The Perfect 3-Day Estes Park Itinerary
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Estes Park is easily one of the best places to visit in Colorado, especially if you love mountain views, hiking, and spotting wildlife. Sitting right at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, it makes for a perfect long weekend getaway or a quick escape into nature. The town itself is also cute and offers a wide variety of restaurants, cute shops, and other tourist attractions.
When to Visit Estes Park
Estes Park is a great destination year-round, but the best time to visit depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for.
Summer (June-August) – Summer is busy at Rocky Mountain National Park for a reason. It’s a great season to visit and we’re assuming you’re visiting in summer for this itinerary. There are plenty of things to do in Estes Park with events and activities throughout the summer. However, it can still be cool at high altitudes so it’s important to bring layers. You’ll want to do your hiking early in the morning to avoid crowds and make the parking situation in the parks a little easier.
Fall (September-October) – Cooler temperatures, golden aspen trees, and active wildlife (especially during elk rut season) make this my personal favorite time to visit. It’s less crowded than summer but still busy on weekends.
Winter (November–March) – Estes Park, Colorado feels quieter in winter, and the snow-covered mountains are beautiful. However, hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park requires extra gear, and road conditions can be tricky, especially after lots of snowfall. If you’re comfortable with winter driving and want a cozy mountain getaway, it can still be a great time to visit but you’ll be more limited in what you can do.
Spring (April-May) – Spring can be unpredictable. Some trails remain icy, while lower-elevation areas get muddy. If you’re visiting in May, you’ll start to see more wildlife and fewer crowds before summer kicks in but early spring is probably my least favorite time to visit.
For your first trip to Estes Park, I would recommend visiting in the summer or fall. For this itinerary, we are focusing on summer.
It’s important to remember that it may take time to acclimate to the higher altitude if you are coming from a lower elevation. For this reason, a longer trip may be better if you would like to do more challenging hikes. For this itinerary for a shorter trip, I have included easy to moderate hikes, putting the easiest hikes at the beginning to allow for at least a day to acclimate. This itinerary is written more so for a summer trip but could be adapted to fit a fall trip.
This itinerary also includes plenty of hikes so be sure to pack the essentials like backpacks, ponchos, rain jackets, good hiking shoes, water, and snacks!
Day 0 – Arrival & Getting Settled
Arrive in the evening before your 3 days of activities to allow for time to get settled in. Check into your hotel or cabin and find some dinner. Then relax to get ready for an exciting day the following day.
For a budget-friendly option, I like staying at the YMCA of the Rockies. They have options for cabins and lodge rooms. I have done both of those options and enjoyed my stay both ways. The property is beautiful and it feels a lot more peaceful and quiet compared to some spots in town. The views here are stunning and there are plenty of family-friendly activities.
For a more historic option or for our fans of ghost stories, the Stanley Hotel is a great option. Be warned that it is supposedly haunted. You could also opt to stay in one of the many cottages, lodges, cabins, or hotels in Estes Park, CO such as the River Rock Cottages, the Inn on Fall River, or Murphey’s River Lodge. After you check in, go into town and get dinner at Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ or Antonio’s Real New York Pizza.
Day 1 – Exploring Rocky Mountain National Park
Start your morning with an early day in the park. Bring some coffee and snacks or easy breakfast items and head into Rocky Mountain National Park. Watch the sunrise at either Sprague Lake or Bear Lake.
I prefer Sprague because I’ve had better luck with wildlife sightings there at sunrise compared to Bear Lake. Bear Lake is the more iconic of the two lakes but I think Sprague is just as pretty at sunrise. For this itinerary, it may be easier to start at Bear Lake since you’re going in early and may have an easier time finding parking at the trailhead before sunrise as opposed to after.
After the sunrise, walk the trails at Bear Lake and Sprague Lake. If you’re still feeling good and want a short but pretty hike, hike up to Alberta Falls from Glacier Gorge Trailhead. All of the hikes on this day are pretty easy.
After your morning in the parks, head to the Bird’s Nest to grab a late breakfast or early lunch. After you eat, take a drive up Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center – the highest visitor center in the park. This drive has amazing views but the drive can be intimidating if you’re not used to driving in the mountains. Another option is to take a safari tour that starts in town and takes you through the park starting in the meadows and going all the way up Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center.
After your tour, head back into town for dinner at an Estes Park classic: Penelope’s. They offer a variety of burger options and sides. It’s a must-try on your Estes Park trip.
Day 2 – Iconic RMNP Hikes and Exploring Town
Day 2 also starts early with one of the best hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park – the hike from Bear Lake trailhead to Emerald Lake! The parking lot at the trailhead fills up quickly and you will need a timed entry reservation if visiting in the summer or early fall to enter Bear Lake Corridor. From the trailhead, you’ll go on a moderate 3.6 mile roundtrip hike that takes you by some of the most iconic and gorgeous lakes at the park.
This hike will take you by Dream Lake and Nymph Lake before ending at Emerald Lake. I suggest packing lots of water and snacks and maybe bringing a picnic breakfast to have at Emerald Lake while you enjoy the views before you head back to the trailhead. This is a more moderate hike but it is totally worth it.
If the Emerald Lake hike leaves you wanting to do more hiking, this would also be a good time to turn off on the trail leading up to Lake Haiyaha. Lake Haiyaha is also a more moderate hike and this will add significant hiking time and more elevation to your hike but Lake Haiyaha is also a beautiful hike. If you feel like Emerald Lake was enough for you, this would be a great time to head back into Estes Park, grab some lunch, and explore the town.
Spend your afternoon checking out all of the shops in the downtown Estes Park area. I also love doing the Estes Park Aerial Tramway. You will want to book your tickets ahead of time for the Tramway but it’s a fun trip up and at the top, there is a cute coffee shop with a fun view. It’s very touristy but I think it’s cute and fun. Alternatively, this would be a great time to check out the Stanley Hotel if you’re interested. They have historic tours, The Shining tours, and more general night-time tours for more of a ghost/haunted hotel type of vibe.
For your evening activity, I’m also going to you 2 options. If you are into wildlife watching, you can grab a quick early dinner and head to Sheep Lakes to watch for wildlife. I’ve had a lot of good luck right before sunset with seeing elk, moose, and other animals. This is also a good spot to hit up right around lunch time to watch for sheep but that can be a little more hit-and-miss.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for a little bit more of a fun dining experience, you can check out Bird and Jim for a dinner that features the cuisine of Colorado and locally sourced ingredients.
Day 3 – Final Hike and Outdoor Adventure
If, by this point in the trip, you feel like you would like more of a rest day, I suggest sleeping in and heading to breakfast in town. I love the Bird’s Nest and the Egg of Estes. However, if you’re feeling up for one last hike, I suggest Mills Lake, especially if you did Lake Haiyaha on day 2. Both are moderate hikes.
Even if you didn’t do Lake Haiyaha on day 2, the trail to Lake Haiyaha will take you past some familiar sights, whereas the hike to Mills Lake will be all new. You’ll want to wake up early and try to get a parking spot or catch a shuttle to Glacier Gorge Trailhead. This hike will take you past Alberta Falls and up to a beautiful alpine lake with great views on the way up. For other hiking options see our post on the 5 Best Easy and Moderate Hikes at Rocky Mountain National Park.
For the afternoon, I’m leaving this a little bit more open to allow for some relaxation time. Find a nice spot to settle in with a good book or drive around the park and enjoy the view.
Before your trip or at the beginning of the trip, book an evening fly-fishing trip for this day. A lot of the fly fishing trips are early morning, but we found one at Kirk’s Flyshop that is great for beginners. We did the 2-hour evening hatch trip and had a fantastic time. Our guide was very informative, helpful, and fun. They provide everything you need to fish and can work with a variety of experience levels. I also just enjoyed being outside somewhere beautiful at sunset.
Day 4 – Checking Out and Going Home
This itinerary assumes you have 3 full days and you’re going home the morning after the 3rd day. You can always pick and choose and adjust this itinerary to fit your schedule if you have a little bit less time or a little bit more time.
A short trip to Estes Park is great for wildlife, relaxation, and hiking. It’s a great way to connect with nature and unplug a little bit and is one of my favorite quick getaways that always leaves me wanting to come back.
Have you been to Estes Park? What was your favorite part of your trip?
