What To Do On Your Rocky Mountain National Park Day Trip

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When we visited Rocky Mountain National Park for a day trip, we didn’t know that it was also their busiest day of year. At least that was what the park ranger told us. It was on July 3rd, and we also arrived slightly before 1 in the afternoon.

Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) is a popular place! In 2019 the park saw over 4.6 million visitors – making it the third most visited national park in the country. Mountain environments in this park are spectacular! With its location only around 65 miles from the Mile High City, it makes a day visit to Rocky Mountain National Park one of the best day trips from Denver.

If you plan a day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park on your Colorado vacation, you are at the right place. I will share here with you our experiences when visiting the park in their busy time. That is, when children are out of school for the summer.

What to expect when visiting Rocky Mountain National Park during busy times

Summer and fall weekends are the park’s busy times, especially between 9 am and 3 pm. From the information I got from the park’s website, here are the things you should expect:

• Long lines and wait times at entrance stations
• Full parking lots
• Congested roads (i.e. heavy traffic)
• Busy trails
• Full campgrounds

When parking areas fill and heavy congestion warrants, there will be restrictions of vehicle access in the Bear Lake Road corridor, the Wild Basin area, and the Alpine Visitor Center parking area. In 2018, these restrictions occurred most days in July and August. That was the year we visited with my sister and her children from Indonesia.

Day Trip to Rocky Mountain National Park

We drove from Denver through Boulder and Estes Park. As always, the drive from Denver to Boulder was heavy and longer than what the google maps told us the night before. Also, we didn’t make a stop in Estes Park until after we left the Rockies. The only stop we made was at the Estes Park sign to see those cute chipmunks.

That July trip was not our first time in the Rocky Mountain. We have visited the park several times from our house in North Texas. At least a couple of times we visited the park in the early summer. Then late spring, October, and even during Thanksgiving Break when we visited Colorado in November.

When we finally got to the park, Beaver Meadows Visitor Center’s parking lot was full. Its location is after the east entrance. So we drove to Moraine Park Discovery Center. There were a few parking spots available and everyone went straight to use the restrooms after my husband parked the car.

Park Rangers were busy explaining things around the park to visitors. My original plan was to ask information about hiking and waterfalls around Bear Lake or Moraine Park. While waiting for our turn, we overheard a ranger tell visitors ahead of us that every trailhead was full, they closed the road for private vehicles, and the wait line for the shuttle was long.

Oh no! Don’t tell me that we needed to turn around and come back early the next day!

After talking with the ranger and explaining to him our situation, he suggested this idea. An idea that you might keep in mind when your visit to the Rockies turns to be like ours.

Starting with the Old Fall River Road Instead of Trail Ridge Road

When you visit RMNP, you must drive the Trail Ridge Road all the way to the summit. The road crests at over 12,000 feet and you will get to stop at many overlooks to experience the subalpine and alpine worlds. At the summit is the location of the Alpine Visitor Center. The highest visitor center in all national parks in the country.

Depending on your time, you might continue and leave the park through Grand Lake. Or, turn around and continue your trip to explore Estes Park.

Since the traffic was heavy on that day, the park ranger suggested we go to the summit through the Old Fall River Road. That was after he made sure we didn’t pull a trailer and our vehicle wasn’t longer than 25 feet. We would see waterfalls, but the catch was, it’s one-way road, has a dirt surface, and is winding and narrow.

We’re already there, so we better took his suggestion. And it sounded adventurous anyway. Besides, we drove down Phantom Canyon Road from Canyon City to Victor/Cripple Creek on our way to Denver. And several years ago we even drove the Shelf Road that connects Canon City to Victor/Cripple Creek as well. These were a couple of 10 most challenging drives in Colorado per OutThere Colorado magazine. Also, we just experienced the drive to Mount Evans the day before.

From the discovery center we went back to the main road. Then made a left onto US-36 W and drove for about 3 miles. After that we turned right onto US-34 E, onto Fall River Road. About 1.8 miles later we turned left onto Endovalley Road, the starting point to Old Fall River Road.

Stops along Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park

The first stop was the Horseshoe Falls on Alluvial Fan, just a short distance from the beginning of the Old Fall River Road. There are parking spots on the east and west side of the Alluvial Fan. West side is spacious, while the east side can only accommodate a few cars. We parked on the east side since there’s an empty space and we didn’t want to take a chance by driving to the west side and found no parking spot.

From the parking you will need to walk a bit longer than the one from the west side parking (about 0.5 mi.) It’s mostly walking on different sizes of rocks. But the end of the walk is what matters. You just want to stay there longer and enjoy the cool water, crisp air, and the beautiful views of the Rockies.

Here are the things that you need to bring to Horseshoe Falls: water shoes, towel, and drinking water.

Just before you begin the drive on the Old Fall River Road, there’s a picnic spot on the left at Endovalley. Relax and picnic before your journey begins. This is also the last stop where you can turn around if you’re not sure you can tackle the one-way, no guardrails dirt road all the way to the summit.

About one mile up Old Fall River Road, you will see a sign for Chasm Falls on the left. The falls location is only about 100 yards from the road. It’s a must-stop. The only problem is that parking fills fast. We didn’t get to stop here since the two cars behind us couldn’t wait to drive past us. Remember, it’s a one-way road and all the pull-offs around Chasm Falls were full.

However, we got to make a quick stop at the 5 mile marker and saw another waterfall along the road. It’s before Chapin Creek Trailhead.

There are several trails starting from Chapin Creek Trailhead. Again, parking is an issue. It only accommodates around 10 cars. So, we had to skip this spot.

Marmot Point Trail is another hike that leads you to an amazing view. It’s 0.8 mi and starts about 0.5 mi from the end of the Old Fall River Road. Parking spots are the issue as well. We had to skip again.

You might think if we didn’t get to stop a lot, why do I have to take this road?

Here are the reasons besides the congested Trail Ridge Road to the summit:

• The views are amazing
• There’s always a possibility you can get a parking spot
• Wild flowers and animals are abundant
• Melting snows turn to beautiful cascades
• You can always stop at every pull-offs and enjoy the views from there
• Speed limit is 15mph, so no need to hurry

Once you get to the summit, find a parking spot at the Alpine Visitor Center and enjoy your time here. We were so hungry and fortunately there were empty tables by the time we had our food.

Then take the Trail Ridge Road on your way back to Estes Park. I suggest you stop at every lookout. You are on vacation anyway. No need to hurry.

Things you should know about Old Fall River Road

• Opened in 1920, it is the first auto route in RMNP offering access to the park’s high country.
• One-way uphill and primarily gravel.
• It’s 11-mile long and the road width is between 8 and 14 feet wide.     
• There are 16 hairpin turns. Some vehicles had to turn back and forth repeatedly to make the curves.
• Passing turnouts were provided, but these were few and far between.
• The speed limit is 15mph. This road is not for the impatient.
• No guard rails along the road.
• But, the road itself is safe, even though narrow and curved.
• It’s open only from early July to September.
• Because it’s one way and not too many parking spots available on the places of interests, try to start the drive before 7.30 am.

Lately, I was less brave than I used to. On this road, no matter where you sit in the car, you will experience the cliff side. A few pull outs located on the switchback, and the views were extremely amazing from there. My husband asked if he had to pull over so I could take pictures. I just told him that I took pictures from inside the car, and I didn’t even open the window. I was nervous! Haha..

All in all, the drive on Old Fall River Road was wonderful. If your visit will be like ours, go take this road to the summit. I don’t mind going this way again, but I hope we can stop at Chasm Falls, Chapin Creek Trailhead, and Marmot Point Trail.

There’s so much to do in Rocky Mountain National Park for a day trip, and the drive to the summit is a must if it’s your first time trip. If Trail Ridge Road is congested, there’s always the Old Fall River Road waiting for you. Have you ever driven on this road? I want to hear your experiences. Please leave your comment below.