This is a nice size park in the middle of town shopping. Lots of kids coming and going - next to a…read morepavilion with roll down sizes for sun shelter. Sat dad down at the park to keep an eye on the kiddos so I could shop. Perfectly convenient.

Wonderful large playground structures for young and older kids with swings, maintained with fresh…read morewood chips for safety. Surrounded by a field of fresh grass, lots of parking & walking proximity to local businesses & lake. Uploaded close up picture of playground.

Our goal was to hike to Emerald Lake, and let me tell you... It was 100% worth it. On this 3.6 mile…read moreroundtrip hike, you'll also encounter Nymph Lake and Dream Lake. While they're both beautiful in their own right, neither one of them compare to the sheer beauty of Emerald Lake with the snowy mountains as a backdrop. As I said, it is a moderate hike. We started around 930am - would've been nicer to start earlier, but it still beat the full heat of the noon sun. There will be intermittent shade, but make sure you bring a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water. We visited in mid June. Once we neared Dream Lake, we started encountering snow on the ground. I used hiking sandals, and I was able to do it in those - just be careful. That being said, with the amount of snow that was on the trail to Lake Haiyaha was completely un-doable in my shoes. Once you reach Emerald Lake, find a place to sit and just take it all in. I could've sat there all afternoon, just being at peace with nature. Absolutely gorgeous. To get to Emerald Lake, you'll need access to Bear Lake Road. Just be aware that Bear Lake Road requires a reservation SEPARATE from the reservation to the national park. There's a big lot at the trailhead, but it gets filled up. They do have a park & ride a few miles away with plenty of shuttles ready to bring you in. If you're able to make the hike, hiking to Emerald Lake is wonderful. The hike itself is gorgeous, and the final lake is beautiful. Plan it in your schedule, and you will not be disappointed.

After spending a part of my morning at Bear Lake, I decided to do this hike to Emerald Lake the…read moresecond part of the day. This hike starts at the beginning of the Bear Lake trailhead and is 1.8 miles one way (3.6 miles RT). I would say that it is a moderate hike that has some elevation climb to it. You will pass both Nymph Lake and Dream Lake along way. The views along the way are spectacular. Emerald Lake is nestled in between some mountains at an elevation of 10,111 feet. You can see Hallett Peak and the jagged spires of Flattop Mountain across this iconic alpine lake. In between the two mountains is the Tyndall Gorge. There were some small ripples in the water caused but a slight wind. Several people that hiked here jumped in and swam in the water. I ended up relaxing on a large rock and eating my lunch while enjoying the view. Emerald Lake starts at the beginning of the Bear Lake Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. To reach this trail, you must drive ten miles on Bear Lake Road after entering through the Beaver Meadows Entrance. There is a separate timed entry reservation that is required to access Bear Lake Road. If you are unable to find parking at the Bear Lake Trailhead, there is a free shuttle that you can ride to the trailhead.

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.

Rocky Mountain National Park is absolutely beautiful, but it's important to know before you go that…read moreit is not pet-friendly on the trails. Dogs are only allowed in developed areas like parking lots and campgrounds. We visited shortly after a major wildfire, and it was heartbreaking to see how much of the forest had burned. It really puts into perspective how powerful nature can be. One of the most interesting things we learned from a park ranger was that moose are considered one of the biggest wildlife concerns around dogs, even service animals. I never would have guessed that! The ranger explained that dogs can make wildlife feel threatened, which is one of the reasons the park has such strict dog regulations. If you're visiting with a service animal, I'd recommend checking with a ranger about recent wildlife sightings before heading out. That's just my personal opinion--you don't want to put yourself, your dog, or the wildlife in a dangerous situation. One unexpected highlight was spotting a beaver right along the side of the road while driving through the park! We completed three easy trails: * Coyote Valley Trail - About 1 mile round trip, completely flat with little to no elevation gain. Limited parking. * Holzwarth Historic Site - Around 1 mile round trip with very little incline. The trail leads to several historic cabins and buildings. Decent-sized parking lot. * Colorado River Trailhead - Our favorite of the three. It's also about 1 mile round trip and has the most elevation gain, although I'd still consider it an easy hike. Large parking area. Overall, Rocky Mountain National Park is an incredible place to visit with amazing scenery and wildlife. Just be sure to plan ahead if you're traveling with a dog and understand the pet restrictions before you arrive.

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.

This is a local attraction in Boulder Canyon that I have visited occasionally since 1974 but…read more probably not in the last 20-30 years. With out of town guests who wanted to see it, we went up with them today which was hot even by 9am. Not ideal for me. There was adequate parking in a small lot on the south side of the Canyon, just before the crossover to the entrance to the short but steep hike.Being a Monday morning, not very busy. Be aware that weekends are extremely busy and not enough parking. I believe that the trail has been improved some over the years from our past memory of it. There are actually some steps cut into the steepest of the rock surfaces and some heavy duty chain handrails in the areas with he steepest drop off. We saw little kids as well as grandparents. so if I can still do it, many others can. Cooler weather would have been nice. The waterfall is quite pretty. It was roaring even in a drought because of a few heavy rains last weekend and such hot weather in this climate change era that the snow pack in the mountains is melting too quickly this summer. A must see if you are visiting this area. A many athletes do visit too.

Beautiful water fall. Totally worth the fairly short drive from Boulder. Parking on the road or…read moresmall open lot across the street. Easy 10 minute walk & hike to the waterfall. Allow a little time to take photos and then free up space for other visitors. Glad we came.

We stayed at this campground so we could break up our drive and do the whole route through the RMNP…read morestarting at Estes Park and could finish the drive back to the Denver area the next day. It is the only campground in the park that is on that side of the park by grand lake. We stayed at campground site 74. If you can choose your campsite I recommend that site. It is on the outer rim of the campgrounds and has a great view of the mountains. In the morning we were able to see and hear elk from the campsite! The downside was some of us drink the water from the water spigot at the campsite (not from the dish sink or bathroom sink) and got very sick while the others that did not were fine. Bring lots of your own water or boil your water just to be safe. Mostly tent campers at this location. No showers. We did not have cell service either here, but did not have cell service in the majority of the park. Lots of signs and talk about bears being here but we did not see any. Bring cash to buy firewood at the campground.

We love nature and this was a perfect spot to unwind and get back to that minus cell phones or…read moredigital interruptions. All of Colorado is beautiful but this was one of our favorite spots in both winter and spring but especially in summer because it's like being in a postcard.

5 stars for winter snow, first time visit, and sledding for little kids (2-5). I can't say what the…read morepark is like without snow but looks like it should be good too. Sleds and tubes were provided by the park. We brought our own. Some brought kid skis and snowboards. More anecdotally, we had a great time. There were a few other families. Although we didn't talk to any of them, everyone coordinated well and parents made sure the path was clear before letting theirs kids down.

We've been here several times before. Whenever we are in Winter Park... this is the place to go…read morewith or without kids. First of all, this is FREE fun! Yes... I said FREE! If your kids are not old enough to go skiing, snowboarding, or tubing, this is a great introduction to the snow. I have brought my kids here when they were toddlers... and now that they are older, they still don't mind coming here. FREE Sledding?! Yup! You can bring your own sled, but if you don't have one, they have free sleds to use, and the most recent visit had tubes too! I'm not sure if they just provide these sleds/tubes for people to use and/or if people choose to leave their sleds kind of like a donation. We actually left our sled there. We figured that we've been blessed with this place with free sleds/tubes and a fun sledding hill, so we might as well pay it forward. Besides, we live in Denver... and there isn't that much snow to go sledding often. Although the signs say a certain age limit...adults and kids of all ages were going down the sledding hill. This really is a fun place. Our most recent trip to Winter Park consisted of coming here 2 days in a row. When you have kids that are old enough to ski/snowboard/tubing, but you don't want to pay the lift fees and/or rentals this place is a great alternative. Besides the sledding hill, there is a playground for the kids to play.... and you can stay warm by the fire pit. Bring your own hot cocoa, tea, or coffee. Also, Pokémon Go players... there are several stops and a gym here :) If you're looking for an inexpensive place to have fun... this is the place.

Outdoor park offers something for all ages: rock climbing, basketball, large grassy area, but most…read moreunique is a Pump Track, where bike riders of all sizes are encouraged to not peddle, but use gravity to circumvent the course. Lots of shade too

I love this park! From the sled hills to the frequent events happening here. It's such a beautiful…read morearea to visit with family and without. I'm always here with my kids :)

8.12.2025 I arrived at 7am on the dot to hike gem lake. I'm so thankful that I arrived early to…read moreavoid the crowds, and when I arrived to the lake I had the place to myself, the water was like glass and the sun was still not high in the sky which provided the most beautiful reflections off the lake which made for some wonderful photos. In all I enjoyed this hike very much, everything about it was very enjoyable. On the hike down I encountered a lot of people headed up at the 8 o'clock hour. So I feel I timed my hike perfectly.

Gem Lake Trail is a relatively short hike at 3.4 miles round trip. The parking lot allows for…read moreplenty of parking. This hike has a 830 feet elevation gain meaning that the 1.7 miles up the trail has a steady incline. The 1.7 miles down is all downhill. Once you reach the top, you will see Gem Lake. The last bit leading up to Gem Lake is a little steeper than the rest of the trail. Gem Lake is a rather small lake, although beautiful. There is also a bathroom near the top, although can't comment on the restroom since I didn't use it. The views are gorgeous. We went around 2:30pm and there is always a chance of showers around that time in June. I would recommend going earlier in the day if possible to capture the reflection in the lake more and to avoid possibly getting rained on. Highly recommend this trail.

Great lil park with tennis courts, volleyball, basketball, playground & soccer field off Hover.read more