Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

TexasCamper · 02-21-2010, 01:18 PM

We're toying with the idea of making Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO) our big trip for this year; probably a 1 week stay in early July.

Does anyone have recommendations for a nearby campground with at least water & electric hookups (it looks like campsites within the park have limited hookup facilities)? For those with experience in the park, any planning advice....e.g., things not to miss for a family trip....also, how cold can it get?

Thanks,
John

02-21-2010, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasCamper

We're toying with the idea of making Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO) our big trip for this year; probably a 1 week stay in early July.

Does anyone have recommendations for a nearby campground with at least water & electric hookups (it looks like campsites within the park have limited hookup facilities)? For those with experience in the park, any planning advice....e.g., things not to miss for a family trip....also, how cold can it get?

Thanks,
John

Texas Camper-This may help you find a place.
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/

02-21-2010, 03:22 PM

We visit Estes Park and RMNP pretty often and have camped there a couple of times. RVParkReviews.com must be read with care as everyone has their own opinions, but it can be a decent guide. All of the campgrounds in Estes are private and although we've not stayed in any of them, I've seen most of them and in the summer (especially around early July!) they are generally packed as is the town. They are also mostly of the "parking lot" type. Jellystone may be the exception, based on a couple of reviews, and it is out away from the town in the trees. We stayed at a park called Estes Park Campground and I wouldn't recommend it - all dirt, tight spots, and not well maintained.

Weekends in Estes are especially busy - lots of locals will make day trips there. If you are up for dry camping, staying in the park is certainly a good choice. In the park, activities are mostly of the site seeing and hiking variety. You will see lots of elk - up close and personal - even in town!

A trip up Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center is a must and affords some pretty magnificant vistas. Check out Fall River Road - it is the original road to the top and is one way up. It looks like a 4wd drive road but we made the trip a few years ago in a mini van! (the 1994 Plymouth version of your T&C)!

Estes Park is a quaint town with shops and restaurants. Some would call it a tourist trap. Probably correct. A day trip over to Grand Lake is a fun activity. Or go there on your way out and stay a day or two - you can take in the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theater - (Google it) - they put on Broadway style musicals all summer. We stay in Elk Creek campground when we are there.

Another possibility is to stay in Loveland at the Riverview RV Park. It is about a 20-25 mile drive to Estes and RMNP. Our TM group in Colo has a rally there almost every year.

As a transplanted Texan, I can tell you that being anywhere here in July is better than Houston! (Unless you love humidity of course!) Just my humble opinion.

Alan

**Bill** · 02-21-2010, 04:10 PM

A couple years ago, there was a TM in that Jellystone Park between Lyons and Estes all summer long. I never did figure out who it belonged to. As Al says, though, it looks like a pretty good campground.

Plan to spend a day in Lyons. Very funky, kind of arty town. Not nearly the tourist trap atmosphere that Estes Park has. And while you are there, don't miss the opportunity to go to Oskar Blues microbrewery in the middle of town. The food is nothing special, but the beer ... ah, the beer!

July won't be too cold at night, unless you really put on some altitude. RMNP is great. A hike up Long's Peak would be fun, and the snow should be gone by then. Say hi to the llamas (alpacas?) that the NPS uses to service the upper levels of the mountain.

Bill

**wbmiller3** · 02-21-2010, 06:46 PM

Make sure you drive Trail Ridge Road. We pulled the TM over it to get to Timber Creek where we camped the last time. I think that is the highest elevation our TM has been at.

In the park we have stayed at Timber Creek and Moraine Park. Both are beautiful but as you say, no hookups. In Estes Park one time we stayed at a KOA, but it has been a long time.

It can snow any month of the year, so be prepared! It is a great, great park.

TexasCamper · 02-23-2010, 07:39 PM

Hey everyone,
Thanks for your posts & links. The family is really getting excited now.
Your posts also gave more "keywords" I could search in the forum (e.g., Estes Park and RMNP) that helped me get more information from older posts. Pretty hard for the search engine to find relevant posts to a generic phrase like "Rocky Mountain National Park"
I'm sure I'll have a camping story to post this summer.
John

02-24-2010, 03:58 PM

One other tip: Be prepared for it to get down to 40º at night, yet be in the 80s (or maybe more) in the daytime. While it won't always get that cold, having jackets, hats, gloves along is a good idea.

And take those coats with you when you drive Trail Ridge Road. At the over 11,000 foot summit it can be in the 30s/40s with strong winds and clouds. It also could be 60+ degrees, calm winds and sunny. And drink LOTS of water, much more than you feel you need to. It's easy to dehydrate in the dry mountain air, and it could make you sick.

Also, towing into Estes might be a bit easier for you coming U.S. 34 from Loveland, rather than U.S. 36 from Lyons, since the latter has spots approaching 10,000 feet, even though Estes itself is around 7,500.

And Al's suggestion of Riverview at the western edge of Loveland is a good one -- saves towing real high, yet leaves you fairly close to most everything, even a trip north on I-25 to Cheyenne, which you might enjoy if you have the time after seeing the high country. And it's a nice park, as well. And at least get a picture of The Dam Store, "Best Store By A Dam Site," if you don't stop in.

One other item -- get a UV or Skylight filter on any camera lenses, since UV will affect how your pictures come out.

**Bill** · 02-24-2010, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lnussbau

Also, towing into Estes might be a bit easier for you coming U.S. 34 from Loveland, rather than U.S. 36 from Lyons, since the latter has spots approaching 10,000 feet, even though Estes itself is around 7,500.

Larry -

Rte 36 from Lyons to Estes Park has spots approaching 10,000 feet? Wow! Can you tell me where? We have a cabin in Big Elk Meadows, and visit both Lyons and Estes several times a week. I don't recall anything like that until you get well west of Estes Park, after 34 and 36 have merged.

Seriously, Lyons is at about 5500 ft, Estes Park is at about 7500 ft, and the highest elevation on Rte 36 between them seems to be just outside Estes Park, at about 8000 feet. Rte 34 out of Loveland seems to max out just a bit lower, at about 7600 feet. But both routes have some pretty steep grades, which will be more troublesome than the altitude.

www.veloroutes.org/bikemaps will enable you to plot an elevation profile, along with max grades. It is a bit fussy, but it seems to work.

Once you get into the park, all bets are off, of course.

Bill

03-02-2010, 08:50 AM

Perhaps I'm out in left field, Bill, but I was sure I'd seen well over 9,000 on my altimeter (part of the GPS, normally within 100 feet or so). Guess I'll have to look at Topo USA.

OK, just looked at Topo. I guess I must have been having a senior moment (or several of them), perhaps remembering the routes U.S. 36 and Colorado Hwy 7 via Allen's Park (which goes a bit over 9100) together.

So I must offer my apologies to anyone misled, as Bill is correct and U.S. 36 just nudges 8,000 feet. It does have plenty of steep slopes, though. All of a sudden I'm not quite 4 feet tall