Travel Information for Rocky Mountain National Park

Colorado Vacations

Vacation Planning Guide for Visiting Colorado with the Kids

Travel Information for Rocky Mountain National Park

Families traveling to Rocky Mountain National Park can use this At-A-Glance page.

It provides the essential information you need to help plan a great family trip to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Did You Know?

Colorado has four national parks, six national monuments, and two national historic sites.

The Alpine Visitor Center deck offers great views and fun for kids in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Historic Hotels of Colorado

Alpine Visitor Center Viewpoint, Rocky Mountain National Park

Location:
North central Colorado, about 2 hours northwest of Denver

Address:
1000 Highway 36, Estes Park, CO 80517-8397

Telephone:
970/586-1206

Website:
www.nps.gov/romo

Reservations:
1-800-365-2267 for campsites

Acreage:
265,769

Altitude:
6,860 to 14,259 feet above sea level

Major Activities:
Scenery viewing, wildlife watching, auto touring, hiking, camping, backpacking, photography, fishing, mountain climbing

Weather:
Summer highs can range as high as 80 degrees Fahrenheit, although the 60s and 70s are more common. Summer snow squalls are not uncommon, nor are freezing nighttime temperatures. Afternoon thunderstorms occur almost every day in the summer. Winters are cold and windy with highs of 20 to 30 degrees and lows of 10 to 20.

Best Seasons:
Summer, fall

Hours:
Beaver Meadows Visitor Center: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the summer and to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. Fall River Visitor Center: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer and to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. Kawuneeche Visitor Center: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer and to 4:30 p.m. the rest of the year. Alpine Visitor Center: summer hours vary.

Closures:
The Alpine Visitor Center – from snowfall in the fall (mid-October) until Memorial Day weekend, Holwarth Historic Site – Labor Day through late June, Lily Lake Visitor Center.

Cost:
$20 per passenger car, good for 7 consecutive days. Camping is $20 per night.

Facilities:
The Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is also the park headquarters, with a ranger station, restrooms, a diaper deck, and a bookstore. The Fall River Visitor Center has a ranger station, restrooms, a family restroom, a gift shop, bookstore, and full service restaurant. The Alpine Visitor Center has restrooms, a ranger station, gift shop, and snack bar. The Kawuneeche Visitor Center has a ranger station, bookstore and gift shop, and restrooms, and a diaper deck. Ranger stations can also be found at the Wild Basin trailhead, and the Longs Peak trailhead. The visitor centers have interpretive displays, and Moraine Park on the east side and Holwarth Historic Site on the west side have museums. Free shuttle buses loop throughout the Bear Lake/Moraine Park areas. Dump stations are located at the Moraine Park, Glacier Basin, and Timber Creek campgrounds. Showers, laundromats, convenience stores, and gas are available in the gateway towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake.

Accessibility:
The visitor centers and museums are at least marginally accessible to wheelchairs. The campgrounds at Bear Lake and Moraine Park have wheelchair accessible campsites. Sprague Lake has a backcountry campsite that will accommodate up to six wheelchairs. Thee trails throughout the park are wheelchair accessible, with wide, relatively smooth pathways in particularly scenic spots. Wheelchairs can navigate the Bear Lake Trail, although it is steep and uneven in some places.

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