Traveling to Rocky Mountain National Park on a Budget

Rocky Mountain National Park, located in Northern Colorado in the United States, spans 415 square miles, showcasing the stunning scenery of Rocky Mountain’s Front Range. Commonly known as the “Rockies,” the mountain is one of North America’s major mountain ranges, stretching over 34,800 km across parts of Canada, Mexico, and the United States. With some of the best recreational activities available, from hiking, biking, and fishing to horseback riding, camping, and mountaineering, Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the United States.

Grand Lake and Estes Park are the two primary access points to the park, from the western and eastern slopes of the park, respectively. Estes Park, a picturesque “base camp” town on the eastern border of the park, is the perfect mountain town known for its wildlife, nature, and beauty. The most popular attractions and hiking trails are all on the east side of the park, which is a lengthy drive from Grand Lake, thus making Estes Park the most preferred entrance of the visitors.

It generally requires two to three days to enjoy time in Rocky Mountain National Park and explore Old Fall River Road, Alpine Ridge Road, and even two more days if you are a passionate hiker. The entrance vehicle fee is pegged at USD 25 for one day only, USD 35 for seven days, or USD 70 for an annual pass if you are planning to visit several times during the year. Additionally, if you enter by foot or use the shuttle bus, a USD 20 per person fee is applied, which is applicable for seven days. While these are manageable, the highest chunk of the cost is accounted for by accommodation. That’s when places in downtown Estes Park comes in handy. You can save a huge amount of money that will be spent on accommodation, as there are many places to stay in Estes Park at a low cost.

Estes Park accommodations

For a budget traveler, a wide range of lodging options is available to suit the town’s food, outdoor activities, and cultural attractions. Inside the national park itself, there are no lodging options, so you’ll have to look at the surrounding towns. One good option is picking from Rocky Mountain National Park’s various campgrounds. At Estes Park, five campgrounds are available: Aspenglen; Glacier Basin; Moraine Park; Longs Peak; and Timber Creek, with campsites fees starting from USD 30 per night for summer and USD 20 per night in winter. Further, awarded as the “Best Resort by Budget Travel” during 2018 by Budget Travel Magazine, YMCA of the Rockies is a fantastic option for the best places to stay in Estes Park, CO for budget travelers visiting Rocky Mountain National Park.

The resort, consisting of 9 lodges and 206 cabins, provides stress-free and affordable accommodations for families and groups in Colorado: Estes Park Center at Estes Park and Snow Mountain Ranch at Winter Park. The accommodation cost ranges from USD 109-604 per night for 2–5-bedroom cabins for headcounts of 4-12. In addition, the area is well equipped with several hotels and lodging options whose average hotel prices range between USD 217 -250 per night based on the average daily room rates from Booking.com.

Estes Park, which is well known for its scenic beauty, as well as its challenging hikes and quirky villages, should be your next nature-filled travel destination.