A day at Rocky Mountain National Park

While there are plenty more places I wanted to see at Rocky Mountain National Park, one day was for sure enough to experience the highlights, drive to the tops and see a few animals. Well, I spent more than an hour with a moose, so I can’t really complain about our amazing day in Rocky Mountain National Park. I think spending another day in the park would have been special and the main goal would have been to find some more animals. I really, really wanted to see a bighorn sheep. But, as I’ve said on the other days… now I just have a reason to go back!

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After our day at Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, and the wildlife safari, we got up and drove over to Estes Park, CO. I know, one more day of driving. But we crossed some amazing country and were settling into our driving rhythm so it wasn’t all that bad. There are multiple ways to travel these days, so get your maps our first and understand where you are going before you get started. There is not much wireless service on these routes and you may just have to rely on a paper map.

This one day itinerary at Rocky Mountain National Park with a toddler is the perfect list for pull outs, scenic drives, and encountering wildlife.

Four recommendations before you start any day of travel

fill up your car even if you aren’t nearing empty
have an idea where you are headed in case your maps are not reliable
get something good to eat to start the day and have snacks with you, including water and something to drink
stop and go potty – ladies, I’m talking to you.

It may sound crazy to lay those out, but I would share those 4 bits with anyone and this was the day why I would define them. Some days you just drive through beautiful country, but that means long stretches without gas stations and slow cell services. This was a day we looked at multiple routes to drive and chose the scenic route. We didn’t have any problems, but we followed the list above!

One fun thing we came across was the Split Rock National Historic Site, an important landmark for the Oregon Trail and Pony Express. I can specifically remember the Oregon Trail process in fifth grade. It’s probably my first experience with “the west” and it was cool to see this legit piece of history that was so important those early explorers and settlers.

Don’t forget to pay attention to road signs. I had not mapped out this place, but saw a sign for it and decided to pull over. If its not too far off the road, we always find that you learn something new and experience stops when you least expect them if you leave a little flexibility in your trip.

In Estes, grocery pick up was not an option, so I pulled our list together and we did a quick spin around the local Safeway when we got to town. We split up and one person stayed outside with Little Man and ordered our dinner for pickup. We got to go from Cafe de Pho Thai and it’s was perfect. Tasty, tasty Thai was just what we needed. I know Thai food is probably not your first choice in a town like this, but trust me you want to put it on your menu.

The next morning we got up to spend the day at Rocky Mountain National Park. Rocky Mountain was the only National Park we encountered like this but you had to register for an entry time. I discovered this before we went on our trip so we were ready. I did see signs that they weren’t turning people away but I’m not sure what the “drive-up” process looked like if you didn’t have an entry time.

Highlights from Rocky Mountain National Park in a day with a toddler:

Enter Beaver Meadows entrance from Estes Park. You could also easily take the Fall River Visitor Center Entrance from Estes Park as well. The main thing is you want to head north to the Old Fall River Road.
Stop to get a stamp in your National Park passport and use a good potty at the Visitor Center.
Take Hwy 36 North to the Old Fall River Road.
Stop at Alluvian Fan to see boulders and a waterfall.
Endovalley is a good rest spot, maybe see elk or stop for a picnic before driving up. I was told by multiple people this is a good wildlife viewing spot. We didn’t see any but it has all the signs of a good animal spot. And, two days before we were there, bighorn sheep were seen climbing the hill up and over to Old Fall River road. So you just never know what you are going to see.
Drive Old Fall River Road – it’s kinda steep at some points with sharp drop-offs, but it’s only one way and you can take your time and explore. Pull off, take the pictures, climb on the rocks, and touch the water. Interact with nature and enjoy yourself. Just plan accordingly because this is one way so you have to enter from the East and drive other roads later.
Alpine Visitor Center – look around. This is the highest point in the park. In the middle of August, we saw some snow accumulation on the ground. Ask and pay attention to road closures depending on the time of year you visit. If you are up for it, climb huffer hill and take advantage of the restrooms.
Take Trail Ridge Road South on the West side of the park toward Grand Lake. Because we knew we would have to reverse our route and come back North we only went to the top spots on our list, but I’m sure Grand Lake is…well, Grand.
The Timber Creek area sometimes has elk.
Holzwarth Historic Site is a good stop. Kids can get out and run around. It’s a ½ mile out to the historic buildings. It’s in full sun so wear sunscreen and hats, but it’s flat and easy to be with kids and not worry.
Coyote Valley Trailhead was our next spot and the PERFECT spot for a picnic lunch. We let our toddler down to walk and run. There were several picnic tables just past the creek. At least 3 were under trees including one with the most beautiful view. It was a highlight of our day for sure. The trail is ADA accessible and flat. There are two different directions and this area is great to explore with little kids.

This one day itinerary at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado is the perfect list for pull outs, scenic drives, and encountering wildlife.

From here, we turned North and went back up to the top to explore the Eastern part of the park.
Timber Creek area is known for elk.
Fairview Curve has amazing views – pull off
Stop at Milner Pass to straddle the Continental Divide and explore Lake Irene. It’s a beautiful view and could also be a great picnic spot.
As you drive North, always keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, especially if it’s later in the day.
Alpine Visitor Center again for potty break or to stretch your legs. This area gets more popular as the day goes on.
Stop at the Gore Range pullout. It’s a great place to see all the mountain ranges.
Lava Cliffs is another stop with great views.
Rock Cut is really cool. Don’t hesitate to pull off if you want. Just watch out for Big Horn sheep.
Follow the road all the way down through Moraine Park toward Bear Lake.
Bear Lake was our destination. Everything I found said it’s an easy walk less than a mile and a great place to let little climb in boulders and walk around. Great for toddlers or folks who don’t want to walk a long way (raising my hand!) But, it was super full that day and while shuttles were running we didn’t want to give up time shuffling. So, we went back to Sprague Lake.
Sprague Lake this season is also home to a huge moose and some days there have been two. As we were pulling in the parking lot we encountered the moose and I stayed with a group of photographers to take pictures of him. It was majestic. But, I should add this lake is beautiful and this .8 mile loop is flat and smooth and would totally be a great spot with littles. There were lots of families. Just start watching around 4:00 or 5:00 for wildlife.
After this, we just drove back through Moraine Park area and enjoyed the sunset from this beautiful stop.
Then headed back home through the Beaver Meadows area looking for elk along the route.

I know, I geeked out too. A Moose in the wild was on my trip bucketlist!

Other things to note about Rocky Mountain National Park and seeing wildlife

My number 1 recommendation, Gypsy Guide. It was so helpful to have the narration and guide as we drove through the park.
Big Horn sheep can be found around the Sheep Lakes area and Rock Cut Area. 3 days before we were there, some were crossing the start of the Old Fall River Road trying to find higher ground.
August 29 is the typical moose rutting season around Sprague Lake.
September is typically when the mule deer and elk are down in rut on the golf course.
Keep your distance. Give a wild animal a way to escape, preferably a wide enough space where they have options.
Get your eye out from behind the camera and just capture the beauty with your eyes.

Great spots to explore in Rocky Mountain National Park with a toddler it Preschooler:

Alpine Snow Visitor Center- inside. They can stand by the window and see the big valley without you worrying about the drop-off or road.
Coyote Valley Trailhead – easy walk, flat, lots of space to run.
Bear Lake or Sprague Lake – Easy trails to walk or climb and possibly see wildlife

Experience more from our Ultimate Family Road Trip to Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Park