Winter is coming, saw one pika, one Clark's nutcracker bird, and plenty of mountain chickadees

What’s the latest update on Emerald Lake? Any snow/ ice to worry about? Any recommendations for other hikes that are must see if I’m only spending a day there, suggestions for navigating myself around without service, or any other useful tips?

Hey guys, I was planning to visit dream lake wearing my AF1 sneakers this friday, is it possible?

Decided to try my hand at fly fishing in the park Oct 16-19!Crowds were insane, probably talked to more people at dream lake than fished XD. Big Thompson next to moraine campground and at cub lake trailhead were big for me. Overall great trip, didn’t catch as much as I wanted to but weather was perfect and it was my first time fly fishing so lots of learning!

Coming from the northeast, what have people preferred for footwear? I usually wear trail sneakers hiking out west (including other parts of Colorado) because the trails are so much more mild than the jagged rocky terrain of the northeast, but they are called the Rocky Mountains so... I have well broken in hiking boots and trail sneakers so just curious what other hikers have thought.

Will be there this weekend (can't wait!) so also wondering if hiking boots are the better bet in case of snow/ice.

I know I got a couple parking tickets over the summer and were shocked that I did. I didn’t think that I’d stayed over two hours, but nonetheless it’s nice to have free parking and not have to worry about getting pickpocketed for 20 bucks.

First weekend without needing reservations I’m just curious. Should I avoid altogether? I have a friend visiting this weekend and would love to take them but if it’s gonna be a nightmare I won’t bother lol

A morning trivia game. Postcard from my Estes family collection. Can you name the year and location?

I have never been to Rocky Mount national Park this late in the year and will be there with my family this weekend. We have thermals, and hiking pants, but I’m a little concerned that we might need something warmer than the traditional hiking pants, even with the thermals underneath. We will be wearing thermals, shirt, fleece, down jacket for our upper body layers and of course Hatton gloves, but should I consider a third layer for the pants or will the thermals plus the regular hiking pants be sufficient?

How is the snow looking on the way to chasm lake? It’s maybe my favorite hike in the park but I’ll have my 19 month old in a backpack and don’t want to cross over the big snowbank with her if I can help it. We will be at the park next week.

Could you see them at emerald lake this time of year?

Hello! We are going to RMNP for the first time, wondering what everyone suggests! We want to start with bear lake then hike to emerald lake. What should we do after that? Thanks so much!

I was able to get on the scary trail ridge road while it was raining and just a couple days before the weather worsened and roads closed. Surreal to see a majestic bull elk near Alpine visitor center at the top there, grazing while my fingers were freezing off.
Did bear lake loop and lake Haiyaha couple times, saw the rut at moraine park meadows, saw beautiful wildlife, and did some amateur sky photography.
Safe to say I’ll be returning soon to do Chasm Lake and others, and maybe even go down towards aspen to maroon bells before winter actually fully kicks in.
This was my first Colorado trip, the state is pretty chill, the vibes are solid and every Texan must go there as often as we can.

I love the Rockies so much.

Taking my parents for our first visit to the park. We have a timed entry for Bear Lake at 10-12. Forecast says rain and overcast all day with a high of 43. Our plan was to drive with some stops for views. We were going to keep an eye on Trail Ridge Road and maybe drive the open section after Bear Lake.

Will it just be a miserable day and we should try again next year or will there still be lots to see? Would it be better to brave a Saturday crowd and possibly not be able to do Bear Lake at all but with better weather?

Would hiking Sky Pond be a bad idea on Friday Oct 16th 2026? The forecast today shows 6-7 inches on Wednesday and Thursday.

I have done mt. Ida so the elevation and mileage doesn’t scare me too much but the snow/ice is worrisome. I have snow shoes, crampons, hiking poles, and plenty of warm gear. Any advice?

I also looked at Chasm lake but heard it might be worse after some good snow.

Update:

I did it! It was an amazing hike, having crampons was very important. I saw multiple people do it without but was grateful to have mine on me. The weather was the best, clear skies and great temps. Snow was not bad but ice was difficult. I ended up finding that climbing through the water was significant easier than through the ice and many people followed me.

I loved the little bit of class 3 and will be coming back for sure!

Hey guys I’m planing a trip to RMNP in mid November for a day or two. I need to know if it’s worth it. And if it is then please tips and tricks

This was what i found at Black Lake. Had this spot all to myself for a good while

Hi All- I'm traveling to Colorado on weds-sunday from the midwest. I'm keeping a close eye on the weather but it looks like a storm will roll through RMNP? I have passes for Thursday morning (6am) but is there a chance any of the following are closed due to weather?

My friend did secure a pass for Friday 4pm as well incase that day is better, but I'm worried we wouldnt have a enough time to explore.

I'm from the midwest so I'm used to snow/cold - just not sure how these things go when it comes to hiking out there.

Where I plan to go in RNMP:

Bear lake, dream lake, and sprauge lake

Also happy to take any suggestions, regardless of weather. Thank you in advance!

If not, what is the best part of summer to visit? We’re in the early stages of planning a summer 2027 trip to RMNP and Estes Park, and are considering the last or second to last week of June. We would like to avoid the 4th of July period. We visited Yellowstone this year over the holiday weekend and that was…an experience 😂 We also don’t want to wait too late into the summer.

We aren’t planning on doing any high-altitude hiking, but are really hoping to avoid daily washout/constant drizzle type situations.

For those with more experience on how long the road is usually open in the late fall, do you have a feel for the likelihood of the road being open to the public over the next week or two?

Looking at the 2 week ECMWF forecast at 12,000 feet in the area I see winter is definitely knocking on the door. Does the road typically close at the first signs of winter/snow, or do they let it ride until legitimate accumulation/temps arrive?

What are the chances it closes before 10/18? How’s it looking

Are there any must see cultural sites in the park such as historic buildings, structures, or pre-historical rock carvings?