Colorado Rockies

Length of Trip

To experience the various destinations, we’ve written this itinerary over 6 full days, with air travel on the 1st and 6th day. However, depending on your interest, availability, and flight options, you could add a day or two in either area, shorten the trip to just one or the other area, or make other modifications. In particular, if you're interested in more long-distance hiking longer hike, you may wish to add time to still have space for the variety of other activities.

Travel Season

These mountains are beautiful throughout the year, but most of the trails and other activities are only accessible when snow-free. Some parts of Rocky Mountain National Park close for the season in mid-October, and many other areas may close as well. In the springtime, snow lingers at high elevations into early summer, but good deals can be found on lodging in exchange for some flexibility on driving and hiking logistics. 

   Jan     Feb     Mar     Apr     May     Jun     Jul     Aug     Sep     Oct     Nov     Dec   

Key:     best months       okay months     not advised

Many accommodations and high-demand activity permits fill up quickly during peak seasons. Planning a minimum of 6 months in advance, or in some cases 12 months, increases availability. However, even with shorter time horizons we will work to find options for you and your group.

Tip: Foliage season peaks in October, so although road closures can begin mid-month, some feel seeing the aspens in full golden color is well worth it.

Most nights on this trip involve lodging in 3-star hotels. Sometimes lodging in or adjacent to national parks may have fewer amenities, but is still the right choice based on location, as well as historic appeal. 

If you would prefer more luxurious lodging, let us know and we can present additional options along with the price difference. If you would prefer to save some money, let us know and we can discuss less expensive options as well. If you are interested in camping, there are campgrounds convenient to some, but not all, of the locations. Talk to our team about camping options in lieu of hotels when making your reservation. This will reduce cost significantly, but also may not always be available as park service campgrounds in particular often fill up quickly. (Note that Wandersaurus does not provide or facilitate rental of camping equipment.)

The recommended hikes throughout this trip are mostly of the 2-4 mile variety and can be completed by a reasonably fit person without much specific training. No more than 6 miles of hiking are listed on any individual day, unless your groups specifically requests information on climbing the 14ers or other strenuous hikes. In the case of hikes that are a bit more challenging than the others in the itinerary, detailed descriptions of are provided as well as alternative suggestions if one or more are not right for your group.  

All of this trip takes place at elevations of at least 5,000 feet, and many hikes climb much higher. Altitude sickness is a risk that can be somewhat unpredictable. If booking this trip we'll make sure to include information on symptoms and treatment. 

Kids: You know your kids better than we do. A 5-year-old with enthusiasm for the outdoors and some hiking experience would not find any of these overly challenging. A 15-year-old with an “indoor cat” personality might struggle. That said, many trails are not stroller-friendly. A couple of individual trails will have notes of caution for kids in your detailed daily itinerary.

The distances on this trip are not long, but many of the roads are very windy, and can also be crowded. Speed limits are often just 35 mph, and drivers are more respectful of those limits here than on bigger highways. Estimated primary drive times are as follows:

• DEN to Estes Park: 1 ½ hours

• Estes Park to Idaho Springs (thru RMNP): 3 hours

• Idaho Springs to DEN: 1 - 2 hours 

You will also end up driving an hour or two each day to get to the various trailheads, but fortunately all the drives are through the scenery of Colorado's mountains, so you probably won't mind.

Other Logistics

The biggest challenge at many trailheads is finding parking. We'll give advice on which trailheads tend to fill up the fastest, and make sure to provide alternative hikes if parking is completely unavailable. Additionally, depending on time of year, timed ticket entry may be required for one or more areas on this itinerary. We'll make sure you have the permits you need and a complete understanding of how to use them.

By Air

This itinerary is designed around a starting point of DEN Denver International Airport. DEN is a major hub airport, the 3rd busiest in the country, and is well-served by all major airlines. All major rental car agencies have facilities accessed by shuttle bus from the main terminal. Our itineraries have flexible schedules on the arrival and departure days, so let us know what flight options you have and we can make adjustments as needed to accommodate.

By Car

There are no other major metropolitan areas other than Salt Lake City within an 8-hour drive of these destinations. That said, if you are driving longer distances to visit the Rockies, let us know your plans and we can adjust the itinerary accordingly.

Some features of this trip may have seasonal variation, so all package prices are presented as estimated ranges. Contact us for a more precise price estimate for your preferred travel dates. Pricing does NOT include airfare.

Couples / Two Travelers

This trip was originally designed for parties of 2 people, sharing a room. The expected total price for all included items is $1,800 - $2,400.

Families

Groups of 3-6 people can enjoy this trip as well, with costs variable depending on room-sharing preferences. Contact us for details.

Solo

Unfortunately for solo travelers, the majority of the costs are overnight accommodations which do not reduce for individuals, so a solo traveler would only save around $200 off of the couples' price.

Larger Groups

While details of this trip were not designed with larger groups in mind, the itinerary would still be functional. Contact us to discuss!

Payment Policies

• Payments must be made by credit card. Specific restrictions may exist for certain lodging or activity vendors. 

• 20% deposit due at time of reservation

• Balance due 90 days before trip start date (If booking within 90 days of trip, full balance due at time of reservation)

• Some portion of deposit may be nonrefundable, as some excursions or activity fees (which will have been booked upon confirmation) are nonrefundable. Accommodations and transportation will generally be reserved as refundable.

• Fully refundable until 60 days before trip start, less $100 admin fee and any nonrefundable excursions

• 50% refundable until 14 days before trip start

• If cancelling within 14 days of trip start, no refunds are given

Included In Your Package Price

• Bespoke itinerary - tailored as needed to suit your particular requirements

• Overnight accommodations for all nights

• Rental car

• Maps of all driving routes

• Trail maps and trail descriptions for all recommended hikes

• Restaurant recommendations, at a range of price points, highlighting vegetarian and kid-friendly options

• “America the Beautiful” federal lands pass (grants access to all National Park Service facilities on the trip)

• Tickets to all museums included in trip plan

• Fees for any guided tours mentioned in trip plan

• Expert advice and local information, including packing suggestions

• Updated information on any changing conditions delivered in the weeks before your trip

• Carbon offset credits for the mileage driven along the main route of the itinerary

• Full support during your trip from the Wandersaurus Travel team (9:00 am until 9:00 pm Eastern Time)

Not Included

• Travel to and from your starting/ending points

• Gasoline, parking, and/or any other ground transportation expenses unless specified

• Meals unless specified

• Additional guided tours or excursions beyond those specified

• Tips/gratuities for any guides

• Travel insurance. Note: we recommend purchasing travel insurance via a certified insurance agency