question about colorado lodging
 

two of us will be spending ten days between denver and cheyenne in late july, hoping to stop for a couple of days in boulder estes park, and steamboat springs enroute.
we are from scotland, so we dont know how busy the area will be.
we hoped to drive along till we found someplace we liked the look of, and stay there.
my question is.. do hotels/motels fill up in these towns during the summer, and should we book ahead?
hope this posting is not too vague and advice would be appreciated
thanks

We went to Estes park one year during the summer months without a reservation - and we had a really hard time finding a place that wasnt full. Cheyenne wasnt difficult, but the Rocky Mt National park area was very busy.

I agree that it will be most difficult to find spur-of-the-moment lodging in Estes Park in late July, which is high season there. Many places require a minimum of 3-4-5 nights, particularly over a weekend. Steamboat might be more open, as well as Boulder.

At that time of year, you might be better off planning your trip a little more - which nights where - and at least gathering a list of potential hotels and finding out availability ahead of time. When you reach the town, call around instead of driving to each hotel. I know it's tempting to just drive where the road leads you and taking your chances, but for peace of mind, you probably should have at least a backup ready!

I would definitely book ahead. Summer is very popular on the route you're taking, especially in Estes Park and Steamboat Springs. While you might find something if you play it by ear, a) it might not be something you'd like, and b) you might be spending a lot of time looking when you could be doing something a lot more entertaining.

thanks for the replies.
we are going to take your advice and book ahead.