Rocky Mountain (or RMNP as it’s referred to by park enthusiasts) was the crème de la crème of our 2024 Colorado trip. Not only is the park famous for rugged mountains and pristine lakes, but Greg’s parents also joined us for a few days of hiking and sightseeing together!
We drove up from Grand Junction, which is about a 5 hour drive, and secured a timed entry permit for 12-2pm to get our first taste of the park at Copeland Falls in Allenspark. This is an easy trail along the St. Vrain Creek, south of the main mountain range.
Greg’s parents flew into Denver and drove up to meet us in Estes Park, where we had a delicious dinner of pan-seared mountain trout, accompanied by live music, at Rock Inn (Henry requested “Take Me Home, Country Roads” from the guitarist). We stayed in a beautiful house called Serenity Pines on the west side of Estes Park, just minutes from the park entrance. This was helpful because Rocky Mountain has become tremendously popular over the last few years, and this year they implemented a strict timed entry system. Timed entry makes a park trip a little less carefree and a lot more scheduled, but it does cut down on the crowds. We managed to secure two of the coveted 6-8am passes for our park days, one for us and one for Greg’s parents.
We all got up early the next morning to hike Bear Lake. Bear Lake is actually the first of a series of stunning mountain lakes that go farther and farther up into the mountains. After Bear Lake is Nymph Lake, then Dream Lake, and finally Emerald Lake. For our group of 10, including a baby and a toddler, it was a great challenge. The weather was cool but not freezing cold.
Claire slept almost the entire 4.1 miles, which earned her the Best Traveler award. Back at Bear Lake, we chatted with a ranger, picnicked by the water, and then made our way over to Moraine Park Discovery Center and used their telescope to look for wildlife.
Thanks to a kosher grocery store in Denver, we had a cooler full of chicken and deli meat for the whole trip. Greg grilled chicken for us at the house, while the girls and I made roasted potatoes and salad to go with it. After dinner, we took a sunset walk around Sprague Lake, where we saw a moose splashing into the water for a drink. On the way home, Claire met a friendly elk!
The next morning, we drove up Old Fall River Road. This road is an 11-mile stretch of switchbacks (with no guard rails) that takes you up to 12,000 feet. It’s an incredible drive! Our first stop was Alluvial Fan, a giant playground of rocks and boulders along the Roaring River. We also hiked out to Chasm Falls on our way up.
Finally reached the Alpine Visitor Center! A short trail outside the visitor center leads you up to a 360 degree view of the Rockies at 12,000 feet elevation. We were so proud of Greg’s parents for making it all the way up there!
Aaron Henry was sworn in as a junior ranger while we looked around and enjoyed the views. We took Trail Ridge Road (the highest paved road in North America) to several viewpoints in Hidden Valley. We spent the evening exploring the cute town of Estes Park. After havdalah, Greg and I escaped to the Estes Park Resort for a date night at Ember while his parents stayed with the berries. What a treat to have some time to ourselves – thank you Mom and Dad!
We woke up to another beautiful sunrise, and after breakfast and a goodbye to Greg’s parents, we set out on the scenic Lake Estes bike trail. It’s about 4 miles around the lake. At one point we were forced to detour because a herd of elk had taken over the trail and blocked our way!
Last year, our big girls went on a horseback ride with Greg through the Teton National Forest, so we thought it would be fun to give the little girls a chance go riding on this trip. We signed Eva and Rachel up for a pony ride at National Park Gateway Stables. Rachel got “Poptart,” a well-behaved black pony, and Eva had “Skittles,” a brown & white pony with a naughty habit of eating grass.
Aside from a quick moment when I thought we were lost (it was a self-guided ride through the forest), trying to keep Skittles in line, and baby Claire getting hungry, it was a fantastic time! After one last picnic lunch, we packed up and headed for the airport to start our trip home. What great memories in Colorado!
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