RMNP: spend the night or a day trip?
 

Hi, I will be in Denver next wednesday, 10/26 and have two options for 26th and 27th.
Option 1:
Day 1: Peak to Peak, finishing my route at Boulder and come back to Denver in the evening.
Day 2: Round day trip to RMNP and come back to Denver late afternoon.

Option 2:
Day 1: Visit only Boulder and travel to Estes Park in the middle of the afternoon. Spend the night there
Day 2: Spend the day in the RMNP and come back to Denver late afternoon.

Considering this short time, woud you recommend sleeping the first night in Estes Park to make the best in the second day in the RMNP? Or it would be better to sleep in Denver so that I don't miss Peak to Peak in the first day?

Thanks, Guilherme

You FLAGGED this as a Trip Report. I don't know that many will answer this.

I would always vote for spending the night in Estes Park.
RMNP is awesome!! I don't know what the road conditions are in either place right now though.

Note the major weather change heading to Estes this week, from a wonderful sunny and warm day today to:

Tuesday: A slight chance of snow before noon, then a chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 48. West wind between 6 and 9 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday Night: Occasional snow. Low around 29. Calm wind becoming east northeast between 4 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Wednesday: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 31. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 16.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 40.

Given that, driving up and down into the mountains twice is not going to be fun. I'd still plan on heading up to Estes on Wednesday, with the idea of spending the night. If the storm has cleared Thursday morning it will be absolutely stunning up there.

Trail Ridge Road is closed at Rainbow Curve, a wonderful location. The Bear Lake road is open and should remain so.

http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/road_status.htm

The above link for road conditions is excellent and kept up to date. If Trail Ridge Road is closed, I would go somewhere else.