Camping & Hiking @ Rocky Mountain NP, Colorado [Flexible Start & End Dates]

Hi,

To avoid confusion, misunderstandings, problems, etc...please read this description carefully. Thank you.

Quick Intro:

I'm planning on camping & hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) in Colorado.

If I can finish packing and drive there in time, I hope to start around July 5 or 6 on the west side of RMNP. If not, then I'm aiming for arriving around July 7 or 8 on the east side of RMNP, near Estes Park, northwest of Denver.

If anyone else is interested in joining -- then this trip is flexible.

It might be possible to arrive on July 5 or 6, but my suggestion is to try to arrive on July 7, 8, or 9...and leave around July 12, 13, or 14.

I'll explain & elaborate, but first, I want to provide context / background.

Oh, also -- other attendees should drive themself (or carpool with another group member if someone is available).

If Colorado is too far for driving, then another option is flying to Denver, and taking a shuttle to Estes Park (outside the east entrance of RMNP), and maybe I might be able to pick you up. Not 100%. No promises or guarantees -- but we can discuss.

Near the campground offers free shuttle bus rides, so it might be possible for someone without a vehicle to go to a few spots / trailheads.

The past few summers, I've been lucky to do some fun road trips (Banff & Jasper in Canada, Glacier in Montana, and Grand Teton & Yellowstone in Wyoming).

The next national park on my bucket list is Rocky Mountain National Park.

From what I've read online, the summer months for visiting RMNP are popular (i.e. crowded), so flights, lodging/campgrounds, entry, etc... might be challenging.

I'm used to driving long distances now, so I probably will drive again -- also because an old friend near Denver wants me to visit, so I cannot carpool since I need freedom to drive without worrying about someone stranded without a vehicle. (I plan on visiting Denver July 14 - 17).

A couple of people (this year) and last few years, asked me to drive them -- but I'm sorry, I can't this year because I'm going to Denver afterward and unsure when exactly I'll return to SoCal.

...but I "might" be able to pick people up or drop them off at Esters Park (northwest of Denver) or possibly Denver airport if one person flies in [ assuming I have time]. This isn't 100%, I'll think about this some more. Plus, it depends on how much room my small car has...or if I rent a larger car.

Here's an older map to help illustrate how far RMNP is, and help anyone who might be interested in doing their own camping road trip.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/NationalParks.forwiki.pdf

I like the aforementioned map for its clarity -- but it's older, so a little out-dated.

Here's another map that is newer, and shows some of the newer national parks.

https://national-park-posters.com/products/americas-national-parks-map

It's up to you if you want to visit just RMNP in Colorado, or also include other national parks along the way (Arizona, Colorado, Utah, etc).

Here's a map of Rocky Mountain National Park:

https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/rmnp-mapjpg

To reiterate, if I can arrive early (July 5 or 6), I'm thinking of stopping at the west side near Timber Creek for 1-2 days, before proceeding east.

If I can't, then I'll aim for the east side near Estes Park (July 7 or 8).

The east side is more popular, and where many travel to.

So if anyone has limited time, my suggestion is to spend more time over there.

Plus, it's closer to Denver airport (if anyone chooses to fly).

There are some options for a shuttle from the airport to Estes Park...and again, not 100%, but maybe I can pick up and drop off people at Estes Park if someone is cool and really wants to join.

However, I sometimes hike alone, so I cannot be relied upon as your personal driver every day. But maybe for a few days, I might be open to driving others if we have matching schedules (i.e. same hiking trail).

If not, you'll likely have to drive yourself.

RMNP is in the Top 5 or 10 of most visited national parks in the U.S..

Crowds in the summer might be a concern for some.

Thunderstorms in the afternoons might be possible, but they shouldn't be a serious problem imo.

I've never gone, and it's on my bucket list -- so there's still lots for me to learn about.

If anyone is curious or serious about going, online resources include

https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm

https://www.facebook.com/RockyNPS

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g143048-i3489-Rocky_Mountain_National_Park_Colorado.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/RMNP

Websites, blogs, Youtube videos, social media, etc... are also worth checking.

Drive time is around:

17+ hours from LA: https://goo.gl/maps/UW4QskEXKEDqCWzx9

17+ hours from OC: https://goo.gl/maps/Ez6zXnk3bijpkmnH6

Some potential detours / side trips include Las Vegas, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, etc.

Some popular national parks in recent years are implementing vehicle permits in an effort to manage crowds and limit how many people/vehicles enter.

The campsite I reserved in RMNP (July 7 - 14) qualifies for access to Bear Lake Road corridor...so getting a separate vehicle permit shouldn't be an issue.

https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm

https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/exploring-the-bear-lake-road-corridor.htm

Near the campground is a free shuttle:

https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/shuttle-buses-and-public-transit.htm

When I have more time, I'll add info about the campground & campsite.

Off the top of my head, there are no showers available inside RMNP...but I read that nearby, the town of Estes Park, might have options for a shower.

More website links related to hiking and other activities will be added later, but for now, I'll add Alltrails:

https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/colorado/rocky-mountain-national-park

There's no expectation to stay until July 14.

Feel free to leave earlier (July 13, 12, 11, etc.).

I'm planning on leaving on/around July 14 to spend a few days in Denver, but others are welcome to return home or continue traveling elsewhere.

Okay...that should be a decent intro so far.

If anyone is serious, I'll add more info/details in the upcoming weeks/months (but tbh, I often get busy and procrastinate in updating descriptions -- so if anyone really wants to join, feel free to contact me directly to better communicate & coordinate).

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Examples of recommended items to bring:

Bug Spray / Insect Repellent / Head Net

Sleeping bag + pillow

Sleeping pad / mat or air mattress

Tent (or share with someone who has one)

Appropriate clothes, socks, & shoes

Toothbrush, toothpaste, & other hygiene items / toiletries

Lip balm / chapstick

Hand sanitizer or baby wipes / wet naps

Sunglasses, sunscreen, and a hat or a bandana

Earplugs

Flashlight / Headlamp

Portable chair

Cell phone charger cable (car adapter) or portable charger

Water or water filter

Water bottles or hydration pack

Food (and cookware)

Music or games

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/family-camping-checklist.html

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The following is just filler that I need to add b/c Meetup has some weird character limit, and I might need to add to this description later...so the following is just a short story that you can ignore...it's seriously just filler.

Genesis and Catastrophe
Roald Dahl

“Everything is normal,” the doctor was saying. “Just lie back and relax.” His voice was miles away in the distance and he seemed to be shouting at her.

“You have a son.”

“What?”

“You have a fine son. You understand that, don’t you? A fine son. Did you hear him crying?”

“Is he all right, Doctor?”

“Of course he is all right,”

“Please let me see him.”

“You’ll see him in a moment.”

“You are certain he is all right?”

“I am quite certain.”

“Is he still crying?”

“Try to rest. There is nothing to worry about.”

“Why has he stopped crying, Doctor? What happened?”

“Don’t excite yourself, please. Everything is normal.” “I want to see him. Please let me see him.”

“Dear lady,” the doctor said, patting her hand. “You have a fine strong healthy child. Don’t you believe me when I tell you that?”

“What is the woman over there doing to him?”

“Your baby is being made to look pretty for you,” the doctor said. “We are giving him a little wash, that is all. You must spare us a moment or two for that.”

“You swear he is all right?”

“I swear it. Now lie back and relax. Close your eyes. Go on, close your eyes. That’s right. That’s better. Good girl… ”

“I have prayed and prayed that he will live, Doctor.”

Of course he will live. What are you talking about?”

“The others didn’t.”

“What?”

“None of my other ones lived, Doctor.”

The doctor stood beside the bed looking down at the pale exhausted face of the young woman. He had never seen her before today. She and her husband were new people in the town. The innkeeper’s wife, who had come up to assist in the delivery, had told him that the husband worked at the local customs-house on the border and that the two of them had arrived quite suddenly at the inn with one trunk and one suitcase about three months ago. The husband was a drunkard, the innkeeper’s wife had said, an arrogant, overbearing, bullying little drunkard, but the young woman was gentle and religious. And she was very sad. She never smiled. In the few weeks that she had been here, the innkeeper’s wife had never once seen her smile. Also there was a rumor that this was the husband’s third marriage, that one wife had died and that the other had divorced him or unsavory reasons. But that was only a rumor.

The doctor bent down and pulled the sheet up a little higher over the patient’s chest. “You have nothing to worry about,” he said gently. “This is a perfectly normal baby.”

“That’s exactly what they told me about the others. But I lost them all, Doctor. In the last eighteen months I have lost all three of my children, so you mustn’t blame me for being anxious.”

“Three?”

“This is my fourth… in four years.”

The doctor shifted his feet uneasily on the bare floor.

“I don’t think you know what it means, Doctor, to lose them all, all three of them, slowly, separately, one by one. I keep seeing them. I can see Gustav’s lace now as clearly as if he were lying here beside me in the bed. Gustav was a lovely boy, Doctor. But he was always ill. It is terrible when they are always ill and there is nothing you can do to help them.”

“I know.”

The woman opened her eyes, stared up at the doctor for a few seconds, then closed them again.

“My little girl was called Ida. She died a few days before Christmas. That is only four months ago. I just wish you could have seen Ida, Doctor.”

“You have a new one now.”

“But Ida was so beautiful.”

“Yes,” the doctor said. “I know.”

“How can you know?” she cried.

“I am sure that she was a lovely child. But this new one is also like that.” The doctor turned away from the bed and walked over to the window and stood there looking out. It was a wet grey April afternoon, and across the street he could see the red roofs of the houses and the huge raindrops splashing on the tiles.

“Ida was two years old, Doctor… and she was so beautiful I was never able to take my eyes off her from the time I dressed her in the morning until she was safe in bed again at night. I used to live in holy terror of something happening to that child. Gustav had gone and my little Otto had also gone and she was all I had left. Sometimes I used to get up in the night and creep over to the cradle and put my ear close to her mouth just to make sure that she was breathing.

“Try to rest,” the doctor said, going back to the bed. “Please try to rest.” The woman’s face was white and bloodless, and there was a slight bluish-grey tinge around the nostrils and the mouth. A few strands of damp hair hung down over her forehead, sticking to the skin.

“When she died. . . I was already pregnant again when that happened, Doctor. This new one was a good four months on its way when Ida died. ‘I don’t want it!’ I shouted after the funeral. ‘I won’t have it! I have buried enough children!’ And my husband…he was strolling among the guests with a big glass of beer in his hand. He turned around quickly and said, ‘I have news for you, Kiara, I have good news.’ Can you imagine that, Doctor? We have just buried our third child and he stands there with a glass of beer in his hand and tells me that he has good news, ‘Today I have been posted to Braunau,’ he says, ‘so you can start packing at once. This will be a new start for you, Kiara,’ he says. ‘It will be a new place and you can have a new doctor.”’

“Please don’t talk anymore.”

“You are the new doctor, aren’t you, Doctor?”

“That’s right.”

“And here we are in Braunau.”

“I am frightened, Doctor.”

“Try not to be frightened.”

“What chance can the fourth one have now?”

“You must stop thinking like that.”

“I can’t help it. I am certain there is something inherited that causes my children to die in this way. There must be.”

“That is nonsense.”

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