Lodging
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There are three kinds of lodging at Rocky Mountain National Park: historic lodges, cabins, and camping. You should carefully consider which type you prefer. Even in July and August, we have encountered cold, rain, snow, hail, sleet, ice and high wind at RMNP. So if you're day hiking, you might appreciate a warm, dry, comfortable room when you get in each night. And a hot tub sure feels good after slogging back through an ice rain or snow. Similarly, as you come off the trail after a backpacking trip, you might enjoy lounging in front of a big fireplace. Again, you have to choose where. The Southeast Corner offers historic lodges and great trails. Grand Lake offers an actual town along with great trails and the best fishing. The word "cabin" is elusive here. The historic lodges all have a dozen cabins out back. But you can also rent cabins for a week or two through a local property manager. These can be a very good deal and we recommend two here. |
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| The Southeast Corner, being closest to Denver and the first to have a state highway, was where RMNP tourism began. Several old log lodges were built here, which offered rooms and cabins, horseback riding, hiking trails, a large central room with board games and a giant fireplace, and three meals a day. Three of these old lodges remain and are immensely popular for vacations, weddings, family reunions, tour groups and hiking stopovers. They function today as bed and breakfasts, although one does serve a partial buffet at dinner. These are not Marriotts. They are old and creaky, have small rooms,shared baths, no TV, no Wifi, no cell phone reception, and no air conditioning. But their loyal customers love them for their history, quirkiness, charm and the very escape from modern electronics that many find unacceptable. |
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Our first recommendation is Allens Park Lodge. This century old facility built of Lodgepole and Ponderosa Pine ranks #1 among Colorado Bed & Breakfasts on several websites and magazines. It nestles on the eastern edge of RMNP half an hour drive out of Estes Park on Route 7 in the small village of Allens Park. Trails from here go into Wild Basin and Indian Peaks. You could stay here a week and hike a spectacular trail each day, then each night come home to a comfortable room in a beautiful rustic building. The hosts clearly take great pride in the delicious and ample hot breakfast, including eggs, meats, breads, fresh fruits and a freshly made cobbler. There's a library, fireplace and hot tub. There's no TV, Wifi or phone reception, but there is an old fashioned land line telephone booth in the lobby. If you rent an apartment here you get a full kitchen so you can fix your own dinners. In addition to RMNP, Roosevelt National Forest and the spectacular Indian Peaks Wilderness come together here. Stables are nearby if you prefer riding into the high country. Rock Creek Tavern is a short walk. It's locally famous for thin crust pizza and a limited but good selection of local craft beers from two Estes Park breweries, but there are also a Soup Of The Day, Salads, Wraps, and Burgers. Call two months ahead. The lodge has a loyal following and it fills up. |
| Meeker Park Lodge is a self-contained resort owned and operated by the Dever family since 1922. It contains 8 rooms, a dozen cabins, a fireplace, piano, small library and seating area. The cabins contain kitchens so you could save money by cooking in. They also contain their own bathrooms. If you rent a cabin, request one away from the road, as it stays busy late at night with tourists driving home from the park. The rooms in the lodge feature shared bathrooms except two Deluxe rooms, which have their own. There's a pool table, ping pong table, grocery store, laundromat and stables. You're served a cowboy breakfast of pancakes, bacon and coffee. There's no internet, wifi, phone or TV, but there is guided horseback riding on various trails. Rock Creek Tavern, famous for its thin crust Pizza and locally crafted Beer, is four miles away. Estes Park is a 20 minute drive with over 50 restaurants. Trails from here enter the north side of Wild Basin. On the eastern side ("behind") Meeker Lodge is Roosevelt National Forest with its own network of trails. | .jpeg) |
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The third historic facility is BaldPate Inn, located at the foot of Twin Sisters Mountain about seven miles south of Estes Park. Baldpate opened in 1917 and is the creakiest of the three old lodges, having received less attention to maintenance over the century. It also has rooms and cabins. It has the usual free breakfast. Its dining room does serve dinner, but it's a soup and salad buffet. It's a really good buffet, but meat lovers will find it inadequate after a day of hiking and may opt to drive the few miles to Rock Creek Tavern or seven miles into Estes Park for one of the 50 restaurants there. Several excellent day hikes start at Baldpate. The trail up to Twin Sisters Peak at 11,000 ft. offers spectacular views after a short but steep climb. Trails on the Longs Peak side lead up to Battle Mountain, Mt. Lady Washington, Granite Pass and Storm Peak. If you're in shape and can hike fast, you could get up to Glacier Basin and back in a long day. Baldpate has a loyal clientele and stays full, so you need to make reservations well in advance. |
If you'd rather rent a regular residential cabin for the week (or two), we would recommend Jack's Cabin, in Allens Park just a short distance from the Allens Paek Inn. This is really spacious for a small cabin. Its ad claims it sleeps four, but it has three bedrooms, one with a double, one with a queen, and one with two bunk beds. There's a fully equipped kitchen, a sitting area, and a back deck looking out on the bubbling creek. While there's no cable or Wifi, there is a landline phone. The bath has a clawfooted tub for soaking after a hard day on the trail. Out back is a propane grill. At night open windows let in sounds of the wind rippling through the pines and aspens. Wildlife is plentiful in the area so you never know what's going to wander through the yard, and Hummingbirds constantly flit around the cabin. The sitting area has an electric fireplace. It rents for $157 a night. The property manager is Desra McDonald. To rent it, just google "Jack's Cabin, Allens Park, Colorado." It will come up on its own VRBO page. If Jack's Cabin has no vacancies when you want, Debra can guide you to other rental cabins. Trails from here lead into Wild Basin and Indian Peaks. |
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As we said, even for hard core backpackers, camping might not be the best option here, given the cold, rain, snow, sleet, hail and ice rain even in July and August and the constant annoyance of Bears browsing the camp seeking food. However, if you insist, there are some beautiful locations. In the Southeast Corner we'd recommend Longs Peak Camp Ground. Located roughly across the road (and up a dirt road) from Baldpate Inn, it offers great views of Longs Peak and several other mountains. Camping here is first come first served --- reservations are not accepted --- and a site costs $30 a night. This is one of the most popular campgrounds so get here early in the day, especially if you hope to land a site on a Friday, when huge crowds move in for the weekend. You're asked to put all food either in your vehicle or in the Bear Box. If you place food in your car, cover it with a blanket, since Bears look in the cars and will break in if they see food. Beside the Bear, Elk, Moose and Deer will wander through camp. You'll be camping at 9500 feet, so if you're just driving in, allow a day for acclimatization before you try a long hike into the higher elevations. This is a tents only campground and it's a relatively small one with only 26 sites. There is drinkable water and a ranger on duty from Memorial to Labor Day. Fires are allowed only in metal grates, and you may not forage for firewood. Each site has a picnic table. |
| Grand Lake is the West entrance to the park. It does have a main street with 50 shops and restaurants, but is nothing like crowded Estes Park. It is in a stunning valley, with three beautiful lakes, Shadow Mountain looming high above town, the Continental Divide dominating views to the East, and Apiatan Mountain rising to the West. To get to Grand Lake, do not drive in through Estes Park and come "over the top" through the park, unless you are driving south from Wyoming. If you're coming in from the East, West or South, stay on I-70 until Exit 232, follow Route 40 West to Granby, and turn right on Route 34 which takes you into the town. Grand Lake offers some of the nation's greatest backpacking, but of course those same trails can also be used for day hikes. There's also horseback riding, horse packing and excellent fishing here. |
Our first recommendation is Rapids Lodge in Grand Lake, on the West side. A 1915 Lodgepole Pine building, it offers rustic rooms, suites, condos, cabins and an outstanding restaurant, famous for its Elk Steaks. You're right on the Tonahutu Creek with windows and balconies looking out over it and RMNP, with the Continental Divide in the distance. In three directions from Rapids Lodge great hiking and backpacking trails lead out of town, including the famous Continental Divide Loop. You're in walking distance of the beach (although the water's a bit frosty), both stream and lake fishing, and in the fourth direction Grand Avenue with its 50 shops and restaurants runs for several blocks. Wifi and cell phone reception is available. Like most of these historic lodges, Rapids has a loyal clientele whose families have been coming here for a century, so you do need to make reservations several months ahead. To get to Rapids Lodge, turn off Route 34, follow Grand Avenue all the way through town to Hancock Street, turn left and look for the lodge.
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Gateway Inn opened in 2000 and has every amenity imaginable for a mountain lodge. It has a restaurant and stunning views of the lakes, town and mountains. It's above town out by Route 34 so is not as convenient to trailheads as Rapids, but it's only a five minute drive. There's a hot tub, sauna, exercise room, bar with happy hour, TV with cable, Wifi, shuffleboard, and putting green. This might seem like a prohibitively expensive place to stay, but during the offseason, such as in October, you can rent a room with two doubles for $127 a night, and October is prime hiking season here. In peak season rooms go up to $165. This is not any different than any modern facility in any national park entry town. And in 20 years it's already developed its loyal clientele who come back every year, so you have to reserve about two months ahead. |
The other historic facility on the Western side is Grand Lake Lodge, which opened in 1920. But this is a different kind of historic. You'll find no creaky floors, tiny rooms or shared baths here. They've abandoned the lodge, seen at right, using it now for the restaurant, bar, offices and weddings. Instead, they've updated an array of 70 very nice cabins. There's a heated pool, onsite restaurant, horeshoe, volleyball and basketball courts, and hot tub. A standard queen cabin for two rents for $160 a night and up, with discounts available for seniors, AAA members and U.S. military. Views from the front porch are beautiful. In September, Elk are heard bugling. Hiking trails depart from the hotel grounds. The restaurant is disappointing. Once one of the glories of Grand Lake, new management has upped the prices and abandoned its casual format and Rocky Mountain flavors for a fixed menu with two serving times. After a day of hiking and fishing, this advanced reservation format is incongruous. The Trout, Bison and Elk were better. Beginning in August they say they're out of many items because it's nearing the end of season, Most patrons after one meal eat down in town. |
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If you'd rather rent a regular residential cabin in Grand Lake, we would begin with this little treasure. It's listed as Cozy Mountain Cabin and is on the edge of Grand Lake, still within a 10 minute walk from restaurants or trailheads. It has been recently updated and refurbished and has one bedroom with a king, one bath, sleeps two, and has a fully equipped kitchen. It could sleep four if you want to use the fold out sofa in the living room. This would be ok for kids but perhaps not for adults. There's a washer and dryer to keep clothes clean after hard trail use. The cabin does have a TV. Janet McNece is the property manager. To rent, google "Cozy Mountain Cabin, Grand Lake, Colorado." It will come up on its own VRBO page. If Cozy Mountain Cabin has no vacancies when you want to come, Janet can guide you to other similar cabins. |
On the West side, the best camping is at Winding River Resort, just outside Grand Lake, adjacent to the park and directly across from the Kawuneeche Visitor Center. The huge facility not only has areas for tents and RVs, but has covered wagons and cabins. Yes, the covered wagons are cute, but they're comfortable and offer you a chance to clean and air out your tent and sleeping bags between backpacking trips. Winding River also offers a huge advantage over the national park campgrounds : hot showers. The Colorado River is the campground's western boundary, so you can fly fish for Trout. If you're here for an extended vacation, across the river is the Arapaho National Forest, Never Summer Wilderness, and a whole additional network of trails. Winding River also offers horseback rides of various lengths. However, if you want RMNP campgrounds, there's Green Ridge at the base of Shadow Mountain Lake, Stillwater on Lake Granby, and Timber Creek, on Trail Ridge Road. |
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| Estes Park is the gateway town to the park. Its explosive growth in the last few decades means it now suffers from heavy traffic, crowded stores and restaurants, and the feel of a tourist trap. Since it's closest to Denver, the airport and the interstates, most tourists stay here and drive into the park each day. Prices for everything in Estes Park are the highest in the area. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful town, with snow capped peaks jutting up in all directions. And many of the park's important attractions and trailheads are accessed from here. Coming up through Big Thompson Canyon on Route 34 is a glorious entrance to the park, winding and narrow and choked with traffic though it may be. |
| If you're going to stay in Estes Park, we think Crags Lodge is your best bet. It's another of those historic lodges, a 1914 structure which has been tastefully modernized. The lodge offers an outdoor pool and hot tub, a very good restaurant, Wifi, and even TV. You can rent a studio or one or two bedroom unit, all with private baths and the larger ones with kitchens. Crags Lodge is not really in Estes Park. It sits high on the side of Prospect Mountain, which gives you great views looking down on the town and Big Thompson Canyon. The lodge is surrounded by tall pines. Because of your location west of town, you have an easy drive to the Moraine Park, Glacier Basin and Bear Lake, where trails lead up to the Continental Divide and the central parts of the park. As do all these old lodges, Crags has its share of creaky floors and tiny rooms, but it's in beautiful shape and the staff do a great job. The walk into town is about 15 minutes down Audubon Ave. It's a steep downhill, so allow 30 minutes coming back. | .jpeg) |
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If you prefer a regular residential cottage, we recommend this rare find. It's not a rustic log cabin. And it's barely in Estes Park. The rear of this cottage looks like a standard front porch and faces the Big Thompson River. It's a beautiful little place on the edge of Moraine Park, just below Glacier Basin. Just around the bend is the Emerald Mountain Trailhead and you're just below Moraine Park, Glacier Basin and Bear Lake trailheads. You're surrounded by a YMCA camp and a golf course, tucked inside the national park. Listed as River's Edge, this sleeps eight in three bedrooms with two baths and a half bath, but it rents for only $170 a night. It has a fireplace and TV. It's a bit too far to walk into town but it's only a five minute drive. To rent, google River's Edge Townhome #6017, Estes Park, Colorado, and the VRBO page will come up. |
| In the Estes Park area, Glacier Basin is the best camp ground. It's only a 15 minute drive from town and many of the park's greatest trails lead out from here. But due to high demand, this is a Reservation campground, and you need to reserve your site early, because Glacier Basin fills up every night. You're at 9237 feet here, so prepare for altitude acclimitization before you do any major hiking. It's also Bear country. You need to store food either in your vehicle or the provided Bear Box. Bathrooms are kept clean but there are no showers. Each evening firewood is sold. A picnic table and fire ring are at each site. Elk graze nearby every night and you will also see Moose, Deer and other wildlife. A & B loops are in the trees (shade), C & D loops out in the open meadow (better views). From Memorial to Labor Day a shuttle runs from here to Estes Park (15 minutes) and the major trailheads. RVs can camp here but the road in is narrow and windy so it's 80% tents. There are nightly ranger programs in the amphitheater. If full, go to Moraine Park. |  |
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