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Old 07-24-2008, 10:13 PM
 
2,253 posts, read 6,969,528 times
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Forgot to mention that come Labor Day it is highly unlikely you will experience snowfall. The closest you will likely come to it are remaining patches on the highest peaks. While it can snow any time of year at higher altitudes, rare, and any storm that time of year no more than the briefest dusting.

Rocky Mountain National Park is open year round, although they do close the higher portion of Trail Ridge Road come winter proper.
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Old 07-25-2008, 07:11 AM
 
331 posts, read 1,541,922 times
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Big thanks to everyone for all the suggestions. Some very valuable stuff for this flatcracker!


Quote:
Originally Posted by Idunn View Post
For mountains, Estes Park, CO hands down. It enjoys a gorgeous setting and abuts Rocky Mountain National Park. You cannot get better access to the Park than this, even if there are different trailheads, such as near Allenspark, CO or Grand Lake, CO.

But if by 'essence' you mean natural beauty you would be hard pressed to do better than Estes Park and RMNP. You surely would, but Trail Ridge Road across the Park to Grand Lake makes for a very memorable drive. It is also the highest continuous road in the lower 48. Peak elevation of this road is 12,183 feet.
Yes, that's exactly what I'm hoping to see - the wild, raw beauty of the mountains, the one that's often depicted on Colorado postcards and calendars. In all the guidebooks Estes Park was listed as one of the easiest access points to the park, so I thought about picking it for lodging. Thank you for all the sightseeing advice in your post!
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Old 07-25-2008, 10:42 AM
 
Location: The 719
17,930 posts, read 27,342,617 times
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If you stay up there, you're gonna have to put up with all those pesky elk at your cabin door that you're not supposed to feed!

Well really, you shouldn't. Wreckage from our past. Oh, and the Stanley is overrated to stay at, except maybe for rm 222. Worth a visit perhaps.

Don't forget to look at Long's Peak. It's hard to miss.
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Old 07-25-2008, 01:42 PM
 
Location: Colorado
269 posts, read 1,264,750 times
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One more vote for Estes Park & RMNP!
COS and the surrounding areas do feel more touristy to me. Esp. the Royal Gorge area and the cog ride up Pikes Peak. Estes can be touristy too, but hey, you can escape into Rocky Mountain NP at least!
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Old 07-25-2008, 02:20 PM
 
Location: The 719
17,930 posts, read 27,342,617 times
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I kinda like the Royal Gorge and Buckskin Joes. Still want to do the cog rail even if it's touristy. How about the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo? Got your walkin' shoes on?
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Old 07-25-2008, 10:27 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,376,423 times
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The elk may be bugling at RMNP by then, and some of the Aspen way high up may be changing. But really, it will still be mostly summer (though it can get cool in Estes in Sept). Bring some warm clothes.
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Old 07-25-2008, 11:55 PM
 
Location: Sequim, WA
801 posts, read 2,206,514 times
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outsider1...I think it strongly depends on what you like to do when you vacation. Personally, I love hiking and running on mountain trails, and bicycling. For that reason, I usually go to Estes Park and put my camper at the campground at the very end of Tunnel Road. It's a very quiet area adjacent to RMNP, yet the restaurants and shops of Estes Park are a short drive away if I decide I want to participate in that kind of thing. If your idea of a visit has more to do with driving around and site seeing, you can see a lot in either region.
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Old 07-26-2008, 12:19 PM
 
Location: Centennial, CO
27 posts, read 43,158 times
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We have stay in both Colo Springs (a couple of years ago) and Estes Park (a couple of months ago) and enjoyed both.

There are more "things to see and do" in the Springs. but with the mountains seeming to be a big part of your interest I would also recommend Estes Park. The town iteslf is really nothing more than a tourist trap, but it absolutely is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.
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Old 07-31-2008, 04:42 PM
 
25 posts, read 80,708 times
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I spent sveral months in estes and loved every second of it.
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