are planning a trip to Estes Park.Whenwill all the roads be open?I cant hike,will I be able to enjoy the park?Should I stay in town or in a cabin.I plan on doing no cooking and alot of shopping.Is Estes right for us? 9 days,shold it all be spent in Estes.No kids.

Unless you like to snowshoe and sled - Estes Park really is a summer town. During winter many of the hotels, restaurants, and shops close down. It can be really beautiful, but it is also cold and snowy.

Trail ridge road is not open until about Memorial Day. Anytime after that is usually very, very nice.

Why nine days in Estes Park, especially if you don't plan to hike? How much shopping can you possibly do in Estes Park? Rocky Mountain National Park is beautiful and certainly worth seeing, but two or three days should suffice. There is so much else to see in the beautiful state of Colorado.

There's much to do in the winter months. Summer is the best time. But I agree with the above poster, if you aren't into outdoor sports, as hiking, climbing, camping, horseback riding and such, one day is enough in Estes Park. You could stay at the YMCA of the Rockies where they have summer time activities. But a shopper's haven, it isn't. Estes Park is pretty small.

In May of this year the wife & I stayed at Mapleton Inn B&B in Boulder. It was excellently located to fine shopping, dining & touring the area. Also, it was only about a half hour or so drive up to Estes Park/ Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park. Maybe something like that is more up your alley.