How to Plan the Perfect One Day in Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary
This one day in Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary includes all the best places to see and things to do in the famous Colorado park.
Alpine lakes, gushing waterfalls and sky-high drives along the Continental Divide are all in the cards on this itinerary for Rocky Mountain National Park. The Colorado park is about 70 miles outside of Denver, so it’s perfect for a quick outdoorsy road trip.
With more than 100 mountain peaks and lakes to see and some 300 miles of hiking trails, it takes some planning to visit Rocky Mountain National Park in one day. I’ve put together this Rocky Mountain itinerary for first timers who want to see a little bit of everything, from reflective lakes to the tallest peak in the park.
While you won’t have time for every single hike on this list, I wanted to provide a variety of options for different types of travelers. From the trail list below, you can find anything from a wheelchair accessible lake loop to a family-friendly waterfall hike to more adventurous treks with incredible views of the mountains.
The park isn’t only for hikers though, so I’ve also featured three of the best scenic drives you should consider on a Rocky Mountain National Park 1 day itinerary. If you stick around for a second day, you may be able to do all of them heading in and out of the park!
Where to Stay Near Rocky Mountain National Park
If you only have one day in Rocky Mountain National Park, I recommend staying close by so that you can get an early start to maximize your time. The closest town to Rocky Mountain National Park is Estes Park, and this is the best place to stay for a short Rocky Mountain itinerary.
Some other highly reviewed hotels in Estes Park include the The Inn on Fall River on the outskirts of town and Silver Moon Inn near the business district.
Rocky Mountain National Park Map
This Rocky Mountain itinerary map includes all of the stops on this guide. Click to open it in Google Maps and save the destinations.
One Day in Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary
If it’s your first trip to the park, the ideal one day in Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary would look something like a hike in the morning, a picnic lunch by a lake, and an afternoon scenic drive with stops. Below, I’ve included a few different options to fit into your day, but you’ll have to narrow down which trails and scenic routes you want to cover as they may not all fit your agenda.
If you’re spending the night in Estes Park, I would recommend doing the Trail Ridge Road option, but if you have to return toward Denver on the same day, drive the Peak to Peak Highway in that direction instead.
Bear Lake Corridor Hikes
The Bear Lake Corridor refers to all the trails and destinations along Bear Lake Road, just past the Beaver Meadows entrance on U.S. Route 36. This is one of the most popular areas to spend one day in Rocky Mountain National Park, and you’ll need a timed reservation for the Bear Lake Corridor to enter here between late May and early October.
There are tons of trails along the nearly 10-mile route and offshoots like Moraine Park Road and Fern Lake Road, but the bulk of the hikes below can be accessed at the very end of the pavement at the Bear Lake Trailhead. The parking here fills up early in the morning, but there is a park and ride lot and shuttle stop about halfway down Bear Lake Road.
Keep reading for suggested trails in the Bear Lake Corridor to pick one or two that work for your group and check out the trail guide here.
Bear Lake Loop
The Bear Lake Loop is one of the easiest trails in this section of the park, encircling the body of water for about half a mile. Even though it’s quick and simple, the views are spectacular, especially on the north and east side where you can see Longs Peak and Hallett Peak in the distance.
Nymph, Dream and Emerald Lake Trail
The trail to Nymph, Dream and Emerald Lake is my favorite, with a 3.6-mile out-and-back path featuring a trio of alpine lakes. It takes about two hours to hike the whole thing, but allow extra time to sit and enjoy the views at each.
Nymph Lake has a gorgeous mountain reflection and is a pretty easy 1 mile out and back trail, so you can just hike here if you’re short on time or don’t want to continue on the moderately difficult uphill path to the other two. If you make it to Dream Lake (2.2 miles), you should continue all the way to Emerald Lake at the end to see the peaks towering overhead around the water.
Alberta Falls Trail
Alberta Falls is another popular hike to a gushing waterfall on Glacier Creek. The quickest access is from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead for an easy 1.6-mile out-and-back hike, but you can also get here from the Bear Lake Trailhead, which makes it about 1.8 miles.
If you want a less-crowded lake trail, you can continue on from Alberta Falls to Mills Lake for a moderate, 5.6-mile hike.
Bierstadt Lake Trail
The trailhead for Bierstadt Lake is about 7 miles down Bear Lake Road. It leads out to and loops around Bierstadt Lake for a moderate, 3.2-mile hike. In the right conditions, the lake reflects the mountain peaks behind it.
Sprague Lake Loop
The Sprague Lake Loop is an easy and family-friendly hike of about 1 mile. The path is hard-packed and pretty flat with benches along the way, so it’s accessible and suitable for most ages and abilities. The mountain views and reflections are gorgeous here around sunrise, and you might even spot some wildlife.
The turn-off to the trailhead is about 6 miles down Bear Lake Road.
Moraine Park Discovery Center
If you have a little extra time, pop by the Moraine Park Discovery Center before leaving the Bear Lake Corridor. Surrounded by pines, the historic building holds a national park museum with geology exhibits. There’s also an amphitheater, ranger programs, and beautiful views over the valley below. This visitor center is about a mile down Bear Lake Road.
Plan to wrap up in the Bear Lake Corridor by mid afternoon at the latest to save enough time for a scenic drive in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Old Fall River Road and Trail Ridge Road Scenic Drive
Trail Ridge Road is one of the best things to do in Rocky Mountain National Park in one day. If you’re exiting the park on the west end toward Grand Lake, you can do the whole thing as a one-way drive.
Otherwise, make the Alpine Visitor Center or Farview Curve Viewpoint your final destination for about a 2-hour drive, with extra time needed for stops. You can either come back on the same route, or make a loop by driving west to Alpine Ridge on Old Fall River Road (gravel and one way) and back east on Trail Ridge Road.
Keep reading for more info on this route and what to see on Trail Ridge Road.
Old Fall River Road
About 11 miles long, this one-way drive takes a good 45-plus minutes on a gravel road with switchbacks leading up the Fall River Pass to an elevation of 11,796 feet. Along the way, you can stop to see Chasm Falls and look for elk grazing around Willow Park.
Alpine Visitor Center and Alpine Ridge Trail
At an elevation of 11,796 feet, the Alpine Visitor Center sits near the top of Trail Ridge Road about an hour from Estes Park to the east and Grand Lake to the southwest. In addition to the visitor center, this spot has a gift shop, cafe and indoor restrooms.
While you’re here, take a few minutes to climb the steps up the Alpine Ridge Trail for a panoramic view over the park at 12,005 feet above sea level. The path climbs 209 feet over 0.3 miles for a round trip distance of 0.6 miles.
Trail Ridge Road
Stretching nearly 50 miles between Grand Lake and Estes Park, Trail Ridge Road crosses the Continental Divide and climbs up to 12,183 feet on tight switchbacks. There are tons of viewpoints and trailheads along the way, so you could easily spend a full day just on this route.
With a Rocky Mountain National Park 1 day itinerary, try to set aside three or four hours to drive up to the Alpine Visitor Center and back with scenic stops. If you want to hike or drive all the way to Grand Lake and back, you’ll need even more time.
Some of the best overlooks on this route include the Farview Curve Viewpoint, Medicine Bow Curve Overlook, Forest Canyon Overlook, Rainbow Curve Overlook, and Many Parks Overlook.
Peak to Peak Highway Scenic Drive
If you’re just doing a day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and need to head back toward Denver or Boulder by nightfall, you might need to skip Trail Ridge Road and end the afternoon by driving the Peak to Peak Highway instead.
About 55 miles long, the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway runs between Estes Park and Blackhawk. While most of it is outside the national park, a few Rocky Mountain destinations are just off the road. It takes at least 1.5 hours to drive the 60 miles one way, but add in extra time for the stops below.
Lily Lake Loop
Lily Lake is part of Rocky Mountain National Park and just 7 miles south of Estes Park. An easy and flat 0.8 mile loop trail encircles the lake for mountain views and picnic benches are located near the parking lot.
Saint Catherine’s Chapel on the Rock
Just a quick stop on the route, Saint Catherine’s Chapel on the Rock is a pretty stone structure that holds mass and weddings. When it’s open, you can pop inside to look around, or just pull over to snap a couple of pics of the photogenic structure with a mountain backdrop.
Wild Basin Trails
The Wild Basin section of Rocky Mountain National Park is about 15 miles south of Estes Park off the Peak to Peak drive. This area is known for its lakes and waterfalls, and you can hop on several different trails from here. The shortest is a 0.6 mile round trip jaunt to Copeland Falls but the others will require more time than you likely have with just one day in Rocky Mountain National Park. You can read the trail guide here.
Rocky Mountain Itinerary Tips
Use these tips to help plan your Rocky Mountain National Park in a day itinerary. I’ve included everything from reservation information to where to stay and what to pack so you can arrive prepared.
Best Time to Visit Rocky Mountain National Park
Late spring through early fall is the best time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, when the days are long, the weather is perfect for hiking, and trails and roads are all open. From late May through early October, the park requires a timed entry reservation — more details on that below.
Spring can be a great time to avoid crowds, but the weather is somewhat unpredictable. Snowfall can occur in April and May, and many trails will still have wintry conditions, but at the lower elevations, highs typically average in the 50s and wildflowers begin blooming. Trail Ridge Road usually opens by late May.
In summer, temperatures average in the upper 70s for highs and 40s for lows in the Estes Park region. Wildflowers bloom in the alpine regions during this time and afternoon rain is common. This is the busiest time, so be sure to book campgrounds, accommodations, and entry reservations as far in advance as possible since Rocky Mountain is one of the most popular national parks in the U.S.
Fall is a particularly scenic time to visit, when the aspen trees turn golden in September and the elk rut (listen for the males bugling, it sounds like a scream). As the season progresses, average highs drop into the 60s and 50s, with lows in the 30s. Pop up snow storms are possible even in September at the higher elevations and Trail Ridge Road typically closes for the season by mid-October.
These are the best national parks to visit in fall
If you visit in winter, you’ll need snowshoes, crampons or microspikes for many trails and the higher elevations have extreme conditions with blizzards, deep snow, and sub-zero temps. In the Estes Park area, winter highs average around 40 and lows in the teens.
How Many Days in Rocky Mountain National Park
You may be wondering, is one day enough for Rocky Mountain National Park? With over 300 miles of hiking trails and dozens of mountain peaks and lakes, you could visit the park for weeks and never see it all. While I would recommend staying for at least two or three days if possible, with one day in Rocky Mountain National Park, you can still get some incredible views and enjoy a hike or two.
For a one day Rocky Mountain itinerary, I recommend focusing on the Bear Lake Corridor for your first trip and driving part of Trail Ridge Road. With more days, you can add in longer hikes, drive the entirety of Trail Ridge Road and the Peak to Peak Highway, explore Estes Park, and devote time to wildlife watching at dusk and dawn.
What Should You Not Miss in Rocky Mountain National Park
If it’s your first trip to Rocky Mountain, you definitely don’t want to miss the Bear Lake Corridor, which has some incredible lake and waterfall hikes on a range of trail difficulties. The first few on your list for a day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park should be Bear Lake, Emerald Lake and Alberta Falls.
With a Rocky Mountain National Park one day itinerary, you can also squeeze in a scenic drive on Trail Ridge Road, which offers incredible elevated views of the park along the continental divide.
If you’re unable to get a timed reservation ticket to the Bear Lake Corridor, you can also access waterfall and lake hikes in the Wild Basin area of the park along the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway and visit Lily Lake just outside of Estes Park.
Rocky Mountain National Park Timed Entry Reservations and Passes
Rocky Mountain National Park is open 24 hours a day all year, but some roads, trails and services are only available during the summer tourist season.
To access the park, you will need a park pass or entrance fee plus a timed entry reservation if you are visiting between late May and early October.
The entrance fee is either $30 per vehicle for one day in Rocky Mountain National Park, $70 for an annual pass to the park, or $80 for an annual America the Beautiful pass to over 2,000 federal recreation sites (this is what I use). You can purchase these at entry stations or buy the annual parks pass ahead of time online.
For the timed entry reservation, you can select either park access WITH Bear Lake Road, or park access WITHOUT Bear Lake Road. To see everything on this itinerary for Rocky Mountain National Park, you will need the reservation with access to Bear Lake Road, which sells out the fastest.
Reservation tickets operate in two-hour entry windows, with times from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the Bear Lake Corridor and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the rest of the park. Outside of those windows, you can enter without a reservation. You must enter the park during your two hour reservation window, but once your reservation has been scanned, you can exit and reenter throughout the day. You need a reservation for each day you plan to enter the park, and in outlying areas (like Lily Lake and Wild Basin), you are supposed to print and display your reservation on your dash.
May and June reservations open on May 1, and the following months open on the first of the month for the next month (June 1 for July, July 1 for August, etc.). A few permits are held back and released at 5 p.m. the day before the reservation for last-minute planners, but they go quickly. Each reservation requires a nonrefundable $2 processing fee. You’ll have to make an account on recreation.gov to purchase the reservation, so I recommend doing that ahead of time so that you’re ready to go when the slots open up.
Click to learn more and reserve your time slot
Rocky Mountain National Park Guided Tours
Rocky Mountain National Park Guide Books
These Rocky Mountain guides and maps will point you to more trails and tips for the national park.
What to Pack for Rocky Mountain National Park
What do you wear to Rocky Mountain National Park? This will largely depend on what season you are visiting in and whether or not you plan to hike. The packing list below is based on a trip in the summer season that follows the Rocky Mountain itinerary above.
Activewear | Comfortable outfits are ideal for Rocky Mountain National Park sightseeing so you’re ready to hop out for a hike. Just be sure to layer sweaters and jackets for temperature fluctuations depending on the season.
Jacket | Layers are necessary throughout the year, especially if you’re going out on an early morning hike.
Backpack | A day pack is useful to carry your gear while you’re walking and hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Hydro flask | Bring a reusable bottle to carry around the park and always hike with plenty of water.
First aid supplies | A small first aid kit is alway handy when visiting a national park, especially if you’re hiking.
Which Rocky Mountain National Park Entrance is Best
Rocky Mountain National Park has four different entrances on two sides of the park. Beaver Meadows is probably the most popular, just 3 miles west of Estes Park and right by the Bear Lake Corridor. There is a visitor center here.
The Fall River entrance is 5 miles northwest of Estes Park and less busy than Beaver Meadows. Use this one to access Trail Ridge Road or Old Fall River Road. The Fall River Visitor Center is located near here as well.
The Wild Basin entrance is about 15 miles south of Estes Park. If you’re driving from Denver to Rocky Mountain National Park, you can take the Peak-to-Peak Highway to this section of the park for a less crowded Rocky Mountain itinerary.
Grand Lake is the only Rocky Mountain National Park entrance on the west side of the park, at the beginning of Trail Ridge Road. There is a visitor center here as well. Trail Ridge Road is the most scenic route to drive in Rocky Mountain National Park, so if it fits your itinerary, try to arrive or exit from this side.
