Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) is an incredible expanse of land in north central Colorado just a short drive from Denver. Spanning over 260,000 acres, RMNP is home to meadows, alpine lakes, and, as the name suggests, mountains. RMNP has some of the tallest mountains in the United States, with 77 peaks taller than 12,000 feet and the highest paved road, Trail Ridge Road. Depending on the season, visitors can hike, camp, ski, birdwatch, fish, and much more!
Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park
I absolutely love the mountains, so a day trip to RMNP was a must for my journey to Denver. Since I have zero experience driving in the mountains and am slightly afraid of heights, I opted to visit the park via a tour company. I selected Explorer Tours, as their excursions start at Union Station, a location in Downtown Denver that is easily accessible via public transportation and ride-share. Tours are small groups, ours had 12 people, and transportation is a comfortable van with large windows. I paid about $170 for my tour, which included transportation, a guide, water throughout the trip, and a picnic lunch by a lake.
Our journey started at 9:30 AM and was scheduled to end around 5:00 PM. However, as we encountered very long lines to enter the park (it was Labor Day Weekend) and no one had plans after the tour, the guide kindly extended our tour until 6:00 PM! First stop was Lyons; this was a quick 10-minute stop for participants to use the restroom and grab a coffee at the café. Then, we headed to Estes where we stopped at the Stanley Hotel, the site where The Shining and Dumb & Dumber were filmed. I love The Shining but the hotel visit was a bit underwhelming; not much in terms of movie memorabilia.
When we arrived at RMNP, the guide (who is also the driver) took the group to Sprague Lake, where we had our picnic lunch and an opportunity to hike around the lake. This section of RMNP was breathtakingly beautiful, especially since the skies were clear and the sun was shining brightly. The tour doesn’t provide sufficient time to hike the full loop (.7 miles), but there was enough time to hike portions of it and to take some wonderful pictures.
Sprague Lake Loop is accessible and there are benches along the way.
Across the street from the lake, there are picnic tables, restroom facilities, and a parking lot.
The next stop was Many Parks Curve, one of many overlooks along Trail Ridge Road. This overlook had a boardwalk that provided panoramic views of the meadows and, in the distance, a glimpse of Longs Peak, one of the tallest mountains in the range at 14,256 feet. Then, we visited Rainbow Curve, an overlook with a rocky outcrop that visitors can climb for great views and nice photo opportunities. We also briefly stopped by Upper Horseshoe Meadow Pullout (first picture on this page). The group’s final stop in RMNP was Forest Canyon, an overlook that provided awe-inspiring views at 11,716 feet! Even in the summer, patches of snow were visible on some of the peaks around Forest Canyon.
The outlooks mentioned above are all accessible.
Another great thing about RMNP is the abundant wildlife.
Tips for Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park
RMNP is one of the more popular national parks, and it can get quite crowded during peak travel season. I visited RMNP the Sunday of Labor Day weekend and the wait to enter the park was about 25 minutes. Based on my experience that day and comments from our guide, Trail Ridge Road draws larger crowds as it is more scenic and has many overlooks. The overlooks I shared in the section above were all on Trail Ridge Road. Sprague Lake was located on Bear Lake Road.
Important: Starting May 23, 2025, RMNP will implement the “Timed Entry Reservations” system, which requires visitors to purchase a timed permit to enter the park during the summer and fall seasons. Several US national parks have started using timed entry systems to alleviate overcrowding and not overburden park resources.
If you are interested in visiting Sprague Lake and nearby Bear Lake, make sure to register for the permit that includes both Trail Ridge Road and Bear Lake Road.
One thing to be mindful of when visiting RMNP is altitude sickness. I am from Florida, and during my time at RMNP, I experienced a minor headache, and my ears were also bothering me a bit. A fellow tourmate from Georgia was also experiencing headaches and, at one point, felt dizzy. Take it easy if you are not used to great heights, especially when hiking!
Another thing to keep in mind is that the air is considerably thinner and dryer at higher altitudes. Regardless of the season, remember to pack sunscreen, a hat, chapstick, and plenty of water.
Sprague Lake
Resources
For additional information, visit the Rocky Mountain National Park website.
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