Rated R for Rocky - Rocky Mountain NP, Colorado

Thank you Sunnie for the wonderful photos - Promo is for Longs Peak from Chasm Lake.

This is a strong, ambitious lineup — we are covering essentially the greatest hits of RMNP's front-country hiking, all featuring highly rated trails.

HIGHLIGHTS (PROS)

Yes, these are the most popular/crowded hikes (for a reason), but hiking earlier and longer than most, will help us shake off the over tourism usually found around the first mile.

The tundra begins to turn shades of red and gold at this time, we will get to see the gold aspen groves at higher elevations.

Starting our hikes early means that we’ll get the chance to witness the stunning pink skies at sunrise!

The Elk Rut (mating season) officially begins in early September, we will likely hear the first bugling calls at dawn and dusk in the meadows towards the end of our trip.

Estes entrance to the park has a 'regular' herd of elk grazing early in the morning or nearer to dusk.

Maintain a minimum of 75 feet from all Elk. If an elk changes its behavior because of your presence, you are too close.

READ BEFORE YOU SIGN UP (CONS)

Plan to stick to Eastern time, we will start with sunrise.

Steep ascents and challenging terrains are prevalent characteristics of all the trails in Colorado.

Timed entry pass per vehicle is required at RMNP, only available to purchase in August 2027.

Elevations range from 7500' in Estes Park to 13,000' at Hallett Peak.

Altitude sickness kicks in 12–24 hours after arrival, hydrate twice as much as you think you need.

I am NOT including Longs Peak summit in the schedule, but I won’t hold you back, the impulse to climb the only 14er in RMNP is justified. you’re welcome to skip one day of the trip activity and enjoy The Keyhole route on your own instead, your safety is your responsibility!

GAME PLAN

Here are the hikes sorted by altitude, from lowest to highest. We plan three hikes, a day to unwind, and two more hikes. The sequence of events will change based on weather, potential crowds, and permits availability.

Day 1 - Tarmac to Trails 

Our first day (Sunday Sep 12) coincides with the last day of The Annual Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival in Estes Park.

Day 2 - D5 Lakes Tour 

We will take this day to enjoy an iconic path that combines 2 trails and takes us to many lakes and a couple of waterfalls. 

The lakes are Bear, Nymph, Dream and Emerald, The Lock, and Sky Pond.

Double-Spur Loop Trail, Elevation Gain: 2500 ft, Distance: 12 miles, Highest altitude: 11k ft. Our longest hike.

AllTrails Map – Lakes Tour

Bear Lake Trailhead

Photo of Sky Pond

Day 3 - D5 Twin Sisters Peak Trail

Twin Sisters Peak takes us to the top of the Continental Divide! Amazing panoramic views, including one of the finest views of Longs Peak. Steady, well-graded climb — no scrambling until a short boulder hop right at the summit.

Out & Back Trail, Elevation Gain: 2700 ft, Distance:  8-9 miles, Highest altitude: +10k ft.

AllTrails Map – Twin Sisters Peak Trail

Twin Sisters Peak Parking

Day 4 - D5 Chasm Lake

The lake sits below the spectacular Longs Peak, the highest peak in the park.

After a steady climb, we will get incredible views while traversing the subalpine forest up to the alpine tundra. After taking Chasm Lake Trail, we’ll keep going until we reach a rocky scramble through a field of boulders. There are cairns that will guide us the rest of the way up to the lake.

The short scramble is located after passing Chasm Meadow, just before reaching the lake.

Chasm Lake itself is above the timberline. For our safety, we will stay off the scree/boulder field right beside the lake.

Out & Back Trail, Elevation Gain: 2700 ft, Distance: 10 miles, Highest altitude: ~ 12k ft

Trailhead - Chasm Lake

AllTrails CHASM LAKE

Photo of Chasm Lake Trail

Day 5 - Free (or Rainy) Day Activities:

-       The Stanley Hotel: Ann says: this is a fun spot on a rainy day! take the tour and discover the ghosts stories, especially those connected to the creation of The Shining.

-       Estes Park Aerial Tramway: panoramic views.

-       The Mustang Mountain Coaster: adrenaline rush.

-       Cinnamon's Bakery: Sticky Buns “to DIE FOR!” 

-       Check out Estes Park Visitor Guide.

Day 6 - D5 Mount Ida Trail, AKA “The Marmot Highway” 

The drive to this hike is on Trail Ridge Road, which is itself one of the most scenic drives in the country, we will stop at the Alpine Visitor Center on our way back from the hike.

When we arrive to trailhead, we will check out Poudre Lake at Milner Pass, sitting right on the Continental Divide — worth a moment since it's a rare spot where we can see water (theoretically) flow toward both the Pacific and Atlantic.

As we climb, the trail offers stunning views, interesting knobs, and boulders as it climbs above the timberline into the alpine zone, where we MIGHT spot marmots and Bighorn sheep.

This is our most exposed trail of the trip, we will spend nearly 8 miles above treeline, and the final 1.2 miles to the summit involves rugged terrain following some cairns along the way, and we will need to scramble a bit to reach the top.

Out & Back Trail, Elevation Gain: 2600 ft, Distance: 11 miles, Highest altitude: ~ 13k ft.

Milner Pass Trailhead

AllTrails Mount Ida Trail

Day 7 - D5 Hallett Peak

Silvia B. says: this hike is so beautiful that you absolutely have to experience it!

Hallett Peak is our true summit push, towers at 12,720 feet over the Bear Lakes region.

We will take the Flattop Mountain Trail to the summit, then continue past it following cairns to Hallett Peak. 

The trail can be challenging to follow at times, occasional orange flagging will help us navigating our way, cairns are often present along the trail. We will be above treeline for a long stretch with rock scrambling near the top. 

Prepare to be amazed by the views of the Continental Divide, Notchtop Mountain, the Mummy Range, and the Never Summer Range. Keep an eye out for Ptarmigan, Pika, Marmots, and Brown-capped Rosy-Finches. 

Hallett Peak is our most technical day, still, walkable talus scrambling with route-finding.

Out & Back Trail, Elevation Gain: 3500 ft, Distance: 11 miles, Highest altitude: ~ 13k ft.

Trailhead - Hallett Peak

AllTrails Hallett Peak

Photo of Hallett Peak from Dream Lake

Day 8 - Trails to Tarmac

ACCOMMODATIONS

We'll be staying in two units on the same property: The Inn on Fall River. https://innonfallriver.com/ 

Address: 1660 Fall River Road, Estes Park, CO 80517

You need to go to the "booking" page to find the exact units photos on the website, so I'm providing this link in Google Photos for convenience.

Built on land that was originally within Rocky Mountain National Park's boundary, about 1.7 miles from the center of town. 

Free town shuttle — right at your door
The free Red Route shuttle starts from Estes Park Visitor Center and runs along Wonderview Avenue and Fall River Road, leaving every half-hour all day. We can hop the free shuttle into downtown rather than driving and hunting for parking.

Getting into RMNP
This property is located on the west side of town near the Fall River entrance, often less congested than other entrances.

Unit 1 - DreamView Poolside Suite - Modern Condo 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms.

Bed configuration: 1 King Bed, 1 King Bed, 1 Bunk Bed,1 Queen Bed.

Full Kitchen, 2 gas fireplaces, River View ,washer & dryer, and access to heated infinity pool. 

Unit 2 - The Blue Spruce - A Cozy Cabin located on the banks of Fall River has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms.

Bed configuration: 1 King Bed, 1 Queen Bed, 2 Twin beds, 1 Sofa bed in the livingroom

Full Kitchen, Fireplace, Heating, Fire Pit, Washer and Dryer, a wood burning fireplace, outdoor hot tub.

PACE

We’ll be moving at a moderate pace. We need time to adjust to the high altitude, and the hikes are so beautiful, we don’t want to rush through them.

CLIMATE

Sunrise approximately 6:40AM and sunset approximately 7:10 PM.

Estes Park high temperature in the 70s°F, nighttime low in the mid 40s°F. 

A common rule of thumb, it’s often 20 degrees cooler at high elevations than in town.

The mountain peaks can experience sudden sleet, hail, or snow during afternoon thunderstorms.

Be ready for strong winds at most of the peaks, it can make 50°F feel significantly colder.

This time offers the best chances of stable weather and a declining mosquito population. 

Due to sudden weather changes at high elevation, we need to hike to the summit and get back down below the timberline by early afternoon.

LOGISTICS

We will fly in and out of Denver Airport. If you have other plans, please coordinate in advance with Trip Leader. Flights details will be provided later by the trip leader.

The plan is to swing by a large grocery store just outside Denver on our way to Estes Park. If we need to restock, there’s a Safeway a few miles away from our accommodations. 

FOOD

The accommodations come with fully functioning kitchens, so we can prepare breakfast and lunch.

For dinner, we'll go out or order takeout.

QUALIFICATIONS

The high altitude, steep rocky trails, & consecutive hiking require participants who have completed LOTS of RECENT strenuous hikes prior to registration.

Physical fitness assessment is subject to my personal experience, not only AOC credentials, please make sure that we hike together before sign up time, I’m always on the trails!

In building this group, I will emphasize physical ability, sociability & GRIT. I will also prioritize roommates’ compatibility and member participation in AOC activities.

While physical fitness is required, a positive attitude and determination to have fun are equally important.

Please sign up for this event if ALL of the following statements apply to you:

- I’m happy to begin hikes early, I think sunrise is truly beautiful.

- I am confident that the itinerary doesn’t exceed my physical limits.

- I carefully considered the trip dates and hiking trails.

- I’m sensible enough to avoid getting close to that elusive Elk.

OPEN POSITIONS

We will share responsibilities such as Driving, Weather Monitoring, Rest day planning, Grocery Shopping, Restaurant Research, Backup Navigator, Etc..

COMMUNIQUÉ

WhatsApp group text messaging to share information and pictures.

Google Maps is our tool for driving directions.

AllTrails for hike navigation.

Please download offline maps for driving directions and AllTrails in advance, cell service is not reliable inside the park.

C'EST LA VIE

Travel presents unforeseen circumstances, necessitating adjustments to itinerary based on flights schedule, weather, unforeseen, and natural events. The group will need to adapt to any challenges that arise with flexibility and a positive outlook.

We have a solid plan, but sometimes, things happen, bring an open mind and a fun spirit, that's all we need for an amazing time.

"The Trip Leader(s) for this event has (have) elected either to personally collect the funds that event participants are required to pay, or to require participants to pay funds directly to a third party. No funds will be paid to the Atlanta Outdoor Club for this event. Therefore, by registering for this event, you acknowledge and agree to the following: (1) the monies paid by registrants will not be monitored, managed, or otherwise accounted for by the Atlanta Outdoor Club; (2) that the Atlanta Outdoor Club bears no financial responsibility for this event; and (3) you waive any and all claims against the Atlanta Outdoor Club, and hold the Atlanta Outdoor Club harmless for the loss of any monies you paid for this event.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any paying registrant may request directly from the Trip Leader, prior to the event, a breakdown of funds collected, estimated expenses, and deposits made in anticipation of the event. Following the event, the Trip Leader must complete his or her financial accounting for the event, with supporting documentation, within 30 days of the completion of the event, and a paid registrant may request a breakdown of funds collected, money spent and supporting documentation after that time. If you are unable to obtain requested documentation, please contact the Director of Paid Events."

• DO NOT make any payment to AOC or TL if your name is still on the waitlist.
• AOC fee is Nonrefundable to be paid via PayPal $25 
• AOC fee is due as soon as your name moved up from the waitlist.
• Trip cost is $1257 per person based on a group of 12 members.
• Payment to trip leader via Zelle or Venmo due by 8PM on October 07 2026.
• If the group is less than 12, I will send an updated cost estimate.
• The cost is refundable only if the TL can find somebody suitable to take your spot.
• The cost includes: 7 nights lodging, Car rental, Gas allowance, Entry permits. 
• Car rental and gas cost for each individual will be their proportional share. 
• Lodging cost is shared equally regardless of sleeping arrangements.
• This cost may increase if gas prices change significantly.
• Express toll lanes, bridges and tunnels fees are not included.