Rocky Mountain National Park
Located between Estes Park and Grand Lake, the 415-square-mile high-country playground draws family vacationers, hikers, wildlife watchers, rock climbers and photographers all year.
Rocky Mountain National Park is just under a two-hour drive from Denver and an hour’s drive from Boulder. The park boasts a wide range of activities that include summiting 14,256-foot Longs Peak, camping in the expansive backcountry, hiking to waterfalls and alpine lakes and, of course, wildlife viewing.
Know Before You Go: Fees & Timed-Entry Permits
The park charges an entry fee that ranges from $15 to $30 (and it’s free if you have a valid U.S. Park Pass). There’s also a reservation system in place during its peak season of October to early May that requires timed-entry permits. Learn about Rocky Mountain National Park’s timed-entry permit system
Pro tips: A seasonal Bustang route will take you to Estes Park and the national park from downtown Denver from late May to early October. Additionally, the park will be running a Hiker Shuttle seven days a week from late May through early September and weekends through October. The shuttle runs from the Estes Park Visitor Center to the RMNP Park & Ride Transit Hub, where you can transfer to other park shuttles. A park-entrance pass and reservation for the Hiker Shuttle are needed. Learn more on the park's website
Though the park is open year-round, certain sections are closed seasonally due to snowfall and hazardous conditions or to protect wildlife habitats. Check for RMNP closures before you head out
Colorado Wildlife at Rocky Mountain National Park
More than 3,000 elk, 400 bighorn sheep and numerous mule deer and moose live in the park. For the best photography lighting and opportunities to spot massive bugling elk, head to Moraine Park just after sunrise. View bighorn sheep at Sheep Lakes from May to mid-August and try to catch a glimpse of RMNP’s elusive moose population along the Colorado River in the Kawuneeche Valley on the park's west side.
Find tips for keeping both you and Colorado’s wildlife safe
In addition to big game, the park is also home to many smaller creatures. It’s likely you’ll hear the chirping whistle of yellow-bellied marmots before you see them, especially at the Alpine Visitor Center on Trail Ridge Road. Throughout the park, you might also spot pika scrambling through alpine rocks, along with chipmunks, snowshoe hare and tufted-ear Abert’s squirrels.
Rocky Mountain National Park is also prime birding territory, with nearly 300 species calling the park home or a migratory stopover. White-tailed ptarmigan are snowy white in the winter, and their summer features are a mottled brown that helps them blend in with lichen-splashed rocks. Pygmy nuthatches flutter through pine trunks looking for seeds, while American Dippers walk submerged on stream bottoms. Other airborne creatures include numerous raptors, owls, hummingbirds and a delightful rainbow of butterflies (we’re talking 141 species).
Learn more about Colorado wildlife