Backbone Adventures

If you have just a short amount of time in the Rocky Mountain National Park, then an organized tour…read moreis the way to go. After researching tour companies through Yelp and other review websites I settled on Rocky Mountain Rush because of their great reviews on Trip Advisor. Though we had to contend with a rainy day, RMR did a great job of showing us some of the highlights of the park. The park itself is absolutely breathtaking (separate review) and a need-to-see experience. The RMR vehicle (pretty much a really big Hummer) is spacious and very comfortable. Since it has the capacity to become an open air vehicle, it can get a little chilly inside. Comfy fleece blankets are provided. Our guide was fantastic - he seemed to know a lot about the park's history and was truly funny. Just a couple of things... not easy to make a reservation online. I sent three requests and eventually just had to call. It is virtually impossible for me to use a phone on my work days so I would have found online more convenient. A longer tour, even by just an hour or so would be great. The park is huge so don't get me wrong... I get why you can't see everything in a few hours. Besides the basic hummer tour, they also do downhill biking adventures and wine and cheese sunset tours. Their prices are on the moderate side ($50 pp). Overall, a good service!

Great tour company, excellent guides, and a fun experience for all. It doesn't hurt that they give…read moretourists who are of age a little splash of schnapps in their hot cocoa to sweeten the pot, and snacks along the way are welcome (Oreos, peanut butter crackers, etc.). Tours are relatively reasonably priced (though not cheap) for the entertainment and educational bits and bobs about the places you're taken to, but for the winter tours where your exposure to several areas of the park is limited, I do think they could knock off a few bucks. We had a bit of a mishap during my tour, where my phone was dropped and my battery tumbled off a bridge and down the side of the mountain. Our guide saved the day by literally sliding down the mountain to retrieve my battered - but still functional! - phone innards. Nevermind the details about how that happened (though I wonder if it'll make it into our guide's stories from here on out), but not having that battery would have really put a kink in the remainder of FH and I's trip to Colorado, so I was thankful, if a bit nervous, that he rescued it. We would love to come back in the summertime and take one of the off-road tours, and will definitely look up this company again if we find ourselves in Estes in warmer months.

Just one of the beautiful scenes from up at Alpine Visitor's Center

Snow in July!

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More times then not, you will see critters on the tour.

WildSide 4x4 Tours

(119 reviews)

Everything went great. Joe is the most amazing person! He never left anyone out. He takes amazing…read morepictures and gave the best knowledge about nature. Definitely going back for sure. He made this experience the best!!! Everyone was so kind even the front desk ladies who work at the front. 100% recommend !

We went on the Thrilling Rock'n Roller Coaster Tour! Our guide was Wayne and he was phenomenal!!!…read moreHis knowledge of the area was incredible! He was funny and told lots of "Dad" jokes, played great music (but not in the subdivision) and the ride was super fun! I highly recommend this tour and I highly recommend WAYNE aka the Eagle!!!

C.E. Took this picture of me .After he had someone else check my knee and the other man said he did a Great job.

Girls weekend out

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Cute

Green Jeep Tours

4.6

(122 reviews)

1.7 mi

Highly recommend to anyone! Our group of two was paired with a group of four--three adults and one…read morelittle. The little did just fine in the car seat in the backseat of the jeep while the rest of us rode in the open back. Chance was an incredible guide telling us facts and funny anecdotes (and dad jokes) along the way. He also jumped out with us on each of the stops inside of the park. Grab a bathroom break and drinks/snacks before you head out near the office. There are primitive bathrooms along the way.

Booked this last minute Rocky Mountain Safari tour for 4pm. Our tour guide Jeff was friendly,…read morefunny, and knowledgeable. The tour started out slow for animal sightings but Jeff eventually got us on some elk herds and deer. They are active in the morning (7am) and evening (closer to 6pm). Jeff made sure we were comfortable the whole time. This is a great tour for people looking for a local perspective.

Horseshoe Falls at the Alluvial Fan Trailhead

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Smelling a ponderosa pine

Estes Park Aerial Tramway

4.3

(83 reviews)

1.8 mi

What a beautiful ride! The views of the Rockies are spectacular (of course). It is very well run…read moreand right near downtown with parking on site. The trams are smallish and we went up with 6 people on board (plus a wonderful, sweet operator named Michelle (she is so sweet...). Plenty of room and windows open on 3 sides! Up top there are trails and rocks and views in every direction. On the way down it was just the two of us and another very friendly and enjoyable operator named Lance. A second shout out to Michelle and Lance for making the experience that much more pleasant. Highy recommended!

I love ascending whether by car, tram, train, funicular, or airplane!…read more I had this experience on my list of things to do while on vacation when we visited the Rocky Mountain National Park. We finished taking the scenic drives around RMNP and went into Estes Park. I suggested we take the tram up the mountain before dinner. We arrived at the lower terminal. There's a parking lot available to park in for a fee. Handicap Parking is free. We went inside and bought our tickets for $35.96 each. There was no line to board the tram, so we went on out to the loading area. There's a gift shop here you can visit before going up. It is highly recommended to have a reservation (purchase tickets in advance)! Prices vary depending on day of the week and time. If you are a walk-in, the time slot you want may be sold out and you'll have to select an available time. Each tram accommodates 10 people. We had the car to ourselves along with the tram attendant. She was very friendly and we had a nice conversation. She lets riders in and out of the tram. The ride is fairly short (5 minutes each way) even though the tram doesn't travel terribly fast. There's an elevation gain of 1,029 ft. The upper terminal sits at 8,619 ft. This is a very smooth ride. The windows of the tram were wide open, which was great! At the upper terminal, there is an observation platform with telescopes, gift shop, picnic areas, restrooms, cafe, and a trail to the West Summit. The trail is .75 miles one way and is supposedly a fairly easy hike. There's a machine that spins fresh cotton candy and I had to try it! We bought a small bag of peanuts to feed the chipmunks, but it seemed like the birds got most of them. The view is breathtaking! We left the top around the golden hour and it was awesome! This was a serene way to enjoy nature!

The chipmunks are bold...

Estes Tram and Estes Park behind it

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The Stanley Hotel Ghosts and History Tour

My wife and I went to The Stanley Hotel for the Shining tour because I am huge Stephen King fan! I…read moreloved the tour and it was super informational! Our guide, Mary, was super fun and had jokes and some really good facts for us! She encouraged us to take pictures and to ask questions! I will definitely be back

Being the horror book/film fan that I am I knew we had to take The Shining Tour here at the Stanley…read moreHotel. I had read Stephen Kings book The Shining when I was way too young and it absolutely terrified me like it should have. When the movie came out, I really enjoyed it but you can never replicate the book. Visiting this old and historic somewhat haunted hotel, I was ready to learn more about the imagination of Stephen King. His staying here many years ago brought about the inspiration to write the book. Although no filming took place here for the movie, the mini series was filmed here in 1997. We began the tour within the hotel and we had a fairly new tour guide all the way from Turkey. Unfortunately, I forgot his name but he was was well spoken, funny and informative. My favorite part of the tour was visiting the renovated caretakers cottage. It was decorated with period furniture and pictures of the original family that took care of the Stanley Hotel many years ago. I couldn't believe there was a 100 year old Victrola that still worked. Our guide was kind enough to play it for us. Upstairs they have recreated the Shining Suite which included a bed, the famous patterned Shining carpet and of course the bathroom from Room 237. Just walking in the bathroom took me back to that particular chapter of the book. REDRUM! Pricing for the tour was $30 and you can purchase tickets online. The hotel charges $10 to park and provides you with a $5 chip to spend in the hotel. A historical hotel tour is also offered here for $25. Outside of the tour, the hotel is definitely a place to visit. Location is phenomenal as it sits in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

The end picture from The Shining film

Iconic photo from the end of the Shining

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Inside the lobby of the hotel.

Yellow Wood Guiding

4.9

(31 reviews)

1.3 mi

Best birthday present ever! My sister and I did one of the sunrise tours. I've been on wildlife…read moretours all over the country and this one was my favorite. Jared is a very knowledgeable naturalist and he has a great entertaining, conversational manner. Not only did he find tons of wildlife for us to watch, he talked all about the animal behaviors we were seeing (that's not common in my experience - a lot of guides I've toured with end the conversation at "hey look! An elk.") Even in between seeing animals, Jared was unstumpable. I had questions about the trees in RMNP and the geology and he has so many interesting facts to share. Thanks for a great morning, Jared!

My wife and I had an amazing time working with Jared on Monday for a sunrise and sunset photo…read moreexcursion. Jared communicated well before the trip to make sure we were prepared for the day. He was punctual both times he picked us up and was a wealth of knowledge about the area. We are just getting into photography and Jared was patient in educating us on the different aspects of photography and what we should be taking into consideration when looking to take a photo. He made sure we were covering the topics we wanted to shoot and would give us different options as the day/weather provided. We traveled in for a wedding so we used Jared's equipment. While cautious, he was very trusting of his using and carrying his equipment. He knows great spots for different types of pictures. We're coming back from this trip with some great photos of the Rocky Mountains and the pika I was hoping to see. If you are into photography or just getting into it and want to have someone show you around RMNP, we highly recommend booking with Jared.

Coyote about to pounce on prey (photographed using a phone through a scope)

Undefined

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Mule Deer buck

Rocky Mountain National Park

(818 reviews)

We drove up from our place in Glendale where we were staying. Traffic was light so it took just…read moreover an hour. Our first stop was the Beaver meadows Visitor Center. The Rangers gave us a map and a wealth of information about what to see. The Park has a new system where you have to get a special visitor pass to enter the park before 2:00 pm. After that you can enter with a regular pass. It was shortly before 2:00 so we dove out to the entrance. We showed our Senior Pass and Driver ID and we were off. We had 4 hours to see everything we wanted to see. Since we saw most areas when were were here last time we wanted to go out to the Alpine Visitor Center and enjoy the 12,000 ft elevation. We were surprised to see very little snow on the mountains compared to our last visit. I heard someone say there was a very dry winter here with small amounts of snow. This is one of the most beautiful of all the National Parks we've visited and one of the oldest. It is a must visit if you are in the area.

Stunning. Superlative…read more Easy to navigate. Views are amazing at every turn. Definitely do not miss this National Park.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Alpine Ridge Trail

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Alluvial Fan 10-01-2025

Estes Park Guided Tours

4.6

(9 reviews)

1.2 mi

Best tour guide ever! Thank you Jeremiah (JJ) for giving us an adventure to remember forever…read more And, thank you for being patient with us old people! Perfect tour for families and adults only. Jeremiah made the day fun for all and we enjoyed the company of those with us.

Hands down the absolute best tour company ever! JJ (Jeremiah) was incredibly knowledgeable and…read morevery accommodating!! The views were amazing and he made sure we got the best bang for our buck! Not to mention, he was the perfect photographer for our ENGAGEMENT!

Find the joy of winter in the Rockies. Winter In The Park Tour.

Ben Aussie Guide

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Bear lake!

Kep Expeditions

(13 reviews)

1.7 mi

Wow, what an amazing tour company…read more I'll start off with if you're looking for a basic tour, go somewhere else. We started our tour off in the city and were told about the rich historical events that brought this area to life. Then we wandered into the park taking some often overlooked back roads. From start to finish, we were treated like kings and queens and the tour was tailored to our needs.

Garry was an amazing tour guide from start to finish! We loved his energy, knowledge, and…read moreenthusiasm about Estes Park and the surrounding peaks. It didn't matter that the Trailhead Rd. Was closed for the season, he kept it interesting with several breathtaking spots to see scenic views, wildlife, and waterfalls. He had a answer to any question we had and narrated every step in his comfy tour van with giant windows. He was especially considerate of the physical limitations of our group and tailored the perfect visit to our likes and needs. We were blown away at his deep love and respect for people with disabilities and veterans. We are 100% happy with this tour!

Rocky Mountain National Park

Two yearlings

Estes Park

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Eldorado Springs Pool

3.8

(26 reviews)

32.9 mi

Amazing public pool…read more We went most recently for the hot springs day and it was an incredible time. They had a ramen food truck (which was fine) and free coffee and hot cocoa. We have also been here as a family during the summer and the pool is lovely. You would want to come early and get a nice shady spot because they will be taken up fast. My kiddo had to do a swimming test to use the diving board in the summer and she failed both times so she had to stay in the larger shallower end of the pool. I appreciated their dedication to safety.

This review is from a Texan native. We are here on vacay. We were thinking of fun stuff to do in…read moreDenver outside of hiking trails and found this place! We went on a hike first then decided to come here after. We didn't realize it closed so early on a Saturday, we should have checked. We got there at 4:30, so only had a little to be there. Also looking at prices on this yelp, they have gone up significantly. I see people complaining about $10 a few years ago. It was $25 per adult this time. That was crazy to me, but we had already made this plan and had driven 45 minutes for this, plus it's in the vacation budget. If I lived here I would not come back because of that price. Also if you don't have a towel, they cost $20. This place is beautiful and I loved my time here, it will be a great memory, but that price is crazy. If I come back to Denver I may look for another place that may be like this.

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Sprague Lake

(13 reviews)

This lake has a nice scenic trail around it. The hike itself is half a mile long and easy to walk…read moreon. Sprague Lake is located off Bear Lake Road and has plenty of parking. It is a quiet peaceful lake to enjoy and is wheelchair accessible. Sprague Lake is one of the most popular places to fish at in Rocky Mountain National Park because it has an abundance of trout. I swung by here after spending most of my day at Bear Lake and enjoyed a nice walk around the lake after a long day. Sprague Lake is named after Abner E. Sprague who created this man-made lake. He once had a home here and opened a lodge for hunting and fishing. Sprague then added cabins to the property and made it a hotel in the early 1900's. This area eventually became a part of Rocky Mountain National Park.

A beautiful lake and easy hike around the lake that's well worth the stop. It's less crowded and…read moremore beautiful than Bear Lake. If you're staying at the Glacier Creek Campground, you can hike there from the campground.

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Lily Lake

4.5

(16 reviews)

I enjoyed visiting Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Not only is it a pretty lake, it is a…read moregreat spot for bird watching and to see wildlife up close. The ground squirrels were fun and entertaining to watch. Because they are used to people feeding them, they come right up to you and beg. The short trail around the lake is easy and level. It is about 0.8 miles round trip and offers great views of Longs Peak, Mount Meeker and Twin Sisters. If you want something more challenging, you can jump on the Storm Pass Trail from here. Rocky Mountain Park requires a online timed entry reservation made in advance during peak season.

This was a lovely stop by this beautiful lake with mountain views…read more The glistening of the sun and mirroring of clouds on the lake was almost magical. A family of ducks swimming in the lake was sweet to watch.

Gorgeous view and weather!

Lily Lake

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Mountain View by the lake

Fossil Creek Park

(25 reviews)

24.3 mi

Decent park. Love fishing here. Dog park has mulch which is way better than the crushed rock at…read moretwin silos. Hockey rink, skate park, basketball, tennis as well.

This is a lovely park with tons of parking and so much to do! Will certainly be utilizing this for…read moreour evening walks from now on. It has a great long path to walk with beautiful scenery, a playground, sports fields, etc. It is clean and well taken care of. The playground itself is great for the kids with options for all ages with slides, swings, things to climb on, and so much more! The Fossil/Prehistoric theme makes it stand out among other parks.

Seagulls and Geese at the lake

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When you make it to the top, you really are king of the mountain.

Lavern M Johnson Park

4.4

(12 reviews)

15.7 mi

This place is a hidden gem. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to explore this area. We make this…read morea stop after Ya-ya farms and it never disappoints! We plan on camping here next summer to explore the nearby areas a little more and have a quick and easy get away from the city.

Came here apprehensive about it being open. I have been having a lot of difficulties getting…read moreinformation online regarding restrictions and shutdowns. I am not from Colorado. I had to take the initiative and just drive here just to make sure that it was open and what we were able to do. I was delighted to find such a beautiful park right along the river bank. Have the ability to tube and have the little ones play. Children can play, and there is also a kid pool (a definite bonus). I was afraid that it would get packed and we end up not being able to stay. So I was left behind, and my husband went back to get the rest of the family. Since it is Monday, I figure it is not going to get too busy. But, I am not going to take a chance. This spot should be on the list of visiting places. Especially right now that Boulder creek is closed and many other outdoor activities.

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Estes Park Golf Course

3.4

(18 reviews)

1.3 mi

Mountain views, longest drive contests, and a starter who tolerated our hangovers…read more A few days before the wedding we hosted a golf tournament at Estes Park Golf Course, and it ended up being one of the highlights of the whole week. We had about 24 golfers out on the course and a bunch more meet us at the clubhouse for lunch after, and from start to finish the staff was prompt, polite, and somehow on top of every single thing. We coordinated everything with Aaron Tulley, who was a total pro. He set us up with longest drive and closest to the pin contests while we were out there, which turned a fun round into a genuinely competitive (loving, mostly) family showdown. Aaron stayed ahead of every detail so we never had to think about logistics, which is exactly what you want a few days before getting married. Then there is the food. The kitchen has been newly redone and it shows, because lunch was incredible, and at a price that made us double-check the bill in a good way. And the views. My God, the views. Getting our flat-as-a-pancake Midwest family out onto a mountain course like this was an absolute top-tier experience. Everyone was smiling the entire time, including the people who had never broken 100 in their lives. Special shoutout to the starter, who got our entire group off the first tee with grace and good humor while we were, let us be honest, deeply hungover and schlepping around pre-round like a herd of confused deer. That is customer service. If you are looking for a stunning, welcoming, well-run course in Estes Park, this is the one. Five stars and a longest drive trophy to the whole staff.

So beautiful to play golf surrounded by mountains. Everywhere you look, stunning views. That is…read morewhat you will see at Estes Park Golf Course. The forward tees were about 5200 yds which is pretty normal. There is not a ton of variation in the holes. Most are fairly flat and straight. The holes are a lot of back and fourth so forgiving if you slice or hook one. The course was in decent shape. Greens were fair. Some elk tried to join our group but we let them play through instead. Staff was friendly and welcoming. We golfed with a twosome from OK who were extremely nice. On about the 16th hole, the gentleman behind us was golfing alone for the back nine so he just joined our foursome. He was helpful as he could direct us where to hit. Cost was reasonable. We took a cart but this would be a good course to walk and many were. We played in about 4 hours so not too much waiting. Glad we got to play here.

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Mustang Mountain Coaster

4.7

(62 reviews)

0.5 mi

For $25/per person for a single ride, you can zoom down the mountain side in a small cart on a…read moremetal track. You're initially separated from the rider in front of you and behind you by 80 feet, but that can quickly change depending on how fast or slow those people choose to go. The scenery is nice, the staff are friendly, and the ride is thrilling. If you're looking for something a little more heart thumping to do while in Estes Park, this is for you.

Five stars since we got the two for one deal early in the morning -- otherwise, too expensive!…read more Fun experience and something you don't get in other parts of the country.