Colorado Hiking: Rocky Mountain National Park

This tour is graded moderate, with daily hikes averaging around 6-9 miles. This tour is perfect for those who want to explore the expanse of Rocky Mountain National Park by foot and with the flexibility of their own car. Hikers should expect longer treks along dirt trails and varied terrain, at higher altitudes and exposed heights. Trails are well-signed, maintained and traveled frequently. Travel includes drives around town and up the narrow Trail Ridge Road from Estes Park to Grand Lake. Enjoy staying at charming mountain towns, lodges and cabins each night.

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Drive and Hike | Exploration of picturesque and remarkable destinations by car combined with walks that highlight the best of a country or region.

Solo Travellers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveler this tour would be suitable for is: 5 Years

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.

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.

We specifically hand-picked your accommodations in comfortable mountain lodges and cabins to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay while exploring Rocky Mountain National Park.

All accommodations are conveniently located only a short walking distance to each town’s main plaza and restaurants. Additionally, each offers individual character and welcoming hospitality.

Single Rooms & Solo Travelers

This trip is based on two people sharing a room. If you’d like separate rooms, a single supplement is required.If you would like to request a twin room (same room with two separate beds), please notify us during booking so we can request this option

This trip is also available to solo hikers (a solo supplement is required).

Meals

While staying in Estes Park and Grand Lake, you can choose to eat breakfast at nearby restaurants and bakeries (not included). In Grand Lake, most private cabins have a small kitchenette to cook and store food, should you choose to make breakfast in the morning instead.

Lunches and dinners are not included in this trip. For lunches, you can find markets, cafés or restaurants located within each town for dining out or to purchase a packed lunch to take with you on hikes. For dinner, you can dine at local restaurants all within a short walking distance from your night’s stay.  

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.

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.;

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.

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).