Getting There

Rocky Mountain

As we mentioned, of all the spectacular Western parks, Rocky Mountain National Park is the closest to the Ohio Valley, Deep South or Northeast. It's an easy trip out and back. You have to decide whether you want to basecamp on the Front (East) or Back (West) side. They're separated by the Continental Divide and during tourist season it's a two hour trip over the top. The East Side has the big tourist center of Estes Park, but it also has the famous Southeast Corner with historic lodges and an array of convenient day hiking trails. The West is the backpacking side, more remote, less crowded. But it also offers great day hiking. Amtrak stops at the West side but not the East. If you're driving, or flying and renting a car in Denver, the East is less of a drive but more crowded. It's a tough choice. Both sides of the park are magnificent.

If you live in the Ohio Valley, Mid Atlantic or Northeast, our first recommendation is Amtrak. From Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Cincinnati, you catch the Lakeshore Limited, Capitol Limited or Cardinal through to Chicago. There you change trains, take the Zephyr to Granby, and rent a car for the last 10 miles and to drive to the trailheads. It's tempting to save money by sitting up in Coach the whole way, but we recommend at least a Roomette, and for two a Bedroom. These tickets seem steep until you realize they also include three meals a day. If you were driving you'd be spending money on gas, hotel or camping, and meals. So Amtrak is actually a pretty good deal. The Capitol leaves New York at 7 a.m., Washington at 11, Pittsburgh at midnight. The Cardinal stops in Charleston at 8 pm, Maysville at 11 and Cincinnati at midnight.The Lakeshore leaves Boston at 1 pm. The Zephyr leaves Chicago at 3 pm, stops in Denver ar 8 a.m., and arrives at Granby at 10:30 a.m. But if you live in the Deep South or out along the Southern tier, Amtrak is not an option. There is no easy North-South connector to Chicago or Denver.

To get to the East side, turn North on I-25, turn West on State 34 at Loveland, and enter the park through Big Thompson Canyon. To reach the Southeast Corner turn south on State 7. Looking at the map, it might seem easier to cut across, through Boulder. Don't do it. The traffic is gridlocked.

If you wanted a break from camping, a great hotel is just off the interstate at Lawrence. It was a Holiday Inn Resort for half a century, but now it's a Hilton. It has a great restaurant and a great pool. Room rates are reasonable and you're just a few miles from the Kansas University campus, Allen Field House and the downtown.

Lawrence is a day's drive on I-64/I-70 from Lexington, Kentucky, and a day's drive on I-70 to Rocky Mountain National Park. Further east, Washington, Philadelphia, or western New York are a day's drive from Lexington. So from the East Coast, you're a three day drive from the park. From the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes or South you're two days away.

Flying into Denver and renting a car is easy. Round trip from Atlanta to Denver costs $202. The flight out leaves Atlanta at 9:00 am and arrives at 10:30 am. The return leaves Denver at 4:30 pm and arrives at Atlanta at 9:30 pm. It takes about an hour to drive from Denver to Grand Lake or Estes Park (see specific driving directions above). But airlines pose problems. Your pack is too big to carry on so you have to check it. Airlines lose packs, finding them 3-5 days later. This would ruin your trip. Worse, airlines don't allow stove fuel. You might take empty bottles or stoves on if they have been cleaned so no odor remains. (You can buy fuel in Estes Park or Grand Lake.) But agents sometimes still confiscate empty stoves and bottles. One option is to mail them ahead to your lodge. Another option is buy new ones in Colorado. A third option is fill the bottles with water, clip them to your belt with a carabiner, and claim them as water bottles. These two problems are why many backpackers avoid flying.