Welcome to Rocky Mountain National Park! This tour will take you through the most picturesque stretch of this majestic mountain range. Get ready for stunning vistas, lush meadows, and prime wildlife-spotting!

Note: This 40+ miles-long tour covers the essentials of Rocky Mountain Park in 2-3 hours.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, also known as Rocky Mountain National Park Administration Building, is the park headquarters and principal visitors center of Rocky Mountain National Park in central northern Colorado.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

The first hiking trail you’ll reach is the Deer Mountain Trailhead, which leads up 1,000 feet to some spectacular views from a mountainous summit.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Up next are Beaver Ponds, featuring an easy boardwalk through secluded, very pretty wetlands.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

After that is Hidden Valley, a boreal forest with some of the hardiest flora in the country.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

You’ll arrive next at the Many Parks Curve Overlook, which offers stunning views of not one or two but three gorgeous mountain meadows.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

The next overlook you’ll reach is Rainbow Curve Overlook, which sits right at the altitude beyond which most trees can no longer grow. Suffice to say it boasts some pretty incredible views!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

At the next trail, the Ute Trailhead, you’ll learn about the Ute tribe which once called the Rockies home.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Continuing on, you’ll come to the Forest Canyon Overlook, featuring a vista from 12,000 feet up. You’ll also get some facts about the Arapaho tribe while taking in the views.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Your route takes you next to the Lava Cliffs Overlook. You might not think “lava” when you think of the Rocky Mountains, but these 28 million year-old cliffs are sure to change your mind about that!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Next, you’ll arrive at the Gore Range Overlook. This ominously-named range gets its name from the deep red coloring it takes on at certain times of the day, and you might just catch sight of that striking image while visiting!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

You’ll pass the Alpine Visitor Center next. This isn’t just a great place to stop for snacks and restrooms, it’s also the highest-elevation visitor center in any US national park!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

At the Medicine Bow Curve, up next, you won’t want to leave your camera in the car! This vista is so high up you can see the state of Wyoming from it!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Ever seen an alpine lake? That’s next, at Poudre Lake. This lake is so high up that it freezes all the way through, top to bottom, each winter.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Continuing on, you’ll arrive at Fairview Curve Viewpoint, offering an excellent look at the Never Summer Mountain Range.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

The next trail leads to some great views of the famous Colorado River. Here, you’ll also learn some of that river’s surprising history.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The road you’ll follow throughout the park wasn’t built in a day, and your next stop, the Timber Creek Road Camp Barn, provides a glimpse into the ambitious construction project’s past.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

More history waits ahead, at the Holzwarth Historic Site. Once the home of a small family, this became one of the nation’s first dude ranches before the area was a national park.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Up next is the Bowen/Baker Trailhead, marking the start of one of the park’s longest trails. Experienced hikers looking for a challenge will definitely want to check this one out!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

The next trail, the Coyote Valley Trail, is a great choice for hikers looking for an easier, shorter journey. This trek also has opportunities for fishing!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

The Ute and the Arapaho weren’t the only tribes to call the Rockies home. You’ll learn about another, the Onahu, at the Onahu Trailhead up next.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

The main tour concludes in the town of Grand Lake, which has all the amenities you’ll need after a long, rewarding day in the Rockies.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

If you chose to take the Bear Lake detour, you’ll come first to the Moraine Park Amphitheater, which dates all the way back to the park’s earliest days.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

At Moraine Park, up next, you’ll have the opportunity for some seriously scenic horseback riding.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

After that you’ll come to Cub Lake Trailhead, where you’ll learn about the lasting damage caused by wildfires within the park.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Beyond that is Fern Lake Trailhead, the perfect stop for hikers looking for a bit of peace and quiet away from the crowds.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

As you follow the route, you’ll find it hard to miss Eagle Cliff Mountain, named for the golden eagles and bald eagles which can frequently be seen in this area.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Looking for a picturesque picnic spot? You’ll find it next, at Hollowell Park.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

A relaxing destination with many picnic tables and excellent views of Mill Creek Basin below Longs Peak.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Continuing on, you’ll come to Sprague Lake, one of the best spots in the entire park to catch the sunrise. If you can get here early enough, it’s highly recommended!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

After that is the Bierstadt Lake Trailhead. This lake is every bit as beautiful as Sprague Lake, and tends to have fewer visitors, so be sure to stop by if you want to enjoy a bit of wilderness solitude.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

The next trail, at Glacier Gorge Junction, offers a great trek through the park’s famous quaking aspens. These iconic aspens are among the hardiest trees around!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Finally, you’ll arrive at Bear Lake. This immense lake is a phenomenal spot to end your journey, get a few final photos, and bask in the pristine beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included