Colorado Hiking: Rocky Mountain National Park

Tour Style:

Self Guided | Go at your own pace on an independent active trip.

Activity:

Drive & Hike | Enjoy the best of a large region by car and on foot. Day hikes in the best places. Itinerary usually inn to inn, with mapping provided. No bag transfer. Car hire offered as an option or included.

Activity Level & Terrain

This tour is graded moderate, with four days of hiking and a maximum distance of 9 miles. Daily hikes average around 6-9 miles (4-7 hours) along well-signed and well-traveled trails, regularly monitored and maintained by National Park rangers and staff. The distances and ascents/descents are approximations of the recommended routes.

Navigation

Navigating is easy using the Macs Adventure Navigation App. Your daily hikes will be mapped in the app with GPX tracks, route notes and turn-by-turn directions. All of these resources are available to download for offline use, which is recommended as cell service can at times be spotty within the National Park.

You will be provided with trip specific contact information in addition to 24/7 telephone support from Macs Adventure should you require assistance.

Experience & Fitness

Due to being a National Park on 265,769 acres of preserved federal land, the trails are available to hikers only.

As weather patterns in the mountains are often unpredictable and can change suddenly, hikers should be prepared for hiking in the rain, mud and on the rare occasion, snow, should there be an early or late snow season that year.

Daily afternoon thunderstorms are a common occurrence in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. As a rule of thumb, it is best to get an early start for each hike to avoid exposure to thunderstorms and lightning strikes.

• 5 Nights at hand-selected mountain lodges and cabins
• 3 Breakfasts
• Detailed pre-departure information pack
• Turn-by-turn route notes and driving directions
• Macs Adventure Navigation App for mobile phone
• 24/7 telephone support

• Flights
• Rental Car
• Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
• Additional nights before, during or after the trip
• Personal equipment
• Travel Insurance
• Gratuities and tips
• National Park Pass

• Extra Nights in Estes Park and Grand Lake
• Room Upgrades (only where applicable)

When To Go

The best time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park is July and August for clear skies, warmer weather, drier trails and frequent wildlife viewings. June is also a great month to visit (winter season depending), as wildflowers are in full bloom or fall foliage is at its peak.  This trip is available to start on any day of the week from June to September, during the peak summer and fall season. As these locations are year-round tourist destinations, we suggest youbook as soon as your plans are finalized to ensure availability for specific dates.;

Getting to the Start

By Air

Denver International Airport, has flights from international and national destinations.

Upon arrival at the airport, follow signs pointing you in the direction of the rental car agency to pick-up your rental car. Budget, Enterprise and Hertz are some of the many rental car agencies available to rent from Denver International Airport. Driving to Estes Park takes about two hours from the airport.

Getting Around

For additional transportation services outside the provided itinerary, such as a taxi to a specific restaurant or location, the host at your evening’s accommodation can help assist you in making the necessary arrangements.

Getting from the End

Depending on your travel arrangements, you may want to drive back to Denver or continue onward to Winter Park and other nearby summer/ski resort destinations. While rental cars can be returned at Denver International Airport, we suggest arranging your preferred drop-off location during pick-up.

If desired, you can easily add-on a rental car to this itinerary. Please notify us at the time of booking and we would be happy to assist you (additional costs apply).

General Information

National Park Entrance Fees

While hiking within Rocky Mountain National Park, a parking pass will have to be purchased upon arrival at one of the three park entrance stations: Beaver Meadows Entrance Station, Fall River Entrance Station or the Grand Lake Entrance Station. We recommend purchasing a week pass for this trip (7-day park pass, $35 via cash or credit card, not included). Or you can purchase an annual park pass at $80 (which includes entrance at any US National Park for a full year). For more information or to purchase a National Park pass online prior to trip departure click this link and visit the national park pass section found within the pre-departure information pack.

Equipment

Our pre-departure information pack has detailed advice and a packing list on what to bring. This includes warm and cold hiking gear, hiking boots, rain gear and lots of other specifics.

Please be prepared by packing all the necessary items for a comfortable trip. If you have any questions about what to take, we'd be happy to share our own top tips and advice. 

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance helps protect your travel investment, your belongings and most importantly you, from unforeseen circumstances that may arise before or during your trip. For more information, please visit our travel insurance page by clicking this link.