Thank you so much for making the trip — it honestly means the world to us. If your schedule has any room, Colorado has a lot to share, and we wanted to pass along a few things we love or would do ourselves in your shoes.
The park is basically our backyard for the weekend and genuinely worth a morning. In summer it usually runs a timed-entry reservation for part of the day, and the rules shift year to year — give the NPS page a quick look before you go.
When permits are needed, they go through Recreation.gov (website or the app on your phone). We would set up an account ahead of time and grab one for your date as soon as you know when you are coming.
If you do make it in, Trail Ridge Road is the high-alpine drive up and over the park — it is high on our list too, and everyone we know who has done it raves about the views. Same park pass and reservation, no extra ticket.
The Stanley is right in town and worth a stop if you like old hotels or The Shining. Day tours are a nice way to poke around; the night ghost tours are their own whole thing. Both fill up in summer, so grab a time before you come.
We did the Coors tour recently and had a really good time — it is a big operation and genuinely interesting, especially if you like seeing how things get made. You do need to reserve ahead, and times, age rules, and whether tours are running can shift, so check the site before you build a day around it.
Golden itself is one of our favorite little towns to wander for half a day. From Estes it is about 1.5 to 2+ hours depending on traffic — usually via the Denver area — so it pairs nicely with a Denver day or the drive to or from DEN.
Coors Brewery tour reservations · Visit Golden for more to do in town after.
If you are flying through DEN, a half or full day in the city is a nice way to bookend the trip. A few things we would steer you toward:
Visit Denver is a solid starting point for whatever else is going on that week.
A few other things a little farther from Estes that we think are worth a look if your trip has the room. Most of these want a reservation or tickets, so book ahead once you know your days.
The Cache la Poudre is Colorado’s only Wild & Scenic river, and rafting it is one of those perfect summer days. Most put-ins are up by Fort Collins — about an hour or so from Estes — and a few outfitters run shuttles from town. Worth shopping around a little for pickup, minimum ages, and trip length.
If the timing does not line up, Clear Creek near Idaho Springs is the other popular rafting spot and easier to fit around a Denver-to-mountains day.
Brainard Lake and the Indian Peaks Wilderness (west of Boulder, near Nederland) feel a lot like RMNP without being RMNP. Summer access usually needs a vehicle reservation — check Recreation.gov and the Forest Service page — and it is a good plan B if park entry is gone by the time you look.
If you are driving up from Denver, Chautauqua and the Flatirons in Boulder are an easy stop for a short walk with ridiculous views.
If you love old trains (or just want a low-key morning of mountain scenery), the Georgetown Loop runs a historic narrow-gauge between Georgetown and Silver Plume. Very scenic, not strenuous. Schedules and tickets are on their site.