need suggestions for family vacation in CO
 

I am arranging a trip on short notice to Colorado around the third week of June for 4-5 days. I am seeking suggestions for my family (21-yr old son, 18-yr old daughter, 16-yr-old daughter, 15-yr-old son). We will fly into Denver on a Monday and return home on Saturday. I was thinking of Rocky Mountain NP - we are an "easy to moderate" type of hiking family, and enjoy hikes of 2-4 hours. How long should we allocate to RMNP? Is there a good hotel town nearby? Any other good places to visit along the way? Thanks for any suggestions you can provide! - Ed

When we did the going to the sun route in 2000 we stayed in Kalispell.A very nice hike starts from Logan pass and ends at the hidden lake.Paul

The ages of your family members might suggest you stay in Boulder a couple of nights, instead of RMNP every night so they don't get bored. Boulder is a wonderful town for that age group. From Boulder you can drive to Eldorado Canyon to hike and see rock climbers, hike in Chautauqua Park, drive up Flagstaff, etc. Lots of great restaurants in Boulder, too.

Sorry, posted too soon!

Another idea is to go to Boulder for a night, then to RMNP for a night, drive over Trail Ridge Road to Grand Lake and stay a night there. Return to Denver through Winter Park, over Berthoud Pass.

The town of Estes Park as several motels, bed and breakfasts, condo rentals and mountain lodges only minutes from the entrance to RMNP. I second the Trail Ridge Road suggestion. Another scenic drive would be the Peak to Peak Highway. There is lots of hiking in the park of the duration you mentioned. One that I would suggest is driving up to Bear Lake in the park and then hiking to Mills Lake.

Although I can't vouch for the hotel itself, the Stanley in Estes Park is a historic building in which "The Shining" with Jack Nicholson was filmed. Even if you don't stay there, it's worth a stop for the view and photo opp, alone.

In Boulder, the St. Julienne would be very nice, with a great view of the mountains. Also, the Boulderado is historic and has good views. Both will let your kids stretch their legs on the Pearl Street Mall and have something to do that will be a change from being in the car.

In Boulder, another option is to rent a cottage in Chatauqua Park where you can dine in the dining hall, hike in the Flatirons and go to a concert or other event in the evening. It's all in one spot and you'll feel like you're at "family camp".

Near RMNP, you could check out places that are more like guest ranches, or stay in the dorms at the Y.M.C.A. of the Rockies.

You have a nice amount of time , and I think Peace Out has some very good ideas, especially Peak to Peak Highway. You get there by going through Nederland after you leave Boulder.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Much appreciated!

Are you committed to RMNP? I really like the Summit County area. You could stay in Breckenridge and:

Ride the alpine slide

Take mountain bikes up the gondola and bike down

Arrange a whitewater trip on the Arkansas River - very scenic and fun

I'm not really familiar with specific hikes, but you are in the mountains, so there would be hiking possibilities.

In Breckenridge there are nice shops and you're close by to the outlets at Silveridge, the lake in Dillon and down I-70 near Glenwood Springs is a great hike to Hanging Lake. You could also hang out at the hot springs pool there. Glenwood is about 3.5 hours from Denver airport; Breckenridge about 2 hours.

karens - sounds like a great alternative. I'll give it some thought.

*Heard on the local news this morning - that because of additional snow, Trail Ridge Road is behind in snow clearing and will not open until June 8th

That's interesting - we went through when it opened May 23rd. In fact, we were in a line of cars waiting for the last gate to open. Sounds like y'all got more snow!

Lee Ann