We are planning a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. We can go either on June 15 and 16 (Wednesday and Thursday) or June 25 and 26 (Saturday and Sunday). The latter works better with our itinerary, but I am worried about how busy the park will be on the weekend. Does it make much of a difference whether we go midweek or on a weekend?

It can be a big difference. The weekend will ALWAYS be busier and could be very busy if some function or activity is scheduled for that weekend. Estes Park tends to have many weekend festivals just to draw more tourists. You might want to get on the Estes Park web site and see if anything is scheduled for that weekend. Since it is the weekend before the 4th I would guess that nothing is scheduled but the built up to the 4th would be started.

If you can, I would chose the weekdays; weekends in the park can be frustratingly crowded (unlike some other popular parks, this one is within an hour of major metropolitan centers).

Weekdays are definitely less crowded. We always stay at the Riv overlooking Grand Lake at the west entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. You'll love it! Lots of great hiking trails from Town and in the parks.

Thank you all so much for your replies. In terms of crowds--are there backups on the roads in the park like there are in the Smokies or at Yellowstone? Are you able to get away from the crowds if you get on a trail, or are those busy too?

It depends a little on where you are going. The can be back up getting into the park and Estes does get jammed. And the road over the top can be slow but I don't have a lot of direct experience because we tend to avoid that area at that time of year.

It was pretty bad the past year on Trail Ridge Road because they were doing road work; it was backups for as long as 20 minutes or so. However, usually the backups are because the parking lot at the top is full, and people are waiting to pull in or out. I haven't taken the (mandatory certain times) Bear Lake shuttle yet (I save my visits for the deserted times of year), so I don't know how difficult it is to park (at the main entrance) for it. In summer, I suggest the other entrance if you're coming in from the east (Fall River entrance, going past the Stanley).

The traffic jams are generally not too bad, especially compared to Yellowstone. The bigger problem is parking at the popular east side trailheads if you want to get out for a hike. This includes anything towards the end of Bear Lake road, Longs Peak, Wild Basin, Lawn Lake, Fern Lake, Cub Lake.

On a weekend if you get there before 8:00 AM (except Longs Peak which is full by ~5:00 AM) then you are probably OK. On a weekday you might have another hour or two. Glacier Gorge typically fills up first.

Thanks for your response, Nelson. We have decided to rearrange our itinerary so that we will be there on a Wednesday and Thursday. Have you used the shuttle bus to the trailheads?

Digbydog, I have used the shuttle, but infrequently since I'm one of the nuts who is at the trailhead by 6:00 AM.

The system is good with one minor caution: if you are out late in the afternoon make sure you know when the last shuttles leaves your destination. In some parks, like Zion, the shuttle runs later than it does in RMNP.

Also, depending on how much you like to hike, the bus is useful for setting up a shuttle to your car. For example you could park at Hallowell Park, take the shuttle up to Bear Lake, and then hike back down to your car. Or go the other direction if you prefer walking uphill. This also solves the issue of when the last bus runs.

Have a great trip!

Another caveat: know that the danger of summer lightning at altitude in the afternoons is very real and present. If you're planning to hike to significant elevations, start early, whether you shuttle or (attempt to) park.

Thank you for your great information!

The general rule is off the mountain by 3 PM and watch the clouds.