Rocky Mountain National Park

Established in 1915, the park spans 265,000 acres of rugged and breathtaking landscape with 355 miles of hiking trails and hundreds of pristine Colorado lakes and rivers to explore. The park is home to more than 280 bird species and more than 60 species of mammals, including moose, fox, mule deer, black bear and herds of elk which attract thousands of visitors each year, especially during the autumn mating season.

Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuously paved highway in the United States, connects Grand Lake to Estes Park during the warmer months. In winter, the road closes within Rocky Mountain National Park at the Colorado River Trail, about 10 miles from the Grand Lake entrance. Despite the seasonal closure, RMNP remains open year-round, offering majestic beauty in every season.

With three in-town trailheads: East Shore, East Inlet, and North Inlet all leading directly into the park, visitors can explore less-populated trails, campgrounds, and wildlife viewing areas. Grand Lake also provides easy access to unique western park attractions like the Holzwarth Historic Site, a stretch of the Continental Divide Trail, and the headwaters of the Colorado River, which is one of the West’s most vital and storied waterways.