, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy offers year-round seminars, guided fly-fishing, naturalist tours, hiking and photography classes.В Estes Park and surrounding Rocky Mountain National Park are also superior birding spots, with more than 315 species to be seen. More than 3,000 elk and 800 bighorn sheep live in the park, and this U-shaped valley is a regular gathering spot for bugling elk.

YouвЂ™ll be rewarded with grand views of 14,259-foot-tall Longs Peak and the Keyboard of the Winds, a whimsical rock formation named for its shape.В Pull over at Moraine Park for prime wildlife watching. For a little more challenge, try the 2.8-mile Mills Lake trek. Or enjoy a family wildflower hike to Gem Lake or Bridal Veil Falls.

This rollercoaster route crosses the Continental Divide and offers breathtaking photo ops as you climb past subalpine forests and windswept tundra to 12,183 feet above sea level. Take a drive on Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved through-road in North America. The park's eastern entrance is in the town of Estes Park. (Tip: A seasonal Bustang route will take you to Estes Park and the national park from downtown Denver).Дaybreak is the best time to explore the parkвЂ™s stunning see-through lakes, sweeping meadows and dew-spritzed forests. One of the most popular parks in the country, Rocky Mountain National Park welcomes 3.4 million visitors each year and still manages to nurture cravings for solitude.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK HOW TO

Learn how to get your timed-entry permit > Morning Please note: Rocky Mountain National Park will have a timed-entry permit system in place from May 27вЂ“Oct.

Rocky mountain national park