No trip to Colorado is complete, unless you take a mini road trip through the Rocky Mountain National Park Drive. Also known as the Trail Ridge Road, the drive up and through some parts of the Rocky Mountains will gift you with such jaw-dropping views, your mouth will be left perpetually ajar.
On our most recent Trip to Denver Colorado, we set aside a few days to take a mini road trip up into the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The Mister wanted to visit some popular Lakes and enjoy some much needed nature therapy R&R.
The Rocky Mountain National Park is located about 1-hour Northwest of Denver. And nestled within the Rockies are three beautiful lakes. We didn’t realize that there was more to the Rocky Mountains besides just hiking, camping and a lovely landscape. We were pleasantly surprised.
Places to Visit in the Rocky Mountains
Granby Lake
The Grand Lake area is beautiful, perfect for a weekend getaway if you live in the Denver, Boulder or Colorado Springs area. It consists of three lakes all relatively close to each other with an assortment of lake activities to enjoy. There is Granby Lake which is the largest. Shadow Mountain Lake which has small islands within it. And Grand Lake, the smallest lake but the most well known since the main town is situated on the shores of it.
Grand Lake gets fairly crowded and accommodations get booked up fast. So we opted to stay in Granby Lake instead. And we got super lucky with a B&B we found that had perfect views of the lake and marina.
Mustachio’s on the Lake is located right next to a boat marina along the shores of Granby Lake. It is also a cute family owned Italian Restaurant that serves up delicious home-cooked Italian food. They rent out about 4-5 rooms to out-of-town guests, and each room all have perfect lake views.
Grand Lake
The main “downtown” area is located along the shores of Grand Lake. This is where all the restaurants, shops and activities can be found. (All three lakes are situated right at the beginning of the Rocky Mountain National Park Drive, aka Trail Ridge Road on the Southern end of the drive. The Northern end is located in the Estes Park area.)
Shadow Mountain Lake
On the morning before heading off towards the Rocky Mountain National Park Drive, we decided to rent a little pontoon boat and take a ride onto the lake. Shadow Mountain Lake has a handful of little islands that you can venture onto from your boat and there is a lot of wildlife to see if you go around early morning or dusk.
You can also rent paddle boards, kayaks and jet skis. Lots of folks were fishing as well. All three lakes are open to water recreation activities.
Rocky Mountain National Park Drive
Trail Ridge Road
Taking the Trail Ridge Road in the Rocky Mountain National Park, you can drive up to the Alpine Visitor Center. It is a brisk and easy drive, with nice views of the valley below. Once you have reached the Alpine Summit, a short walk to the top will put you over 12,000ft elevation! Here, you can snap a few photos but be careful if you are sensitive to the altitude. I was definitely huffing and puffing 5-minutes into the short trek.
Make sure to stop at the Lava Cliffs Overlook. It is a “Cinematic point overlooking cliffs of lava formed millions of years ago from volcanic rifts.” A short walk gives you a closer view of the formations and the sweeping valley below. There was still patches of ice and snow that made for a fun slip and slide adventure trek.
The most breathtaking part of the drive was on the way down towards Estes Park. As you descend the Rocky Mountain National Park towards the town, keep an eye out for several pull off areas with panoramic views of mountain peaks, distant waterfalls, and the vast expanse of the forest below with rolling hills and rock formations.
Once you near Estes Park, pull off at the large rock formation to stop and admire the maze-like patterns carved into the flatland by the river that flows through it. We spotted an Elk just a dozen feet off the road enjoying an afternoon stroll without a care in the world for the small crowd gathering roadside for a view. And if you go during late Summer, it’s Bugling season for the elks!
Estes Park
Visit the Lovely Chapel on the Rocks
Also known as Saint Catherine of Siena Chapel, this beautiful building “is a functioning Catholic chapel and tourist landmark in Allenspark, Colorado, USA. The chapel is located on the grounds of the Saint Malo Retreat, Conference, and Spiritual Center of the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver. The chapel is open to the public.”
It is located about 40-minutes South from Estes Park in a secluded area off the side of the highway 7. The interior is open until 4pm so we missed it when we arrived at sunset. But the exterior is just as lovely. It’s a gorgeous place for photos at sunset.
On our drive to the Chapel, it was around dusk so we came across a small herd of Elk on the side of the road. It was also bugling season in late Summer, which I never knew what that meant. But I sure do now! That crazy sound is so majestically nuts! See video.
Tour the Haunted Stanley Hotel
You know that infamous book, THE SHINING, written by Stephen King? Yeah, that’s the one. The creepy RED RUM, RED RUM and the corpse lady in the shower tub scene gave me nightmares for a week!!! The Stanley Hotel is where Stephen King got his inspiration from for this book.
“In a 1977 interview by the Literary Guild, King recounts, “While we were living [in Boulder] we heard about this terrific old mountain resort hotel and decided to give it a try. But when we arrived, they were just getting ready to close for the season, and we found ourselves the only guests in the place—with all those long, empty corridors.” King and his wife were served dinner in an empty dining room accompanied by canned orchestral music: “Except for our table all the chairs were up on the tables. So the music is echoing down the hall, and, I mean, it was like God had put me there to hear that and see those things. And by the time I went to bed that night, I had the whole book [The Shining] in my mind.”
It’s a lovely resort hotel located in Estes Park that opened back in 1904. You can visit the grounds and eat at the restaurants on premise. You can also visit the ground floor. It’s a beautiful historic hotel and a lovely place to visit or even book a room there. Some of the rooms claim to be haunted as well. Do you dare?
Stay by a Bubbling Brook at Estes Park Condos
During our short stay in Estes Park, we rented a small condo along the Falls River which runs parallel to Highway 34. There’s several lodging establishments located along this river that you can stay at. It’s a lovely location full of trees, wildlife and the lovely bubbling brook.
Located nearby are also many hiking trails, fishing, biking and other outdoor recreational activities. The rugged and mountainous terrain is ideal for outdoor sports and nature lovers.
The Rocky Mountain National Park’s Trail Ridge Road makes for a great weekend getaway road trip with family and friends. If you enjoy nature, hikes, wildlife and the peace and quiet that comes with nature therapy, then I would highly recommend it. It’s an ideal location for nature photography enthusiasts as well. Comment below if you have ever been or if you have any suggestions!
RELATED POST:
If you are in the Rocky Mountains, then you’ll hopefully have a stop in Denver, Colorado. Make sure to check out all the great activities in one of my favorite cities in the US. I created a great list of the top places to visit, including Free locations such as gorgeous street art in the RiNo district. And some great Instagrammable spots such as the Union Station! Plus some extra spots in Colorado Springs and Boulder, Colorado. Don’t miss it! ~ Patti
I love the mountains! I don’t know much about this part of the United States. I looks so beautiful there and definitely a place I would like to visit someday. The Stanley hotel looks epic too. I really have a thing for authentic stays so it would be definitely my pick too! 🙂
Have you seen the movie THE SHINING?
Grand Lake looks so beautiful! You make me want to go there so badly!
I love the Colorado Rocky Mountains. They are gorgeous! That view near Estes Park is amazing.
I am dying to finally get out to Colorado! The scenery here is so pretty
Such beautiful scenery! Would love to visit!
How beautiful is this place? I’ve wanted to visit for some time. Also love the shining, so visiting the Stanley hotel would be amazing.