Rocky Mountain National Park Tour: Self-Guided Drive

Welcome to the Rocky Mountain National Park Tour

Take an unforgettable drive through Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) with this self-guided audio tour! These beautiful peaks are loaded with hiking trails and astonishing vistas, and this comprehensive tour will introduce you to all of them. 

Visit stunning lakes and mountain passes, hear the history of the remarkable women who helped create the park, and learn about the Ute tribe and their legends. And, of course, don’t forget to snap a few photos along the way!

About the Tour

Your Rocky Mountain National Park Tour begins at the Estes Park entrance, the most popular and most accessible entrance to the national park. From here, you’ll have the opportunity to take a detour down toward Bear Lake if you want to.

Along the way, you’ll pass numerous splendid hiking trails to smaller lakes like Fern Lake and Bierstadt Lake before finally arriving at the huge, sparkling Bear Lake itself. There’s a reason this has become one of the park’s hottest attractions!

Continuing along the main route, the first hiking trail you’ll reach is Deer Mountain Trailhead, offering some great views from above if you’re willing to make the trek.

Then you’ll see Beaver Ponds, featuring a boardwalk through a unique wetland biome, followed by Hidden Valley, which bears more resemblance to the Canadian wilderness than anything in the US.

After that, you’ll arrive at the first of many overlooks: Many Parks Curve Overlook. This viewpoint offers excellent views of a whole bunch of lush glacial meadows. As you drive toward the next overlook, you’ll hear all about the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and the role they played in this park’s history.

Then, you’ll start uncovering the buried history of the Ute tribe who once occupied these mountains. You’ll also hear a retelling of the traditional Ute creation story about how a coyote helped create the world.

As you continue, you’ll pass the Roger Toll Memorial, dedicated to a photographer who helped spread the word about this one-of-a-kind landscape. After a few more stunning overlooks, you’ll arrive at Poudre Lake, which gets so cold during the winter it freezes all the way through!

On your way to the Colorado River Trailhead, which offers a look at an abandoned mining town, you’ll hear about the science behind the Rocky Mountains and Margaret Boos, a trailblazing geologist who fell in love with this park.

Up next are a couple of fascinating historical sites. First up is the Timber Creek Road Camp Barn, an artifact of the depression-era work projects which helped build the park’s roads and trails. Then there’s the Holzwarth Historic Site, one of the only remnants of the homesteads which could once be found all over the Rockies.

Up ahead, at Coyote Valley Trailhead, you’ll find an easy, paved trail with a popular fishing spot at the end. Then, on your way to the Green Mountain Trailhead, you’ll learn all about the bountiful wildlife that calls the Rocky Mountains home.

Finally, you’ll arrive at the lovely lakeside town of Grand Lake, the perfect place to make your return to civilization. The tour concludes here.

NOTE: For road closures & reservation fees, visit nps.com 

Winter Tour:

• Please note that Trail Ridge Road is closed to through travel for the season in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. However, our winter audio tour route is still available, starting from the park’s east entrance, so you can enjoy the park’s winter landscapes with guided insights.

2024 Updates:

1. You must reserve a permit in advance to visit Rocky Mountain National Park from May 24 to October 20, 2024.
2. Reservations are made online on the recreation.gov website. Each daily reservation costs $2 per vehicle, which is in addition to the $25 daily entrance fee or $35 weekly entrance fee per vehicle.
3. There are two different types of timed entry permits:

• Park Access +: This permit gives you access to everything in Rocky Mountain National Park. It includes Bear Lake Road and the hikes that start here (Bear Lake, Emerald and Dream Lakes, Alberta Falls, Sky Pond, Hallett Peak, and Sprague Lake). The permit is in effect from 5 am to 6
• Park Access: This permit gives you access to everything in Rocky Mountain National Park except for Bear Lake Road. You can drive Trail Ridge Road, visit the Alpine Visitor Center, hike to Longs Peak and to Chasm Lake, and hike Gem Lake. The permit is in effect from 9 am to 2 pm.

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