Going Over the Top: Hiking Estes Park CO Trails

To truly know a place and offer a top review it is important to learn your information from someone who has lived in a location. I spent the first 14 years of my life in Estes Park learning its breathtaking views, hiking trails, and learning about protecting the environment. While I no longer live in Estes Park Colorado I spend many days out of the year visiting the town and its little wonders. A goal of my childhood was to go over the top of Trail Ridge, hiking the 18 miles from Estes Park to Grand Lake. This trek takes quite a bit of planning and conditioning before it can come to fruition. If hiking is a passion of yours you may find the information below helpful in taking this magnificent hike.

The planning should allow for six months of preparation. Estes Park CO is set at 7,522 feet from sea level. Elevation when hiking is something to consider because altitude will make breathing a little more difficult for some. For those not acclimated to higher elevations striking out on even a 1 mile hike can be difficult. This is why planning and preparation are needed. I say that six months of preparation is recommended, but it is imperative that you move at your own pace. You do not want to start the 18 mile hike if 3 miles is still difficult for you. Keep in mind the elevation for Estes Park is a starting point. Estes Park sits in a bowl between several mountains, which means the peak for the Trail Ridge hike is at a significantly higher elevation. The elevation of Trail Ridge Road at the top is 12,183 feet. The hike you will take does not follow the path of the road, but offers a more direct route, but the elevation is comparable.

To begin preparations for the Trail Ridge path you need to experience several levels of hikes. You will want to take a few 1 mile treks. Once a mile is easy for you, you will need to increase the amount of miles you take. As you increase the miles you will also want to increase the difficulty of the trail. The Trail Ridge hike is uphill for about half of the trek, and downhill into Grand Lake.

The hike can be done in 6 to 7 hours depending on your speed and the party hiking with you. Generally once the top of the plateau is reached a long break is needed, as well as several stops along the way. During the planning for your hike you will need to make arrangements for one person or a group to meet you in Grand Lake. This will enable you to get back to Estes Park, unless you wish to camp or stay at a hotel over night and hike back the next day.

More information about the trail to take, the trail head, and other trails to prepare on can be found through the Rocky Mountain National Park Service.