Town of Estes Park

Busy in the summer, quiet in the winter. It is a great place to visit any time of year.

We’ve been visiting this town for many years and have been impressed with it form the very beginning. This trip, instead of with the family, I was with some of my best buds. We try to get together every year, but due to circumstances, had not done so in 2 years. To get back on track, we picked Estes.
This little town has much to offer visitors. Great little locally owned stores, restaurants, bars, and location next to Rocky Mountain National Park all make this a destination not to be missed.
A couple of things should not be missed on your trip to Estes. The visitor center is awesome, and many other towns should try to do what they have done. Don’t forget to walk/​dine/​drink along the river.
Being off season, traffic was light and congestion on the streets were minimal. This also led to very little wait time at restaurants and even in Safeway (only grocery store in the area).
Even if you don’t want to hang out in the town, it makes a great place to be close to the activities in the area. Just some of the things to do right out of town include Rocky Mountain National Park, white water rafting, horseback riding, fishing, ATV trails, mountain climbing, etc.
If you like fresh air, some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, and outdoor fun, then this is a town you have to visit.

What’s not to love? Surrounded by majestic mountains, speckled with tons of little parks, and a cute little main street with a river running through it… Estes Park is one of the most wonderful little quaint spots on the planet. Come for an ice cream, or for back country hiking– Estes Park is both e the Gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park and a stand alone tourist destination. People keep coming back, and a luck few end up moving here! Come join the fun!

Some might call this place a tourist trap, but I call it a beautiful mountain town, this town is a great little vacation spot that offers great mountain sports, sightseeing, out of the ordinary attractions with Open Air Adventures and Hollywood film history with the Stanley Hotel (The Shining, and other movies). Take a brisk walk on the Estes lake trail and partake in breathtaking mountain and lake views, plus you might even see elk bugling in the near by river. Book a room at the historic Elkhorn Lodge that dates back to 1874, or take a trip up to near by Rocky Mountain National Park. If you love the outdoors and the majestic beauty of mother nature, Then you’ll love Estes Park!

Mountains! Everywhere!
Absolutely beautiful place to go. The scenery driving up is amazing. Only was there a few hours but we got to walk around downtown. It’s small but cute. Went to Stanley house. It’s a very creepy haunted hotel but I really enjoyed it.
You may see random elk everywhere! That was pretty cool. I hope to come back soon in the spring time.

Nice town with too many tourists. If your camping, find the Safeway grocery store instead of driving all the way to Boulder, like we did. Do not go into the small grocery store just outside the campground in town #wayoverpriced

Great little mountain town. Many of the shops are cheesy and touristy, but the river walk is a great place to chill after some morning hiking in the park. The scenery could not be better as there are beautiful mountains surrounding the town and access to the park is quick and easy with free shuttles to many spots in the park. Great town!

Gorgeous city to come have a vacation. Somewhat touristy in the city itself, but the small shops and such are nice if you are into them! Get outdo the city tigger the real experience as the wildlife is the main attraction in this town.

You know, I’ve been reading some of the nastier reviews and I can’t believe it! Really, you are reviewing one of the most beautiful place in the USA and you talk about the color of people’s pants and shoes? Sad.
No one comes to Estes Park for the taffy or Christmas shops. They come for the mountains! At every turn in this lovely town you see mountains that are beautiful! The people are lovely and polite. There are great places to eat and yes, buy taffy and Christmas items. Visitors come from all over the world to Estes Park because it is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. Honestly, who looks at what people are wearing when you are in the midst of such majestic surroundings? I guess people who don’t care to see the beauty of creation.
I’ve been going to Estes Park for almost 50 years… since I was 16 years old. And I’ll continue to go as long as I am able.

Probably would have loved it if I had come in the off season. The town was so crowded, it nearly precluded all enjoyment. Forget driving and parking around here. Better to take the shuttle into town. Even so, it is so touristy. We counted not one, not two, not three but at least four (we lost count after that) candy and ice cream shops all with in two blocks of each other. Crazy.
Major tourist trap. That said, the river running through the town is beautiful as is the lake. Our lodge was located near the lake and there is a wonderful jogging trail that goes all the way around it. No doubt, it is pretty.
Just don’t go during a summer weekend.

We own a timeshare here and love it.

Much more fun than comprable towns in our area like Sausalito or Santa Cruz or even South Shore, Lake Tahoe. Why? Folks are so darned friendly. And the prices for tourist items are cheaper. At least for the items we bought.
But the folks: love them, polite, friendly, with such lovely manners. Love me some Colorado.

Small town at 7200 feet above sea level with majestic views of the Rocky Mountains, with constantly changing reflections of the mountains and clouds coming off Lake Estes. Have been living here for just a few days and no longer need a map as that’s al it took to memorize where everything is. The downtown area does have a lot of touristy shops like jewelry, perhaps as many as 8 ice cream, candy and taffy shops within two blocks but if you come in late fall before the throngs that are easily hypnotized by a taffy machine you can enjoy the best of the city in reasonable privacy with what seems to be an equal balance of these local mountain dwellers and others that know the best time to come. It’s an adorable town way up high, and the last town before the highest point you can reach by car in North America.

Really cute place; we loved being there in the Winter because not a lot of people are around and it’s quiet! Nice main street with plenty of shops and restaurants; needs another good bar or 2 maybe?

Yeah, it’s a tourist trap. Nothing more, nothing less — during the summer. But visit between early fall and late spring, outside the tourist season, and it’s one of the most charming and scenic mountain towns in all of Colorado. Even during the winter, when some of the shops and restaurants are closed. It’s our favorite, anyway. If we could afford two homes this is where we’d spend our winters.
We moved to Colorado in ’85 and for our first ten years or so made this a regular summer destination. The place was always crazy busy. Shoulder to shoulder pedestrians, bumper to bumper traffic, hard to find parking, long waits for tables at restaurants along with mediocre food and service. We eventually caught on, and started visiting later in the year. We found an entirely different place! When it isn’t over run by tourists everything about it is better. We visit for two or three days each spring (early to mid May) and fall (late Sep to early Oct), mainly to visit the park. But we set aside at least a half day before we leave to walk around town and browse the shops and galleries.

I have been going to Estes Park since I was a baby. My grandparents live in Colorado, and we’d go every other summer to visit.
Estes Park is right outside Rocky Mountain National Park. It is a cute little town for buying souvenirs and grabbing some food after a hike. Yes, it is a tourist trap, but it is very charming.
There can be traffic, but the downtown is small enough that you can walk the length of it easily. Just find a parking spot on the end and take a stroll!

Love, love, love this place. I would move here in a heartbeat. A quiet little town in the mountains with a bunch of cute small shops, coffee houses, and restaurants. A must see for anyone who comes to Colorado.

There are still men here who wear red polyester pants and white shoes, and women with beehive hairdos. There are elk grazing in public places and kitschy tourist stores. There are stunning views everywhere. There is too little parking. There is Rocky Mountain National Park and access to the Peak to Peak Highway. There are awful motels and the Stanley Hotel.
This is a nice place to VISIT.

Visiting in the summer is crazy. Traffic and lines at the grocery store are exhausting. Throngs eat ice cream and taffy while buying trinkets. The lake is a manmade joke, and they charge to get anywhere near it. Nearby Mary’s Lake was pretty, if it were not for the adjacent power station and powerlines, and sign that says
NO, NO NO swimming, camping, basically anything…
Get me outta here!
Cheers~

The town of Estes is cute and quaint. To me, it’s a bit of a tourist trap, but what else do you expect from the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park?!
Beware during peak tourist season, parking is impossible and it gets super crowded.
There are many little festivals and fairs to enjoy all year long. I am on the email list so I can keep tabs, and not miss anything!