Spending 6 days in Colorado this summer with my family of 4 (includes two boys ages 7 and 13). We were planning on spending 2 days in the Colorado Springs area and 4 days in the Boulder and RMNP area.

I posted a message regarding accomodations near RMNP and got a response questioning why we were going to RMNP and not heading into the mountains instead (Vail & Breckenridge).

So, here is my question. If you had six full days where would you spend your time??

thanks.

P.S. We love hiking and the outdoors - just NO camping!

I went back and read your original post and replies. Boulder would definitely not be a good base for RMNP, it is an hour away. If you want to visit the park, you should stay somewhere closer in. Estes Park is the most popular home base.

We've visited and spent weeks both in Breck and RMNP. Different places. Obviously, you get more of a wilderness experience with the National Park. There are PLENTY of hikes your young children can do, and there are Ranger led educational programs as well. You will not want to bike the park with young children.

Breck and Dillon have bike trails you can do with your children. Certainly there are many family oriented experiences there, but you won't get up to the alpine meadows in those areas.

In short: we've done both and enjoyed both. We stayed in Estes Park, but it was a home base for food and rest. We weren't there for the tourist shops.

Have fun. And be sure you know that later in the summer, you will get rained on in the afternoon. We always do!

I think your family would enjoy Estes Park. It's a great base for spending time in the RMNP. Try explore-rocky.com for more information.

About five or six years ago we stayed at Fawn Valley Inn and it was a great location with a nice swimming pool. There are many hotels/cabins/condos on that same stretch of road leading into RMNP. Our kids enjoyed hiking and viewing wildlife very much. Good luck in your search for the perfect vacation!

The person who suggested Breckenridge didn't seem to realize that summer is THE time for Estes Park/RMNP. The park is simply beautiful--nothing like it anywhere in the US, in my opinion. Breckenridge is a little mountain town and a good ski place.
One thing you could do is when it is time to head back to Denver, take the Trail Ridge Road through the park and then come south on the other side of the Park to Silverthorne. Get I70 there and go back to Denver, stopping at Idaho Springs to see one of the many mines that are in that area. The actual driving time from Silverthorne to Denver is only 90 minutes.

Estes Park is a good hopping off point. RMNP is gorgeous, definately worth a visit.

I also read your previous post and did not get the impression that anyone was questioning your choice of RMNP. RMNP is beautiful. What did not make sense in your previous post was using Boulder as your base. If you want to spend several days exploring the park, Estes Park is a much better choice. Gretchen is correct about summer being the busy time in Estes Park.

I have lived in Colorado my entire life, and have moved from the south side of the state to the north and lived up in the mountains for a while too. If you have 6 days in Colorado, Colorado Springs is a fun place to start. Tour the AirForce academy, see the Garden of the Gods, and take the tram up Pikes Peak (or drive). There is a lot of fun places to go and see. Then drive up though Denver and spend a few nights in Estes Park. It's at the base of RMNP. Don't miss it. Drive through the park, stop at all the locations, and look for the wildlife - you can see Elk, Deer, Moose and Rocky Mountain Sheep! There are many, many wonderful hikes. You might even consider leaving the Estes area after a few days, and then go to the other side of the park, like in Grand Lake. Grand Lake is a beautiful little community, and you can hike the trails from that side as well. The East Inlet trail is my favorite, and is good for kids as well. You can go on to Winter Park, and then down over Berthod Pass, and turn west on I-70 and head towards Vail or Breckenridge too. Just plan out your trip, make reservations in advance for rooms, and you'll have a wonderful time!

I posted this on your original thread, too:

re: RMNP being dull-- it's definitely not dull if you're interested in gorgeous scenery and wildlife, plus a small town (although Estes is definitely a touristy town).
I'd suggest a slight twist on your plan, to include Grand Lake. It's a breathtaking natural lake in the mountains, and it's a beautiful drive there from Estes over Trail Ridge Road. (In any event, don't miss Trail Ridge Road, to get above tree-line and see real alpine scenery.)
The Grand Lake Lodge is the grande dame of historic lodges-- not fancy, a tad rustic, but really an atmospheric old log lodge, with a great porch that overlooks the mountain vista and the lake. Even a cute pool with an amazing view of Grand Lake. If you spent a night or two in Grand Lake, you could rent a motorboat to go out on Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Lake, and Lake Granby. It's a fun way for kids to spend an afternoon. Personally, I prefer Grand Lake to Estes.
You could arrive in Denver, go to Boulder to spend a night or two, then head to Estes and stay a night or two, then go to Grand Lake. Then head home through Winter Park, over Berthoud Pass, and down I-70.
IMHO, I'd skip Colorado Springs because there's so much to see on this one loop alone. And because you'll be here in the summer, Denver can be hot, so I'd head for the hills right away. Boulder isn't exactly in the hills, but it's right up against the Flatirons and it's pretty there. Chautauqua Park, above Boulder, is also a pretty place to hike.
There is so much to see and do in Colorado, it's kind of like Italy-- you can't do it all in one fell swoop! Have fun, and keep asking questions.

Thanks for all the great comments. I sincerely appreciate it.

I did not say that RMNP is dull, heavens no! We go there every year! It is fabulous. I just did not really care much for Estes Park. It's just okay to me. With so many wonderful places to choose from Estes Park would not be my choice. I prefer Breck and Aspen.