offwegooo.com
Travel guide
Rocky Mountain National Park
5 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: June to September
offwegooo.comPrint it, fold it, take it with you
Welcome
Rocky Mountain National Park, in a few days
Two hours from Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park straddles the Continental Divide, with more than 60 peaks above 3,650 metres and a paved road that runs above the treeline for 18 km. Elk bugle in the glacial meadows in September, moose graze in the infant Colorado River valley, and high-altitude lakes are reached in an hour's walk from the car parks.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 3 things
- D3 Day 3 1 thing
- D4 Day 4 1 thing
- D5 Day 5 1 thing
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Trail Ridge Road · half a dayThe highest continuous paved road in the United States, climbing to 3,713 metres and running 18 km above the treeline across alpine tundra, with overlooks, marmots and the Alpine Visitor Center.
- Late afternoon · Old Fall River Road · about 1 h 30The park's first motor road, a narrow one-way dirt track climbing 15 km of tight switchbacks past Chasm Falls to the tundra and the Alpine Visitor Center, open from July to October.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Woodlands on Fall River ↗ · All places to stay by budget →€180 a night
D2
Day 2
3 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Moraine Park · about 1 h 30A broad meadow crossed by the meandering Big Thompson between glacial moraines, where hundreds of elk gather for the autumn rut and bugle at dawn and dusk.
- Afternoon · Sprague Lake · about 1 hA small lake with a flat 1.1 km loop accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs, reflecting the peaks of the Continental Divide in the calm morning water, a favourite for sunrise photos.
- Late afternoon · Bear Lake and Emerald Lake · about 3 h return to Emerald LakeThe park's most popular hike, from Bear Lake past Nymph and Dream Lakes to Emerald Lake beneath Hallett Peak, three glacial lakes for less than 200 metres of ascent.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Woodlands on Fall River ↗€180 a night
D3
Day 3
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- All day · Glacier Gorge and Sky Pond · a full dayOne of the park's finest day hikes, about 16 km return past Alberta Falls and The Loch, then up Timberline Falls to Sky Pond, in a cirque beneath granite spires.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Woodlands on Fall River ↗€180 a night
D4
Day 4
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Wild Basin · half a dayA forested basin in the park's south-east corner, away from the crowds, with a trail climbing North St. Vrain Creek past Copeland Falls and Calypso Cascades to Ouzel Falls.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Woodlands on Fall River ↗€180 a night
D5
Day 5
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Kawuneeche Valley · half a dayThe quieter west side of the park, a valley of wet meadows where the young Colorado River winds through willows, the best place to see moose, with the historic Holzwarth ranch.
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Burgers and barbecue: brisket and ribs cooked low and slow, done differently in every state.
- Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl: the classic lunch on the San Francisco waterfront.
- Mexican food: tacos from a truck in Los Angeles, a Mission burrito in San Francisco.
- Pancakes and weekend brunch: a national habit, generous to the point of excess.
- Craft beer, and California wine from Napa and Sonoma.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Tipping is not optional: add 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars.
- Prices on menus and in shops exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.
- Do not plan more than four or five hours of driving a day: the distances are larger than they look on the map.
- Never travel without health insurance. A night in hospital can cost thousands of dollars.
- In summer, do not hike down into the Grand Canyon in the heat of the day: the climb back out is where people get into trouble.
Getting by
Words that help
🗣️ English is the main language here, so there is nothing to learn by heart.
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyUS dollar (USD, $)
BudgetAbout €185 a day, mid-range
Best seasonJune to September
PlugA/B · 120V
Tap waterSafe to drink
Tipping15 to 20%, expected
Emergency911
EntryUK, Australian and most EU passports need an ESTA, applied for online before departure, for stays of up to 90 days; a few EU countries sit outside the Visa Waiver Program and need a full visa. Canadians need neither, only a passport. Anyone who has been to Cuba since January 2021 cannot use an ESTA and must apply for a visa.
HealthNo vaccination required. Keep tetanus, diphtheria and polio up to date; hepatitis A is worth considering if you eat well off the tourist trail. In the desert parks, the heat is the real risk.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/rocky-mountain-national-park
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.