question around Estes Park and Hwy 34 through RMNP

[martys]

on our trip next month we'll be travelling east from Rangely to Estes Park. We'll be coming in later in the day and I'm worried the traffic through RMNP on Hwy34 might be heavy late in the afternoon. Would I be better off stopping for the night on the west side of RMNP and get up really early to ride 34, or is Estes Park an interesting enough destination I would want to spend an evening there? We're coming north from Grandby on 34 and going clockwise around the park.  

[Justin]

Traffic can be slow through the park. The best time I have ridden it is hitting the Western entrance (Grand Lake) at about 6-6:30 AM. There is no traffic at all, and all the animals are coming out for their morning meal. It can be a bit cool of course, and usually there is fog in the morning. Estes Park .. meh, it's nothing to write home about. It's pretty much a tourist trap. There are a few things of interest there, like the Stanley Hotel, but I'd not say it's worth pushing through to get there. There are a lot more places to eat there, but in season anything good will be packed with tourists.

[martys]

that's what I was afraid of. so maybe spend the night in Grand Lake, get an early start and stop in Estes Park for breakfast?

[Justin]

that's what I was afraid of. so maybe spend the night in Grand Lake, get an early start and stop in Estes Park for breakfast?

Yeah,  if by "later in the day" you mean when the sun starts going down, traffic will be slowest through there. That is a really busy time, as again all the wildlife is out. So traffic is real slow with rubber-neckers. If you are inclined to get up early and hit the park by 6-7 AM (6 AM is ideal) it will be smooth sailing, and as I said, that's my favorite time to ride through; before the cagers wake up, and prime animal viewing time. Also, if you hit the gate before 7 there is usual not anyone there yet. Last time I went through, there was just a sign on the gatehouse indicating to proceed.

[SaharaJp99]

Ditto what Justin said.  Riding is much better from the Grand Lake side when leaving early in the morning.  Plus, I'd rather stay the night in Grand Lake any day than spend it in Estes.  Plenty of good eateries in Grand Lake and you can usually find a good local band playing at a local bar/restaurant/hotel.  Plus, the scenery in Grand Lake with the lake being there is 10 times what it is in Estes.

The hotel we stayed at last time was the one on the far west edge of town, with a HUGE balcony, can't remember the name, sorry.

Here is a pic of the room we got:



Not only was the room great, but their huge deck/balcony overlooked Grand Lake, and they had an awesome Lynard Skynard cover band playing that night, along with a pig/bbq roast, with fantastic prices and great drinks!  So not only did we have a fantastic night in Grand Lake, we got up early and rode through the park with no traffic and a huge abundance of wildlife.  So my vote is, if coming in from the west, stay in Grand Lake and ride through early in the morning!

[martys]

Thanks SaharaJp

from the pictures online it looks like you were at the Gateway Inn?  lokos like a nice place, and the area looks like a nice place to unwind at the end of the day. I'll look into modifying the route to end there.

[jbs80106]

+1 on Grand Lake.

FWIW, last time I was up there (last summer) there was a lot of beetle kill which takes away a bit from the scenery.  Once you're up there you have lots of mountain options (peak-2-peak comes to mind) that is good scenery and riding..

[martys]

got reservations at the Silver Lake Lodge in downtown Grand Lake. Looking forward to it!