Did You KNow Thursday: Fall in Rocky Mountain National Park

Check out a newer (2020) updated version of this post on my new blog: 8 Reasons To Visit Rocky Mountain National Park In Fall

Did you know that fall (specifically the end of September/beginning of October) is the perfect time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park?

Just imagine those cool, crisp fall mornings in the Rocky Mountains, the kind where you can see your breath when you leave your warm cozy cabin. Coffee in hand, aspens showing their gorgeous yellow leaves, and hearing an elk bugling in the distance. Yep, Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park really are that awesome in the fall! Not only that but Estes Park is a charming, small mountain town AND it is home to the spooky inspiration behind Stephen King’s The Shining, The Stanley Hotel (read more on that here).

Rocky Mountain National Park covers an impressive 415 square miles. It encompasses and protects a truly spectacular mountain environment. The most popular attraction is Trail Ridge Road, that crests at over 12,000 feet. Trail Ridge includes many overlooks to experience the subalpine and alpine worlds. The park also offers over 300 miles of hiking trails, wildflowers, wildlife, and amazingly starry nights. It’s absolutely one of my favorite places that I’ve been so far.

It is unfortunately not very dogs friendly, so it may be best to leave the furbabies home if you want to spend most of your time inside the park! If not, there are PLENTY of dog friendly places nearby in Colorado.

In my experience, even in the fall, Rocky Mountain National Park is busy (as many National Parks tend to be). Parking lots and trailhead parking tend to get congested early and often. Be prepared to wait. It’s best to hike early or late.

Prepare yourself for the higher altitude. You may not think it will hit you but hiking at altitudes like these is completely different than hiking at lower altitudes.

Drink plenty of water (see above).

Weather can change very quickly. Have a rain jacket and be prepared to change your plans.

Dress in layers and don’t forget those hiking boots!

There are pull-offs along the road for wildlife viewing. Don’t be one of those people who completely block the road because you want to look at elk. Find a spot to pull over just like everyone else.

According to NPS, Rocky Mountain National Park has an elk herd numbering between 600 to 800 in the winter, “about 350 bighorn sheep, numerous mule deer and a small population of moose calling the park home, it’s no surprise that wildlife watching is rated the number-one activity by a vast majority of Rocky’s three million annual visitors.”

75 ft from elk and bighorn sheep

120 ft from moose and bear

If wildlife photography is your thing, then it is suggested that you bring a zoom lens and a tripod.

NPS suggests, “When photographing from the safe distance, skilled photographers suggest lining up the horizon of the landscape along with the lower third of your frame and lining up the animal(s) to one of the four intersection points.”

Be aware, especially if you are visiting in the fall, that this is elk rut, which is one of the reasons you SHOULD visit in the fall. But bull elk can be aggressive during this time of year so it’s just not a good idea to get all up in their space.

DO NOT feed any of the animals in the park. Feeding junk food to wildlife reduces its ability to survive the long mountain winter.

Be careful when you are driving through the park. When wildlife panhandles by roadsides, these animals fall easy prey to automobiles.

Also, it’s illegal (harassing or feeding). As they become habituated to humans and lose their natural fear, the animals become aggressive and may be destroyed.

Now to the good stuff.

1. The Weather is amazing – You get all 4 seasons in 1 trip. My trip was the last week of September and the first week of October. There were some days that I was in fleece and other I was in a t-shirt. Some days were in the 80’s, others in the 60’s and by the end of my trip it had snowed on the peaks and Trail Ridge Road was closed.

2. Elk rut! – Need I say more? The elk, numbering between 600-800, is incredibly active at this time of year because it is their rut. You will also get to hear those amazing bugles that I am obsessed with. It’s the coolest noise/thing to witness in person.

3. Fall Colors – The Aspens do make fall in Rocky Mountain National Park so different from, let’s say, fall in New England. Just as gorgeous but so different.

4. Perfect for hiking – While crowds can be crazy during the fall, I have found that they are not near as bad as summer crowds at Rocky Mountain National Park. I had more luck when I hiked more popular trails during the week and early in the morning. Again, still crowded but not so much that it’s not enjoyable!

5. Perfect time to kayak – While this isn’t technically inside the park, it is right outside in Estes Park. I kayaked Lake Estes for what was supposed to be 2 hours and ended up being 5 hours. There was a herd of elk that joined me and even ended up coming in the water. It was awesome!

6. Estes Park itself – Estes Park, Colorado has got to be one of the most charming mountain towns that also works as the perfect base for all of your adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park. Estes Park has shops, restaurants, grocery stores, and anything else that you could need. Make sure to take at least a day to just explore all that Estes Park has to offer!

7. Colorado in general – It’s not just Rocky Mountain National Park that’s this stunning during the fall. We did a day trip to Pike’s Peak and that was absolutely gorgeous! Watch out for bigfoot 😉

8. The Stanley Hotel – I wrote an entire blog post on my experience on the Night Spirits Tour at the Stanley Hotel (click here). It’s worth a visit especially in the fall/close to Halloween!

There are so many reasons to visit Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park in the fall!