Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Good bouldering and traditional rock climbing can be found at Lumpy Ridge, accessed
less than 2 miles north of Estes Park on Devils Gulch Rd.
For climbing gear try
Estes Park Mountain Shop
( 970-586-6548;
www.estesparkmountainshop.com
;
2050 Big Thompson Ave; 2-person tent $10, bear box per night $3 ; 8am-9pm)
. A small stock of climbing
gear is also available from the Colorado Mountain School (
Click here
)
.
MAPS
Even though you'll get a driving map when you enter the park and some basic, non-technical photocopied maps
are available at some of the most popular trailheads, it's surprising that none of the visitor centers stocks high-
quality topographic maps for hikers. You'll want to pick them up beforehand in Estes Park at
MacDonald Book
970-586-3450;
www.macdonaldbookshop.com
; 152 E Elkhorn Ave;
8am-8pm, shorter hours in winter;
).
Cycling & Mountain Biking
Mountain biking and cycling have continued to gain popularity despite the park's heavy
traffic. It's a splendid way to see the park and wildlife, though bicycle travel is restricted
to paved roads and to one dirt road, Fall River Rd. Those looking to ride technical routes
on a mountain bike should go to Roosevelt National Forest.
On either a road bike or a mountain bike, climbing the paved Trail Ridge Rd has one
big advantage over Fall River Rd (a 9-mile one-way climb of more than 3000ft): you can
turn around should problems arise.
Less daunting climbs and climes are available on the park's lower paved roads. A popu-
lar 16-mile circuit is the Horseshoe Park/Estes Park Loop. For a bit more of a climbing
challenge you can continue to Bear Lake Rd, an 8-mile long route that rises 1500ft to the
high mountain basin with a decent shoulder.
If you are not up to climbing either Trail Ridge or Fall River Rds, Colorado Bicycling
Adventures (
Click here
)
offers tours of Rocky Mountain National Park. It also rents bikes.
To avoid hypothermia and dehydration bring a set of dry long-sleeve clothes, plus
plenty of water.
Snowshoeing & Cross-Country Skiing
From December into May, the high valleys and alpine tundra offer cross-country skiers
unique opportunities to view wildlife and the winter scenery undisturbed by crowds. Janu-
