A picturesque mountain town and a gateway to famed Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park has become a Colorado icon.
The new Fall River visitor center, just west of Estes Park (on Colorado 34), offers visitors a modern-yet-rustic introduction to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Don’t miss a drive along lofty Trail Ridge Road, linking Estes Park to Grand Lake.
With 14,255-foot Longs Peak towering in the background, beckoning hikers and climbers to its vast trails and crags, the town of Estes has a lot to offer before you even reach the park.
Summer days bustle with tourists, making quaint downtown Estes a hub of activity.
Countless outdoor activities are at your fingertips here: mountain biking, four-wheel driving, golfing, scenic drives, boating at nearby lakes, tramway rides to Prospect Mountain, and so much more.
The ominous, yet stately and restored Stanley Hotel (Historic Stanley Estes Park Hotel), made famous as the setting for Stephen King’s horror tale The Shining, hovers over downtown and is still open for business.
The town’s heritage is preserved at the tiny Estes Park Area Historical Museum. Other cultural heritage sites include Michael Ricker Pewter Museum and Gallery, Art Center of Estes Park, Enos Mills Cabin, and MacGregor Ranch.
The Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Festival (Scottish Festival Colorado – Scotfest Estes Park.), in September, is a unique local custom; people from all over descend on Estes to watch traditional sporting events like the hammer throw, to hear crisp bagpipe tunes, and take in the brilliant sound and light display known as the Tattoo.
Map
