Estes Park Trip Overview
Take an unforgettable drive through Rocky Mountain National Park with this self-guided audio tour! These beautiful peaks are loaded with hiking trails and astonishing vistas, and this comprehensive tour will introduce you to all of them. Visit stunning lakes and mountain passes, hear the history of the remarkable women who helped create the park, and learn about the Ute tribe and their legends. And, of course, don’t forget to snap a few photos along the way!
Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!
Within 30 min, we’ll send you two things: a unique password and app. Download the app onto your phone and enter the password. Then download the tour inside. When you arrive, go to the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to start the tour. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
No expiration — the tour is available from the minute you book until forever!
This isn’t an entrance ticket. Check pandemic rules and opening hours before your visit.
Additional Info
Duration: 4 hours
Starts: Estes Park, United States
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Estes Park Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Estes Park, Colorado, United States
Take an unforgettable drive through Rocky Mountain National Park with this self-guided audio tour! These beautiful peaks are loaded with hiking trails and astonishing vistas, and this comprehensive tour will introduce you to all of them. Visit stunning lakes and mountain passes, hear the history of the remarkable women who helped create the park, and learn about the Ute tribe and their legends. And, of course, don’t forget to snap a few photos along the way!
Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!
Within 30 min, we’ll send you two things: a unique password and app. Download the app onto your phone and enter the password. Then download the tour inside. When you arrive, go to the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to start the tour. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
No expiration — the tour is available from the minute you book until forever!
This isn’t an entrance ticket. Check pandemic rules and opening hours before your visit.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO 80517
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!
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, 1000 US Highway 36, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 80517-8311
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Deer Mountain, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 80517
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Beaver Ponds, Estes Park, CO 80517, USA
Up next are Beaver Ponds, featuring an easy boardwalk through secluded, very pretty wetlands.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Hidden Valley Road, Hidden Valley Rd, Colorado 80517, USA
After that is Hidden Valley, a boreal forest with some of the hardiest flora in the country.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Many Parks Curve Overlook, Us 34, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
You’ll arrive next at the Many Parks Curve Overlook, which offers stunning views of not one or two but three gorgeous mountain meadows.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Rainbow Curve Overlook, 1043 Trail Ridge Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517, USA
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!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ute Trail, Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 80517
At the next trail, the Ute Trailhead, you’ll learn about the Ute tribe which once called the Rockies home.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Forest Canyon Overlook, Trail Ridge Rd. about 14 mi southeast of Alpine visitor center, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Lava Cliffs Overlook, Trail Ridge Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517, USA
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!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Gore Range Overlook, Trail Ridge Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517, USA
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!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Alpine Visitor Center, Trail Ridge Rd., Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
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!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Medicine Bow Curve, US-34, Estes Park, CO 80517, USA
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!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Forest Canyon Overlook, 1043 Trail Ridge Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Farview Curve Viewpoint, Trail Ridge Rd, Grand Lake, CO 80447, USA
Continuing on, you’ll arrive at Fairview Curve Viewpoint, offering an excellent look at the Never Summer Mountain Range.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Colorado River Trail, Colorado, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Timber Creek Road Camp Barn, Grand Lake, CO 80447, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Holzwarth Historic Site, Grand Lake, CO 80447, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Bowen/Baker Trailhead, Grand Lake, CO 80447, USA
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!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Coyote Valley Trailhead, Grand Lake, CO 80447, USA
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!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Onahu Trailhead, Grand Lake, CO 80447, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Grand Lake, Grand Lake, Grand County, Colorado
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Moraine Park Museum, Bear Lake Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Big Thompson River, Colorado, USA
Next is the Big Thompson River, a popular spot for both fishing and whitewater rafting, if you’re daring enough!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Moraine Park Museum, Bear Lake Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
At Moraine Park, up next, you’ll have the opportunity for some seriously scenic horseback riding.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Bear Lake Trailhead, Bear Lake Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
After that you’ll come to Cub Lake Trailhead, where you’ll learn about the lasting damage caused by wildfires within the park.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Fern Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Beyond that is Fern Lake Trailhead, the perfect stop for hikers looking for a bit of peace and quiet away from the crowds.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Fern Lake Trail, Colorado 80517, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Eagle Cliff Mountain, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Looking for a picturesque picnic spot? You’ll find it next, at Hollowell Park.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Hollowell Park, Colorado 80517, USA
A relaxing destination with many picnic tables and excellent views of Mill Creek Basin below Longs Peak.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Sprague Lake, Near Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
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!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Bierstadt Lake Trailhead, Colorado 80517, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Glacier Gorge Junction Trailhead, Bear Lake Rd, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 80517
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!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
