Grand Lake – Page 2 – rocky mountain tot

East Shore Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park

Today I want to share a scouting report for a new (to us) trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. East Shore is located on the west side of the national park near the town of Grand Lake and Granby Colorado. The trail borders Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby as well as the Colorado River. We parked near Shadow Mountain Dam. Our girls found the dam fascinating. (Their excitement could be attributed to the movie Frozen 2 which features a dam breaking as a major plot point.)

East Shore trailhead Rocky Mountain National Park. Hike near Grand Lake and Granby.

From the trailhead you could see Green Ridge Campground which is part of the Arapaho National Recreation Area.

The East Shore trailhead gives hikers access to RMNP as well as the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. From Shadow Mountain Dam, we headed north for a half mile. The total distance of the East Shore trail is over 20 miles.

By the time we made it to East Shore, we had already hiked up on the alpine tundra and gone kayaking on Grand Lake. Given all the activities of the day, it’s not surprising that we only made it through a very small portion of the trail. We are excited to return when we have more energy and time to explore.

East Shore trailhead Rocky Mountain National Park. Hike near Grand Lake and Granby. Views of Lake Granby and Shadow Mountain Lake — The East Shore trail features lake and mountain views. Imagine how pretty it would be at sunset.

Trail Positives: Lake views, mountain views, wildflowers, dam.

Trail Negatives: Distance from our cabin in Estes Park.

Final Thoughts: This trail would be a good option for people visiting Grand Lake or Granby, Colorado. Remember that hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park requires a park pass and a timed-entry permit.

Kayaking Grand Lake, Colorado

One of the highlights of our July trip to Colorado was renting a kayak on Grand Lake. We were staying at our cabin in Estes Park, Colorado so we drove over Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park to get to Grand Lake. A national park pass as well as a timed-entry reservation are required to drive this route. We stopped along the way to do a short hike up on the Tundra Communities Trail. The drive would take about an hour and a half without stops. On our drive to Grand Lake we spotted a couple of moose which is common in this area of the national park.

Grand Lake Colorado kayaking. Rent a kayak on Grand Lake.

renting a kayak on grand lake in Colorado

We rented a 15 foot tandem kayak for our family of four from Mountain Paddlers Kayak Shak. The kayak had enough room for two adults and our two small children.

Mountain Paddlers is located right on the lake. Rentals are first come, first served. We rented our kayak for one hour, which was a good amount of time for our first ride with the kids.

best time to go kayaking in grand lake

Mountain Paddlers is open from 8:00 am until 7:00 pm seven days a week from Memorial Day through Labor Day unless the weather is bad.

The rental came with floatation devices for everyone in the kayak as well as a safety whistle and dry bag.

kayaking lake estes vs. grand lake

Last summer we went kayaking on Lake Estes in Estes Park, Colorado. We enjoyed our time on the water. I wrote about our experience in this post.

Grand Lake is a bigger lake which means that there are more boats and some faster boats on the water with you. I enjoyed the natural landscape. As a HGTV fan, it was also fun to see the lake homes. Some of them are dream homes! Grand Lake is the largest natural lake in Colorado while Estes Park is man-made. Grand Lake also connects to Shadow Mountain Lake. We didn’t get that far, but I would like to extend our rental time in the future so we can explore Shadow Mountain Lake as well.

things to do in grand lake, Colorado

We worked up an appetite paddling, so once we were back on land, we ate lunch outdoors at a Mexican restaurant. We enjoyed dessert at an ice cream shop. Then we went on another quick hike before heading back towards Estes Park. I could not have asked for a better day trip. Want more ideas for things to do in Grand Lake? I wrote this post about Great Reasons to Visit Grand Lake, Colorado with Kids.

Where is Rocky Mountain National Park? And Answers to Common Questions

I often get so excited about finding new restaurants in Estes Park or trails in Rocky Mountain National Park, that I forget some people are traveling to our favorite town for the very first time and need to know the basics. This post is dedicated to answering common questions for first-time visitors.

Where is Rocky Mountain National Park?

Rocky Mountain National Park is located in the state of Colorado.

What towns are near Rocky Mountain National Park?

Estes Park, Colorado is a mountain town that sits on the eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Estes Park is approximately a one-and-a-half hour drive from Denver, Colorado and less than an hour drive from Boulder, Colorado.

Grand Lake, Colorado sits on the western side of Rocky Mountain National Park and is approximately a two-hour drive from Denver, Colorado.

Traffic in the Denver area can dramatically affect drive times, so I recommend timing your trip to avoid rush-hours if possible.

What is the elevation in Estes Park and Grand Lake?

Estes Park is at 7,522 feet in elevation. Grand Lake is even higher at 8,369 feet. At these elevations, it is good to keep in mind that your body needs time to acclimate. We have found altitude affects each person differently – some people have only minor issues adjusting while others may experience altitude sickness. We try to stay hydrated and find lower elevation hikes that are less strenous on the first day of our trip.

What is the weather like in Rocky Mountain National Park?

Summer: One of the best parts of traveling to the mountains in the summer months is the cooler temperatures and lower humidity (compared to our home in Arkansas). Mornings and evenings are often cool. Afternoon highs can reach into the 80s. Afternoon rain showers are common.

Fall: Crisp fall days, golden aspens, and the elk rut make autumn a wonderful and popular time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. It can snow in the fall as we learned during an October trip where we ended up doing more sledding than hiking.

Winter: Winter is less busy in Rocky Mountain National Park compared to summer and fall prime months. Temperatures are cold, but on sunny days we have found it comfortable to hike, go sledding, and snow shoe as long as we bring warm layers. Some days the winds are extraordinarily strong which makes it less enjoyable. The town of Estes Park sparkles with holiday lights.

Spring: Snow and snow melt are common in spring. When we want to hike we typically visit lower elevation areas where the snow has melted out. Often the trails are slushy and muddy in spots. We bring trekking poles and fresh shoes to change into when we are done with our hike.

Additional tips about weather conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park can be found on the national park’s website.

I hope this is a good start. I’ll answer more common questions in upcoming posts mixed in with new hikes that we enjoyed from our most recent trip. If you have any questions I should cover in our next post, please ask them in the comments.

Planning Our July Trip to Rocky Mountain National Park

Growing up my Nana claimed that after the 4th of July holiday, summer always flies by. I’m not ready for this summer to be over, so I’m hoping our upcoming trip to Rocky Mountain National Park will slow down time. I can’t wait to relax in the mountains before we have to worry about the uncertainty of the 2020 school year. (Plus, I may be in denial that my oldest is starting kindergarten).

dream hike

I have a long list of hikes I want to attempt during our upcoming trip to the mountains. Dream Lake is at the top of my list. The hike begins at Bear Lake trail head in Rocky Mountain National Park. The first section climbs uphill. Soon you arrive at Nymph Lake which is known for it’s lake lilies. The hike up also includes mountain views and a waterfall.

The total distance is 1.1 miles each way. We’ve hiked to Dream Lake several times as a family, but this will be the first time my 5-year-old daughter will hike it on her own. Other hikes on my wish list include Hollowell Park, Calyspo Cascades in the Wild Basin, and Black Canyon Trail in the Lumpy Ridge area of RMNP.

Rocky Mountain National Park has a new timed entry system. We reserved early morning spots for each day of our trip through recreation.gov. It will be interesting to see how the new system affects traffic in these popular hiking destinations.

Dream Lake Rocky Mountain National Park — Dream Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

dream Drive

I’m also eager to explore the Alpine Tundra. Our plan is to drive up Old Fall River Road and connect to Trail Ridge Road. Potential hikes along our way include the Tundra Community Trail and Poudre Lake.

The views on the tundra are incredible. In the past we’ve hiked the Alpine Ridge Trail and a portion of the Ute Trail. I highly recommend both.

Hiking on the Tundra in Rocky Mountain National Park

dream day trip

Although we will be spending most of our vacation in Estes Park, we want to take a day trip to Grand Lake, Colorado. Potential activities near Grand Lake include renting kayaks or hiking from the East Shore trail head. In the past we’ve enjoyed hiking the East Meadow and Coyote Valley. If you are looking for a place to stay on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, I recommend checking out this spot in Granby.

dream dinner with views

I’m excited to head up into the mountains where we can take advantage of the cooler temperatures. I’m on the lookout for restaurants with patios. Latitude 105 is at the top of my list. I also want to check out Dunraven’s new location near Lake Estes. We’ve listed all our favorite restaurants in Estes Park here.

dream dessert

We are pretty loyal to our favorite ice cream shop in Estes Park. I can’t wait to get a big scoop at Hayley’s!

kid-sized dreams

I asked my girls what they want to do on our trip. They said they want to get hot chocolate at Coffee on the Rocks and pick out a rock at the Red Rose Rock Shop next door.

Rock Shop Estes Park Colorado — Rock Shop in Estes Park, Colorado

finding balance

Beyond all of the fun dreams I have for our trip, I want to be intentional about the way I use my down time. I’m going to challenge myself to take significant breaks from social media feeds and news updates while I’m away, basically a social media detox. I’m going to focus on being in the moment out in nature and spending quality time with my family.

At the same time, I also want to come back with some awesome new content to share here. Last month we saw tremendous growth in traffic. I’m excited to see how many people are visiting and hopefully finding helpful information about Rocky Mountain National Park and Northwest Arkansas. Thank you for following!