# Going to Boulder, CO should I hit Rocky Mountain National Park? Anyone in CO? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 11, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580 "2008-06-11T15:58:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/1 "2008-06-11T15:58:59Z")
I’m leaving Friday for two weeks in the rockies. I will be based in Boulder, should I hit Rocky Mountain National Park? That is one of the few parks in the area I have not been to, I was wondering if the tourist population up that way was really high this time of year, or would places like Yellowstone and other higher traffic national parks get all the people. I’ll be right in Boulder, I don’t know how many dopers are from Colorado, **Enipla** (sp?) is up there somewhere. Other places to see in Colorado? I’ll be on a retreat for a large portion of the trip, communing with nature that kind of thing, but I will also have a lot of free time. How many Rocky Dopers do we have? ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/2 "2008-06-11T16:27:15Z")
I’m in Denver. I’d definitely recommend a trip to to RMNP. Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved road in the country (that goes someplace rather than loops back on itself) and driving it for the views is well worth the time. There’s lots of hiking if you’re into that - the paths behind Bear Lake are very pretty and not very strenuous. Stop often for the views and don’t play with the elk. From Boulder, just follow US-36 to Estes Park. If you’re going out at dusk, the area around sheep lake is known for Big Horn sheep. They’re rare so pulling over and sitting quietly (if you have the time) may help. Returning via highway 7 is a nice drive, too (even going as far as to include Nederland if you don’t mind that additional miles). Bring binoculars. Unfortunately, school is out so visitors are on the rise but it’s not as bad as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, or (I hear) Yosemite. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/3 "2008-06-11T16:33:12Z")
Don’t forget to bring a jacket. It’s currently snowing in Summit County (SSW of RMNP) ---
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/4 "2008-06-11T16:38:45Z")
I spent a week there camping and hiking a few years ago. It is breathtaking. Check out Chaos Canyon while your there. ---
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/5 "2008-06-11T16:43:15Z")
Definitely visit RMNP. Also, since you’ll be in Boulder, I recommend lunch at the [Dushanbe Tea House](http://www.boulderteahouse.com/), a stroll along the Pearl Street Mall, and a tour of the [Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory](http://www.celestialseasonings.com/visit-us/index.html) (on a weekday if you can, it’s free and they’ll be in production). Also, my favorite store in Boulder is [McGuckin’s Hardware](http://www.mcguckin.com/), which is the most impressive and comprehensive hardware store I’ve ever seen. If you’re interested in coming down to Denver, there are a lot of cool things to do here too. Let me know if you want suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/6 "2008-06-11T16:46:31Z")
I’m in the Boulder area. I would most definately make the trip to RMNP. Besides the natural beauty of the landscape, the ammount of wildlife you see is breathtaking. Elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose in some of the more remote spots, marmot and ptarmigan up high, etc. The only cougar I’ve ever seen was crossing Hwy. 7 between Boulder and Estes Park. I agree with **Belrix** , the Bear Lake trail is easy and beautiful. The further up you go, the trail gets less crowded and the scenery gets more spectacular. Try to make it at least to Emerald lake and bring a camera. Keep in mind that there is still a lot of snow up there, much moreso than normal. Trail Ridge Road just opened a week or two ago and has already had to close at least once due to weather. Boulder is a great place to be based, especially this time of year. I don’t know how much you’ll get to experience creature comforts based upon your description of the trip, but Boulder is a great food town. You can go to the Saturday farmer’s market for a good cross section view of Boulderites, or you can visit the Whole Foods on 29th and Pearl and watch all the Olympians (from all countries) getting ready to go to Beijing. PM me for more info. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/7 "2008-06-11T16:53:26Z")
I camped and hiked there last summer. Definitely go. ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/8 "2008-06-11T17:22:56Z")
If you feel like leaving the Front Range, there’s lots of stuff to see down in the Four Corners area - SW Colo, where I am. There’s lots of snow in the high country, so hiking is a little limited just now, but it will probably melt out soon. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/9 "2008-06-11T17:24:19Z")
My GF’s dad just got back from a business trip in Colorado. He made a stop at RMNP one day and told us that if we ever go to Colorado that we _have_ to go to the park even if we do nothing else. So, yeah, I say go for it! ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/10 "2008-06-11T18:47:13Z")
Wow! Great comments! Thank you! I am very excited, I will have an entire 3 days to visit. I’m bringing hiking gear and an overnight pac to I might be able to camp one night. Thanks for the restaurant locations, and food stuffs, I will check them out! How long is it from Boulder to RMNP? An hour? ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/11 "2008-06-11T18:57:31Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] Wow! Great comments! Thank you! I am very excited, I will have an entire 3 days to visit. I’m bringing hiking gear and an overnight pac to I might be able to camp one night. Thanks for the restaurant locations, and food stuffs, I will check them out! How long is it from Boulder to RMNP? An hour? [/QUOTE] Just about exactly an hour. It’ll be cold camping overnight. Around or below freezing still. ---
**Author:** ![wouldn\_t\_you\_like\_to\_know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eb8c5e/32.png) [@wouldn\_t\_you\_like\_to\_know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wouldn_t_you_like_to_know)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/12 "2008-06-11T19:09:48Z")
RMNP is well worth the trip from Boulder. As others have said, its about an hour to Estes Park, which is the gateway into RMNP. Estes Park will likely be crowded if you hit it on a Friday or weekend. However, a trip to the Stanley Hotel [http://www.stanleyhotel.com/](http://www.stanleyhotel.com/) is worth it. Inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining. You have to pay a few bucks to get in, but they give you a token that can be used at the bar for a discount equal to what it costs to get in (at least they used to do that as recently as 2 years ago). ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/13 "2008-06-11T19:16:14Z")
[QUOTE=Lamar Mundane] Just about exactly an hour. It’ll be cold camping overnight. Around or below freezing still. [/QUOTE] Ok, perhaps a day hike then 🙂 I’d love to make it to Emerald Lake. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/14 "2008-06-11T19:34:38Z")
Yes, go there, it’s great. Yes, take a jacket. (Personally I take a parka, but I’m a cold-natured sort.) Last summer we saw a bear–not too close, on the other side of a creek, looked like he might have been fishing. The Stanley has a nice tour and the last time I was there, in March, ate at the restaurant–nice meal, not too pricy. But I think the tour was $10. Estes Park is very scenic and is a favorite day getaway for us (we live in Denver). ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/15 "2008-06-11T20:23:39Z")
[QUOTE=Hilarity N. Suze] Yes, go there, it’s great. Yes, take a jacket. (Personally I take a parka, but I’m a cold-natured sort.) Last summer we saw a bear–not too close, on the other side of a creek, looked like he might have been fishing. The Stanley has a nice tour and the last time I was there, in March, ate at the restaurant–nice meal, not too pricy. But I think the tour was $10. Estes Park is very scenic and is a favorite day getaway for us (we live in Denver). [/QUOTE] FANTASTIC! I am really excited! ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/16 "2008-06-11T20:39:47Z")
I’ll add my voice to the chorus: RMNP is likely to be moderately crowded, but is absolutely worth a visit. As is the case in most parks, if you’re willing to park your car and walk 15 minutes along almost any trail, you’ll leave 95% of the crowd behind. Also consider close-to-Boulder attractions such as Boulder Canyon (immediately west of town), the Flatirons, and Eldorado Canyon (about 8 miles south). ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/17 "2008-06-11T20:53:13Z")
Walking up Pikes Peak is one of those formative experiences. Bring water, expect altitude, so pace yourself, and when you get to the top, be prepared for the sight of all the folks who _drove_ up. Garden of the Gods is a worthy day trip, if you go in for that sort of thing. [http://www.pikespeakcolorado.com/](http://www.pikespeakcolorado.com/) > **[Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center in Colorado Springs](https://gardenofgods.com/)** > > Explore Colorado Springs' awe-Inspiring National Natural Landmark, Garden of the Gods! Learn, explore, and sightsee at this amazing park. ---
**Author:** ![david8686a\_netscape.net](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/david8686a_netscape.net/32/3352_2.png) [@david8686a\_netscape.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/david8686a_netscape.net)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/18 "2008-06-11T21:10:39Z")
Also check out the Mesa Trail, along the Flatirons to S. Boulder Creek. It is least busy on weekdays ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/19 "2008-06-11T22:15:33Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] Walking up Pikes Peak is one of those formative experiences. Bring water, expect altitude, so pace yourself, and when you get to the top, be prepared for the sight of all the folks who _drove_ up.] [/QUOTE] Yeah - 13 miles uphill to an altitude where even _standing_ makes my head swim and a cough can turn my lights right out. I always thought the best I might do is have somebody drop me of off at the top and I could walk _down_. Up is just insanity. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580/20 "2008-06-11T22:52:05Z")
Which is why it’s the sort of thing best left to teen youth groups, which explains the circumstances under which my daughter climbed it and I didn’t. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-boulder-co-should-i-hit-rocky-mountain-national-park-anyone-in-co/452580.md?page=2)