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Homer Rouse Trail – a Dog Friendly Trail in Estes Park, Colorado

Meet Duncan, he is our fun-loving Golden Retriever/Newfoundland mix. Sadly, Duncan hasn’t made the trip to Colorado with us quite yet because I’m afraid he will pull me off a mountain with his over-enthusiastic leash pulling. He is an important member of the family though, so I’m sure he will make it out someday soon. I’m always on the lookout for good dog-friendly hikes in Estes Park for him.

Dogs aren’t allowed on trails in Rocky Mountain National Park, but we’ve found some options near the park like Homer Rouse Trail which is a public trail that goes through private property. It’s used for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

The hike starts on Fish Creek Road where you can park off the street. You begin on a gravel road near horse pastures.

The hike climbs steadily up hill. There are signs throughout the hike to keep you on course. Look up to see beautiful Twin Sisters Peaks towering over the valley.

Turn left and cross over the creek on a small wood bridge.

This will take you into an enjoyable wooded section of the hike.

Pop out of the wooded trail and take another left up a dirt road. You can spot glimpses of Twin Sisters on your right. Our toddler walked for parts of this section because the road was pretty wide and clear.

Approximately 1.5 miles into the hike, you approach historic Baldpate Inn. Built in 1917, the Inn’s dining room serves specialty buffets. Fun fact: Baldpate Inn is also home to the world’s largest collection of keys according to their website.

After our uphill hike it was pretty tempting to stop at the Inn for refreshments, but we hiked a little further to Lily Lake which is right across highway 7. Note: Lily Lake is part of Rocky Mountain National Park and no pets are allowed on the trail. (sorry Duncan)

Lily Lake has been one of our favorite spots and now it’s even better. We were excited to see the bridge over a marshy area (the side closest to Longs Peak) finished after being under construction for some time.

We found a secluded little spot with picnic tables for a rest and snack break off the trail.

The return hike was mostly down hill, so it went pretty fast! I think our dog Duncan would have loved the Homer Rouse Trail. Where do you take your dogs hiking in Estes Park, CO?

Updated Hike information

Homer Rouse Trail – Revisited

Deer Mountain – a Family Friendly Summit Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park

Looking for a family friendly summit hike in Rocky Mountain National Park? There is something very rewarding about reaching the summit of a mountain, but with young kids it’s hard to spend the time, energy and face the technical challenges of hiking up many of the prominent peaks.

Good news! You don’t have to hike all day to experience wonderful panoramic views and gain that awesome feeling of accomplishment. A three-mile hike up Deer Mountain offers both. The hike is located at Deer Ridge Junction, a few miles west of the Beaver Meadows entrance.

There isn’t a parking lot near Deer Mountain. Cars park right off the street making parking limited.

Gear for hiking with young children and babies
I carried our 4 month old in an Ergobaby carrier and my husband carried our 2 1/2-year-old in a Deuter kid comfort carrier. With the added weight, we were happy to take extra breaks to enjoy the inspiring mountain vistas.

As we approached the summit, we hiked through melting snow which is pretty common in May – especially this year. I was thankful for my waterproof hiking boots, but we still got wet and muddy. Keeping a pair of flip-flops in the car to change into post hike would be helpful.

Trekking poles were also helpful. You gain 1,093 ft of elevation.

Standing at 10,013′ we made it to the summit. This was our youngest daughter’s first summit hike. Both girls were ready for a snack at this point, but we were worried about dark clouds looming in the distance and decided to start our descent. We probably should have started this hike earlier in the day because storms are more common in the afternoon.

On the way down, we had to be cautious in a few areas where slippery rocks were covered in slushy snow (especially with our precious cargo).

Luck was on our side, the weather cleared and we enjoyed the 3 mile return trip under blue skies.

Moose Spotting Makes for a Memerable Morning Hike Around Sprague Lake

We just got back from a Memorial Day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Our final hike was a quick half mile loop around picturesque Sprague Lake. Our toddler loves this popular hike because she can do it herself.

There are plenty of bridges to run over and rocks to climb on.

There are benches to rest on and great places to take family photos (if you can get everyone to look at the camera).

Oh wait!? Is that a moose in the background?

Yep! Much to our surprise a moose waded into the crisp mountain lake.

No matter how many times we go, we can’t wait to come back!

Family Hiking Journal

Free Family Hiking Journal Page

On the way home from our first trip to Rocky Mountain National Park with our daughter Cecilia, we decided it would be fun and helpful to log our hikes in the Rocky Mountains and other parks we travel to. We started a family hiking journal which helps us keep track of each hike. It’s a great way to capture fun details like what animals we spotted on the trail. It’s also rewarding to add up miles that we’ve hiked as a family.

I create entries for each hike. You can download a sample Rocky Mountain Tot Family Hiking Journal.

I also keep track of ‘points of interest’ we visit such as visitors centers, Trail Ridge road, local breweries, St. Malo Center and the Stanley Hotel. For special occasions like family reunions I jot down ‘trip highlights’ which are bullet points that summarize a special moment like, ‘hot chocolate and eating cinnamon rolls at Fall River visitor’s center restaurant. Views were beautiful!’

Finally, I keep a little post-it note with hikes I hope to go on soon. Taking pictures is a wonderful way to memorialize a family vacation, but keeping an old-fashioned journal brings me a lot of joy too.

What ways do you capture special family memories?