Question for Estes Park Residents (Loveland, Aspen: 2013, lease, vacation home)

[Scottay]

How is it that you put up with the crowds in the summer time? I went to RMNP in July and there were sooooooooo many people I literally felt sorry for the year round residents. Does it make you want to move?

[sammy87]

My guess is that without the tourists they would have no reason to live there, and there would be no town, no source of income. You would have to drive to Loveland (30 mins away) for everything. Some own property as a vacation home and can choose when to be there.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Like anyone else who lives in a tourist town anywhere, you complain about it during the high season but you also realize that your town probably wouldn't exist without the tourists. Especially people who own or work in a tourist dependent business.

In Buena Vista in the summer we do our grocery shopping early in the morning before the store gets overrun by tourists.

[StealthRabbit]

I grew up in Estes Area... You live with the crowds in the summer (makes driving a challenge... takes forever to get OUTTA there!. But... You get 9 months of VERY slow season (now that Hidden Valley Ski Area Closed (in the 1960's?, may even the 1970's...)) We USED to have a flooded parking lot behind Bob and Tony's for GREAT ice Skating (must have been before global warming). It was in the shade and very nice.

Kinda Spendy for food and fuel, will be nice when Ft Collins (timnath) gets the new Costco.

If I still lived there (EP)... I would lease my place for the summer and go to PNW or Alaska, or sail the inland passage annually. (Many from Europe do that in their 'motorsailers'. ) When it starts to rain in the PNW, there will still be some Aspen colors remaining in EP. (It can be brutal in winter... Wind coming from Wyoming... I lived there too, when we got chased out of Colorado and had to sell our ranch due to high property taxes.. (in the 1970's)), So.... though we live in America and even Colorado, we don't get a longterm free choice of where we live (as a settler / rancher). I still spend a lot of time in Estes cuz I can come when I want (weather is nice), and stay with friends. I do REALLY miss access to Hermit Park in Estes (near Pole Hill / hwy 36). I got to build many of the cabins there while working 30+ yrs for benevolent employer Bill and Dave ! Carly up and got rid of Hermit Park (and a lot of other nice spots in the world) due to such an un-useful asset cluttering the Balance Sheet. As a county park, it probably gets better public use and brings a lot more traffic to Estes!

And selling it improved the balance sheet for one qtr...

[Hipchik]

My good friends live in Estes and they love it. They "work around" the tourists. Not really an issue for them. Estes Park "crowds" are nothing compared to Lake Tahoe. I spent a summer there. It was insane, the # of people, traffic, etc..

[jamesdenver]

I'm still baffled at why Estes Park / RMNP is the go to mountain destination for visitors new and old. Estes Park is like a Best Buy on Black Friday, especially summer/fall weekends, and while beautiful-it's simply too crowded, and in the time spent in traffic lines you could easily reach a more remote place another hour away.

Similarly, I recently visited Japan and had my heart set on climbing Mt. Fuji. I looked at some videos, blogs, and trip reports; each one showed lines and lines of people, vendors, and random crowds yelling and clamoring about everywhere. Instead I opted for a day trip to a different mountain where I explored a small town, had my meals at a little restaurant operated by a nice older couple, hiked some mossy trails along a creek, saw waterfalls, a temple, and the only crowds were a few school groups. And an amazing view of Mt. Fuji in the distance.

Rocky Mountain National Park = same thing.

[MN_Ski]

^ My first trip there was in Mid October 2013. It was literally 1 day after the park reopened during the government shut down. I believe the state, or a private group, funded the reopening of the park. We had to go through Nederland because of all the flood damage that happened earlier that fall.

The weather was set for mid 50s/low 20s with a few inches of snow. I have to say...that was probably the best camping trip of my life. We were 2 of maybe 12 other people camping. The town of Estes Park was dead as well. I was under the assumption that it was the norm for that time of year. When I returned last September, I was in for a rude awakening when I saw the line of cars waiting to get into the park. This year I went to the west side of the park and explored that entire region...that was FAR better than trying to hike around Bear Lake with all the crowds of people.

[Lost Roses]

Originally Posted by jamesdenver

I'm still baffled at why Estes Park / RMNP is the go to mountain destination for visitors new and old. Estes Park is like a Best Buy on Black Friday, especially summer/fall weekends, and while beautiful-it's simply too crowded, and in the time spent in traffic lines you could easily reach a more remote place another hour away.

Similarly, I recently visited Japan and had my heart set on climbing Mt. Fuji. I looked at some videos, blogs, and trip reports; each one showed lines and lines of people, vendors, and random crowds yelling and clamoring about everywhere. Instead I opted for a day trip to a different mountain where I explored a small town, had my meals at a little restaurant operated by a nice older couple, hiked some mossy trails along a creek, saw waterfalls, a temple, and the only crowds were a few school groups. And an amazing view of Mt. Fuji in the distance.

Rocky Mountain National Park = same thing.

Because, Texans.

[Sunderpig2]

What is the last post supposed to mean? That people in Estes are okay with the tourists because they are mostly from Texas? From experience, there really is no one group that stands out, as to visitors to Estes and RMNP.

Anyway, to get back on subject, the townspeople are accepting of it all because they know what to expect, and simply plan around it. It's not rocket science. And it's mostly in the May-August timeframe; 4 out of 12 months, not all year...

[jim9251]

It's like living here in Ridgway and Ouray. Summer tourist season is insane, locals complain, but without tourists the local economy would collapse. You just work around the crowds and traffic. I think tourists are fun. They do and say some wacky things.