ourweh

Estes Park

In 2020, we went on our first long fifth wheel trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, Dinosaur National Monument (Utah), Grand Teton, and Yellowstone (Wyoming/Montana). If you haven’t been to these places yet, they should be on your bucket list.

We chose to park our camper at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Estes Park, right outside RMNP. We’ve stayed at a couple of the Jellystone Parks, and they’re great for kids. There’s always activities going on, playgrounds or bouncy houses, and a pool (We also stayed at one in Eureka, Missouri, near St. Louis, when we used to go to Six Flags a lot).

Tip: Rocky Mountain National Park is in the Mountains and Trail Ridge Road on the north side of the park is often closed until the summer because there’s still snow on the ground. When we went in June, the road was open, but there was still snow on the sides of the roads! You can download a map to plan ahead (2022 version).

The east side of RMNP is definitely more touristy than the west side, so if you’re looking for more seclusion, steer clear of Estes Park.

There are plenty of shops in Estes Park – grocery stores, gift shops, etc. Also, for you horror fans, the Stanley Hotel (the hotel that inspired Stephen King’s The Shining) is located there. We took a walk around the grounds. Since we visited during the COVID-19 pandemic, they weren’t offering tours, but I believe they are offering them now. You can also stay there…if you dare!