CLBtravel

Am considering visiting friend in north Denver (Westminster) suburb in mid-to-late May and wondering about a possible day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Am totally unfamiliar with Denver and Park -- would a day trip give us time to visit? Google says it is an hour and a half drive from suburb to Visitor Center. I enjoy easy hiking but live at 600 feet elevation so not planning on attempting much. Just want to get a feel of the landscape, the trees and possibly some wildlife.


Have looked at guided jeep tours of park, too, but they seem to leave from downtown Denver, would like something that departed from the little town of Estes Park.


Any other suggestions for nature things to do convenient to the Westminster area would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Nelson

Sure you can do a day trip. I've often met a friend of mine from Westminster there, we'd bag a peak or hike to a high lake, have a beer in Estes, and he'd be home before dark.

Mid-May conditions are unpredictable, but the standard situation is: higher elevation trails like Bear Lake will be totally snow covered but can be fun to stomp through. Lower elevation trails usually some mixture of dry and mud. Odds of seeing deer or elk from the car are good, especially late in afternoon, bighorn sheep perhaps, lots of small critters on the trails. Some trails are still closed due to last year's fires.

Trail Ridge Road will be closed at either Rainbow Curve or Many Parks Curve, but still worth going up for a look.

I'm not sure about the permit system for this year, so far not required.
https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

Have a good trip.

CLBtravel

Thank you, Nelson! Your message reminded me to think about waterproof footwear. Coming from middle Georgia, the idea of snow or even mud on trails is not what I am used to.

I've also looked at websites for state parks nearby: Golden Gate Canyon sounds good with aspens & western birds (and at considerably lower elevation than Rocky Mountain) so I thought it might be a good first outing. Eldorado Canyon State Park also close by but not as interesting. Any opinions on those?

Nelson

We lived in Golden for about 6 months when we first moved to Colorado 40+ years ago. Golden Gate Canyon was our nearby getaway. It's very nice, but it's been years since I've been there. Mostly forest hikes with rare and distant views of the high mountains, but certainly pleasant. Should be decent for birding. Eldorado Canyon is beautiful but mainly a rock climbing area. There are lots of hikes along the base of the Flatirons outside of Boulder, also a rock climbing area. For example Google "Royal Arch Boulder" and see what turns up. In May these should be beautiful hikes, but crowded. Definitely a Boulder, Colorado scene. Watch out for poison ivory.

The drive on highways 119 -72 - 7 is called the "Peak To Peak Highway". It's a beautiful drive with good views of the mountains, especially on the the stretch between Allenspark and Estes. There are various trailheads along the way (Brainard Lake, Wild Basin, Longs Peak to name a few) but in mid-May I'd expect / hope for snow on the trails (though you never know). On that drive you could stop at Lily Lake, shortly before you get to Estes, which is nice and very easy. I recall seeing Western Tanagers there a couple years ago, probably in May. Hummingbirds should also be returning by then. Pretty sure we saw an Ouzel (American Dipper) in the lake once.

But none of this is as spectacular as being in RMNP. They are all good options if it turns out your time is short than expected or the weather has played it's card. Note that all trailheads and roads are crowded these days.

hansman

Hi CLBtravel,

Timed entry into RMNP begins May 28.
https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvis...mit-system.htm
Trailheads generally fill up fast, quite often by 7am. There is a shuttle bus system in the park to help mitigate the parking situation.

You might consider the trails that start from Chautauqua Park on the west side of Boulder.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti..._Colorado.html
Chautauqua is a small historical park, but that is the start point of numerous trails that lead up into the foothills west of Boulder

I'd also recommend the Alltrails app for information on trails where ever you may be.

CLBtravel

Thank you for the Chautauqua Park suggestion. Plans have changed and I'll be making the trip in April, not May, so Rocky Mountain National Park more problematic. Boulder sounds more practical for day trips. We are also planning to visit Golden area; also the downtown museums on rainy day.