Every year, we take at least two trips to Estes Park. It is one of our favorite day trips.
There are two ways to get there from the Denver Metro area: one is through Boulder, the other through Nederland. The alternative route is at the end of the post.
Through Boulder: I-36 west from Boulder to Lyons. [potty break in Lyons at Sandstone Park. The park is just off the main road (in blue) to Estes. We’ve also picnicked there]
Drive through Lyons, right turn to stay on 36. The distance on I-36 to Estes Park is 21 miles and will take about 30 minutes.
<Pit Stop> In 8 miles, you are going to see the Colorado Cherry Company on the right side. This is a must stop for us! It’s not free, of course, but with a large family we usually buy a whole pie and ask them to cut it for us. A family of 6 can spend $30-$35 for a pie and sit in the cafe and eat it. We usually bring our lunch from home and this is our special treat.
They have juices (black cherry, apple, apple cider, blackberry) and jams. You can also find pickled items, and cherry specialty items.
They also offer soups and ice cream.
http://www.coloradocherrycompany.com
Once you’ve filled up at Colorado Cherry Company, you have another 13 miles to Estes Park. The sign for the town is about mile outside of town on the way in. It’s on the right hand side, and many people stop to take photos.
There is only room for 7-8 cars, so make sure you hop out, take a photo and head into Estes park to make room for more cars.
Where to Park
On the way into Estes park, you will see a tall garage on the right side. It’s free parking, and there is a shuttle to downtown. We usually just walk on the pedestrian walk, it’s not far. There are other lots along the Main Street that are pay lots.
What to do in Estes Park
- Shops: The main street is about a half mile long and has shops on both side for food, taffy, glass blowing, sports equip and souvenirs. Our favorites are Brownfield’s , Simply Christmas, (where we get our yearly family ornament), and The Highland Bard
- Stop in at Mountain Blown glass and watch glassblowing demonstrations
- The River walk follows along the backside of the stores and restaurants and is particularly beautiful in the Fall. https://www.visitestespark.com/blog/post/how-to-do-the-estes-park-riverwalk/
- Estes Park Lake (adjacent to the parking garage): The path goes all the way around the lake and is approximately 3.75 miles long.
- Rocky Mountain National Park is a few miles on the other side of Estes. There are two entrances. It’s not a free entrance, but if you have a 4th grader in your family, you can qualify for a free pass for one year through Every Kid Outdoors. When you visit the National parks, you must have your 4th grader with you. Registration is free and easy! We had three of our girls register in their 4th grade years and made good use of the pass.
Other things to do that are not FREE
There are many places that offer Horseback Riding
Go-carting, mini golf and trampoline at Ride A Kart
Stanley Hotel Tours – “The story of the Stanley Hotel itself began in 1903 when Yankee inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley arrived in the valley, weak and underweight from the symptoms of consumption. To his amazement, just one season here was enough to restore his health to better than before! Overjoyed, he vowed to return each summer for the rest of his life.” The hotel opened in 1909.
Alternative ROUTE home/to Estes park:
There is a completely different way to exit Estes Park (other than going over Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park). This route goes through Nederland, CO and you will find yourself in Golden, CO.
From Estes Park:
The yellow line is the direction you enter Estes Park through Boulder and Lyons. The blue line is your exit towards Nederland.
If you set your GPS specifically to Nederland, CO, it will try to also take you the way of Boulder, CO, so be sure you take a slight right onto S St. Vrain Ave (Hwy 7).
<Pit Stop> About 12 miles down the road, you will see a chapel on the right side. We call it “St. Malo” because it is part of the St. Malo retreat and camp, but the formal name is Saint Catherine of Siena Chapel. It’s a Catholic Chapel, built on a rock, and is rather beautiful. It is often open to visit and definitely worth a stop.
It’s another 30 miles from the church to Nederland, CO. It’s not usually a heavily driven highway, and is very beautiful! You will turn right onto highway 72 from highway 7, so keep an eye on that turn.
So why go to Nederland? It’s a very small town, and honestly a very traditional mountain town that has not been overrun by tourism. Our favorite part, however, is the carousel! It’s an indoor carousel that runs most of the year, but hours vary, so be sure to check the times on the website. Carousel of Happiness It’s not free, as a warning, but it is VERY low cost. Because of the impact of closing everything down in 2020 and 2021, they did have to raise their prices, but for $3 per person, it is well worth it!
Make sure you go upstairs and see not only the puppet show theater, but you can see all of the carved items on top of the carousel through the windows.
After leaving Nederland, you are going to go up a mountain pass. The drive from Nederland to Golden is SO beautiful, very secluded, not usually well-travelled so it’s a fun drive.
There is an historical site on the way called Lincoln Hills, established in 1922, it was the first and only vacation resort west of the Mississippi catering to black Americans. Today, it’s owned privately, and some descendants still own the cabins in the area. Winks Lodge is a National Historic Register site. If you enter “Lincoln Hills Fly Fishing Club” into your GPS, you can drive back into the area and see the location. It’s beautiful! You’ll notice the train tracks nearby that brought young people, and even famous artists, up to the cabins. This is an important part of Colorado History, something we study every summer (and travel to experience in person).
Once you get to Golden, you can take several ways home.
This is a FULL day trip! If you decide to do this one, start out early, but be aware of opening and closing times of some of the pit stops.