Estes Park, CO Travel Guide

Happy Wednesday! Today we are sharing all of our travel tips for Estes Park, Colorado. Where to eat, what to do, where to shop...all the things!

Let's start with what we all care the most about: good food! 

- Bird & Jim: a casual restaurant with yummy appetizers

- Seasoned: higher price point, but so worth it! *we had brunch here and it was my favorite meal of the whole trip!*

- Antonio's Real New York Pizza: a good takeout option

- The Stanley Hotel: a fun overall experience + they have fun themed drinks

- Coffee on the Rocks: coffee shop with a beautiful view

There are so many fun outdoor activities to do in Estes Park. We went in the dead of Winter, so it was a little harder but not impossible to do things outside. 

- Hike: there are a ton of hiking options. We went to Bear Lake twice, and it was beautiful and had a variety of challenge levels. Sprague Lake was also super scenic, and is supposedly the home of two moose. *Tip: download the app AllTrails to research local hikes and their difficulty level, length, etc.*

 

- Sled: Sledding is only permitted in a certain area of the Rockies, so make sure you know where you're allowed to go! There are plenty of places to rent sleds in town.

- Ski: We didn't ski while we were there, but there are ski resorts within an hour of Estes Park.

- Spa Day: If relaxing is more your thing, try getting a massage! It's the opposite of strenuous outdoors activities, but sometimes that's a necessity. We went to Elements of Touch and loved it!

- Visit The Stanley Hotel: If you're a fan of horror movies, you've probably seen The Shining, which was filmed at The Stanley Hotel! We hadn't seen the movie, but it was still a fun experience. They also offer tours because it's a historic site. Worth checking out!

 

There are a ton of cute shops to visit on the main strip of Estes Park, but here are a few of our favorites.

- Macdonald Book Shop: Who doesn't love a good independent book store? This one is centrally located and had a really good selection.

- Rocky Mountain SereniTea: This shop exclusively sells tea (& accessories) and was so fun. They have a whole wall of teas to choose from, and it's the perfect treat to enjoy in the snowy mountains.

- Trends at the Park: A little higher end, but they have super cute gift options! There was also a really cute kids section.

- Rocky Mountain Tops: There are a ton of options for souvenir shops, but this one was our favorite. They had a cute selection of tees, sweatshirts, hats, magnets, & more!

- Stanley Hotel: If you can really splurge, this would be such a fun place to stay!

- Rustic Rivers Cabin: A more rustic experience

- Estes Park Resort

- The Landing at Estes Park

Obviously this depends on what time of year it is, but Yellow Rose & Co. has the perfect clothes + accessories year round! Here are a few favorites if you're going in the Winter (click on any image to shop):

         

           Perfect travel bag!       Wear this on the plane!              So cozy!

          

                 Flirty + cozy!                     So warm!                            Chic!

Even if you can't travel right now, hopefully this post satisfied a little bit of your wanderlust! 

Thanks for reading!

- The Yellow Rose Gals