ESTES PARK, COLORADO
My husband and I traveled to Colorado for the second time because how much we admire the mountains! It’s such a nice getaway and just takes you to a place so peaceful within yourself. I suggest for everyone to go there at least once in their lifetime to experience the beauty the Rocky Mountains has to offer! It truly is one of a kind.
THE QUICK DETAILS.
We flew to Denver International Airport and drove out to a Estes Park, Colorado. Estes Park is a small town that is based right outside the Rocky Mountains — literally. It’s about an hour and a half drive from the airport and about five minutes from one of the many entrances of the National Park. We stayed for three nights and 4 full days, which is perfect for this type of trip. Last time, we only stayed two nights, which was also doable if you can’t stay for three!
WHERE WE STAYED.
Since my husband and I try to travel frequently, we like to budget mostly on the hotel we stay at along with the flight rates, of course. We stayed at Coyote Mountain Lodge for this stay and for our last one, we stayed at Murphy’s Resort. Both are decent — there is nothing extravagant about either of them. Both places were clean and the staff was very polite and helpful. We never had any problems with either of them and our stay went well! You’ll find that most places in Estes Park are lodges, inn’s, or motels. There may be only a couple fancier hotels but they’re probably really expensive. Again, we like to budget as much as possible in order to afford to travel frequently!
FOOD.
When it comes to food, there are not a ton of five-star options in Estes Park. I do wish there were more fancy or chic restaurants to go to, but there really isn’t. The only ones I’d recommend inside of Estes Park would be Latitude 105 for a nice dinner, Notch Top for a nice breakfast, and maybe Antonio’s Pizza for some decent pizza and Italian food if you don’t want to drive further out. Of course, you have your McDonald’s and Starbucks (thank God) right in the center of town along with a Subway.
We liked to drive out to Boulder for some really awesome restaurants, which was about a fifty-five minute drive from Estes Park. We ate at a place called Peckish for some really amazing wings and appetizers, then grabbed some Insomnia Cookies nearby. We also drove out to Denver for some juicy burgers at a place called Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar! We also enjoyed ourselves at a coffee shop called Novo for some delicious lattes — they also have vegan/gluten-free treats. And finally, we had some delicious dessert at Sweet Cooie’s! They have awesome donut sandwiches, ice cream, and more!
We liked to drive out to Boulder for some really awesome restaurants, which was about a fifty-five minute drive from Estes Park. We ate at a place called Peckish for some really amazing wings and appetizers, then grabbed some Insomnia Cookies nearby. We also drove out to Denver for some juicy burgers at a place called Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar! We also enjoyed ourselves at a coffee shop called Novo for some delicious lattes — they also have vegan/gluten-free treats. And finally, we had some delicious dessert at Sweet Cooie’s! They have awesome donut sandwiches, ice cream, and more!
BEING A HIJABI IN COLORADO.
Alhamdulillah, I felt very comfortable in Colorado at all times. I found everyone to be kind, respectful, and absolutely normal towards me. I wasn’t getting any stares or weird looks, it was completely fine. I know some women may question if they’d feel comfortable here, so I just wanted to make it clear that in my experience, everyone was extremely kind and respectful! You’ll find those kind of racist people randomly in any city or state... So don’t stop yourself from doing something you want to experience!
THE MOUNTAINS.
We went on a few hikes and saw so many beautiful views! There’s not really a specific way to go about the mountains — you kind of just enter in one of the entrances and drive around to look at it all. But if you are going to a specific hike, put it in your GPS before entering the mountains because you will not have service! You’ll find a map at the entrance when you pay to get in. We payed $35 for a pass more than just a day. You’ll find that sometimes, no one is even in the kiosk window at a certain time or day — it’s weird. So sometimes, it’s free! While driving around the mountains, you have to be extra careful for narrow or winding roads, icy roads, or roads that don’t even have railings. It can be scary driving at the top of the mountain and if you lose control of your car, you literally fall off the Rocky Mountains! So be careful. Just driving around the mountains you’ll have an amazing time!
WILDLIFE.
While driving or hiking in the mountains, be on the lookout for some wildlife! But please note that it is illegal to feed, approach, or hunt the animals in the national park! They might be hard to spot and you may be disappointed at times for not seeing much, but if you really look for them, you should find some! I found that they’re usually more visible at the lower parts of the mountains, although they could be found anywhere in the Rockys! There are all sorts of wildlife that live there — deer, elks, moose, bears, black hawks, mountain lions, and so much more. While hiking, if there is snow on the trail, pay attention to the animal tracks you’ll see. We spotted fresh bear tracks on one of our hikes and decided to turn around! We definitely didn’t want to run into any bears. So just be on the lookout at all times!
TIPS FOR HIKING.
Before I get into the details, I want to suggest renting snow boots with spikes at the local Rocky Mountain Shop in Estes Park, especially during winter months. They make the biggest difference! They help with traction and ensure you don’t slip or fall in the snow or ice while climbing. They’re not expensive — only $18 to rent a day! I HIGHLY recommend them, especially in winter. They also have hiking poles that will help with climbing and support, if you need it. We didn’t need them. In addition, make sure you wear layers and layers of clothes! Hats, gloves, multiple socks, you name it! Especially in winter months. Carry a small backpack with you that has water, energizing snacks, and medication, if needed. You’ll also find that they sell mini oxygen tanks with a mouth piece in stores in the town or even at your hotel. This may help you because of the altitude being very different than most states — especially being in the mountains! We used one and it helped.
HIKING.
We went on a few different hikes — bear lake, dream lake, emerald lake, glacier gorge, twin sisters peak, and wild basin.
Bear, Dream, & Emerald Lakes — these are all in one hike! It was absolutely AMAZING and is definitely a must. It was our favorite hike! It’s not that hard... There’s a good amount of elevation, about 10,000 feet. But it really doesn’t feel that way! The first lake you’ll come across pretty quickly is Bear Lake, then you hike up to Dream Lake and finally, way up there, you’ll find the most dreamy Emerald Lake! It’s definitely filled with snow, so be sure to wear spikes and snow boots! You’ll get some amazing views on this hike.
Glacier Gorge — this hike is another beauty. You can hike up this mountain to see a few different lakes. It’s not hard at all.. I would say the same level of difficulty as the others. It’s also snowy, so spikes would do well! On this track, we saw tons of wildlife footprints, including bear paw prints!! So be careful. We turned back when we saw the bear prints, so we didn’t get to get to the lake. But we wish we did!
Twin Sisters Peak — we hiked up this mountain for a little while, then got tired and went back down! It’s a tougher hike, especially in the winter, for sure. But apparently it has some outrageous views at the summit! If we went in summer, I think we would’ve definitely completed this hike.
Wild Basin — this was more of a walking hike... Not much climbing, just a beautiful walk in the Rocky Mountains on some more flat land for some beautiful scenery and some birds, streams, etc. It wasn’t our favorite, since we wanted to hike upward more, so we didn’t go through it all.
Explore & Get Lost — don’t actually get lost, but you know what I mean! Don’t limit yourself to the hikes I mentioned, although you should 100% go on the Bear, Dream, & Emerald Lake hike. There are tons of other hikes and mountains to explore! You’ll see plenty on the map they give you at the entrance or you can easily google the best hikes in the Rockys! Also, don’t be afraid to just drive around and randomly stop and explore different places in the mountains! That’s the way to do it.
Bear, Dream, & Emerald Lakes — these are all in one hike! It was absolutely AMAZING and is definitely a must. It was our favorite hike! It’s not that hard... There’s a good amount of elevation, about 10,000 feet. But it really doesn’t feel that way! The first lake you’ll come across pretty quickly is Bear Lake, then you hike up to Dream Lake and finally, way up there, you’ll find the most dreamy Emerald Lake! It’s definitely filled with snow, so be sure to wear spikes and snow boots! You’ll get some amazing views on this hike.
Glacier Gorge — this hike is another beauty. You can hike up this mountain to see a few different lakes. It’s not hard at all.. I would say the same level of difficulty as the others. It’s also snowy, so spikes would do well! On this track, we saw tons of wildlife footprints, including bear paw prints!! So be careful. We turned back when we saw the bear prints, so we didn’t get to get to the lake. But we wish we did!
Twin Sisters Peak — we hiked up this mountain for a little while, then got tired and went back down! It’s a tougher hike, especially in the winter, for sure. But apparently it has some outrageous views at the summit! If we went in summer, I think we would’ve definitely completed this hike.
Wild Basin — this was more of a walking hike... Not much climbing, just a beautiful walk in the Rocky Mountains on some more flat land for some beautiful scenery and some birds, streams, etc. It wasn’t our favorite, since we wanted to hike upward more, so we didn’t go through it all.
Explore & Get Lost — don’t actually get lost, but you know what I mean! Don’t limit yourself to the hikes I mentioned, although you should 100% go on the Bear, Dream, & Emerald Lake hike. There are tons of other hikes and mountains to explore! You’ll see plenty on the map they give you at the entrance or you can easily google the best hikes in the Rockys! Also, don’t be afraid to just drive around and randomly stop and explore different places in the mountains! That’s the way to do it.
TAKEAWAY.
Overall, we had such a wonderful time in Estes Park! I don’t think we’ll be going on a hiking trip for a while since this was our third total one, but I am so glad we went again. It was so fun and just absolutely breathtaking! I would definitely recommend for you to do this at least once in your life! I hope you enjoyed this travel blog and I hope it helped.
QUESTIONS?
Feel free to contact me if you ever have any questions or concerns regarding this trip!
Email: sabreensaideat@gmail.com
IG: @sabreensaideat
Email: sabreensaideat@gmail.com
IG: @sabreensaideat
OTHER HIKING OPTIONS.
The other place we’ve been hiking before was in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, which was also amazing! You can read that travel blog by clicking the button below.
XOXO
