Rocky Mountain National Park Hiking Tours

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ROCKY MOUNTAIN TRIPS

CHOOSING THE RIGHT ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIKE

Our Rocky Mountain National Park hikes include:

• Rocky Mountain Backpacking Trips – Our backpacking tours give you the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the most majestic features of the Colorado Rockies. Whether you’re a veteran hiker or just starting out, we have incredible backpacking trails that will fit you, from our basic Thunder Lake hike or the more daunting Mummy Range Trek and many in between. You can enjoy all kinds of natural wonders, from mountain lakes to glaciers to forests to flowering meadows.
• Basecamp Rocky Mountain Hiking Tours – If you’re looking for a fantastic mountain hiking adventure without an overly long trek and a lot of heavy gear, you’ll love our Basecamp Rocky Mountain Hiking Tours. Carrying only a light backpack, you’ll get to see unbelievable mountain views, Colorado animal habitats like those of elk, deer and even bears, with evenings at a quiet, private campground with showers and delicious meals. It’s the perfect, relaxing, low-key tour of the Rocky Mountains.
• Inn-Based Colorado Hiking Tours – Looking to combine a hiking adventure with a charming inn vacation? Try out of our Inn-Based Colorado Hiking Tours. By day, enjoy the full Rocky Mountain experience with adventures like wildlife exploration, visiting waterfalls, alpine hiking and snowshoeing, and by night enjoy the comfort of a delightful lodge in Estes Park. It’s the type of adventure vacation the whole family will love.
• Porter and Llama Treks – You enjoy the full Rocky Mountain National Park hiking tour experience, and we handle all the gear. Carry just a light day pack as you follow our expert guides through the backcountry, while our courteous and professional porters or friendly trail llamas carry our supplies. Great guides, professional porters, friendly llamas high-quality gear and all meals are provided, so you can focus on enjoying your hike.
• Rocky Mountain National Park Day Hikes – Day hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park hiking are among our most popular adventures. You’ll enjoy a full day of great Rocky Mountain National Park hiking. Some people don’t always have a free week to explore the Rocky Mountains, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy some of the best the Rocky Mountains have to offer. We make it happen with these one-day guided tours right into the heart of the Continental Divide. You won’t believe how much exploring we can pack into one day. You’ll see waterfalls, wildlife, wildflowers, alpine meadows and more, all under the watchful eye and guidance of our professional trip guide.
• Snowshoe Tours – If you haven’t hiked the Rocky Mountains in winter, you haven’t hiked the Rocky Mountains. Our snowshoe tours give you the opportunity to experience the snow-capped winter Rocky Mountains up close in all their glory. You’ll enjoy four days of amazing snowshoeing past animal winter habitats, alpine lakes and some of the most breathtaking views anywhere. If four days is more time than you have, ask about our one-day Emerald Lake snowshoe tour.

WHEN TO HIKE Rocky Mountain National Park

The Colorado Rockies offer phenomenal year-round outdoor adventure. However, from a strictly hiker perspective, the best times of year are summer and fall. Summer is the peak season. Mosquitoes in Colorado do not tend to be very bad, which opens up the entire summer to trekking opportunities, unlike the northern mountains Wyoming and Montana, where the mosquitoes make backpacking in July hit and miss in terms of comfort and difficulty. Colorado also thaws out more quickly than its northern siblings and so the “summer” begins earlier. Great hikes can be had beginning in June and the wonderful summer temperatures last through August. In September, fall begins to creep in, and with it a truly magical transformation in Colorado. With massive elk herds, the bulls of which bugle in the fall as part of their mating rituals, and vast Aspen stands that turn deep yellow, orange and red, fall is truly a spectacular time of year to hike the Rockies. By early to mid November the mountains are becoming less hospitable, but for the hardier backcountry travelers, this time of year is still prime time. By mid November winter is normally setting in and the backcountry becomes a home for winter recreational enthusiasts, sleeping bears, and hardy mountain creatures.

PREPARING FOR YOUR Rockies TRIP

First, be sure you’re physically prepared for the trip you’ve signed up for. That means hitting the gym or exercising outdoors several days per week in the months leading up to your vacation. We heartily recommend the Stairmaster as a fantastic training tool for hikers. Additionally, you’ll want to be acclimatized for the higher elevations of the mountains. Plan on arriving a couple days early and spending some time in Denver or Estes Park so your body can produce additional red blood cells that are required at higher elevations. Finally, hydrate hydrate hydrate! Especially at altitude you can easily become dehydrated, but also because Colorado is a dry climate. If you’re coming from a most climate, your body may become rapidly dehydrated if you’re not drinking plenty of liquids. Finally, mix some electrolyte mix in with your water to avoid hyponatremia, which happens when you exercise and drink lots of water without salt and other minerals your body needs.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN VISITOR INFORMATION

TIPS FOR VISITING ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

• VISITING ROCKY MOUNTAIN: Get info on what to do, when to visit, how to get there, best hikes, best tours and more.
• BEST TIME TO VISIT ROCKY MOUNTAIN: Find detailed information about when to visit the Rocky based on what you want to do and see.
• WHAT TO SEE IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN IN ONE DAY: Only have one day at Rocky Mountain National Park? Make the most of it by following our expert tips!
• BEST ROCKY MOUNTAIN TOURS: Learn about the top tours and recommended companies for fishing, rafting, photography hiking and more!
• BEST ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIKES: Find out what our top recommended hikes are with recommended pack lists and more.
• HOW TO HIKE LONGS PEAK: Learn what it takes to hike Longs Peak – training, packing, route information and more!
• VISITING IN THE SPRING: Find about everything you need to know about visiting in the spring months of March through May.
• VISITING IN THE SUMMER: Find about everything you need to know about visiting in the summer months of June through August.
• VISITING IN THE FALL: Find about everything you need to know about visiting in the autumn months of September through November.
• VISITING IN THE WINTER: Find about everything you need to know about visiting in the winter months of December through February.
• ROCKY MOUNTAIN BACKPACKING PERMITS: Learn about the national park backpacking permit system and how to secure permits for your trip.