Spend a Weekend in Estes Park, Colorado

During autumn in Estes Park, Colorado, the aspens glam up in gold, courting elk bugle, the “spirited” Stanley Hotel feels extra spooky, and neighboring Rocky Mountain National Park hints at its wildest wintry self. As you explore this nature-infused town and its surrounding peaks, maybe with a stash of locally made saltwater taffy in your pocket, you’ll understand why Estes Park has drawn vacationers since the late 1800s.      

Named for frontiersman Joel Estes, who tried (and failed) to eke out a living here starting in 1860, Estes Park soon became a beacon of mountain wellness after other enterprising settlers turned their ranches into tourist havens. They enticed weary urbanites by offering a rustic reset: At 7,522 feet, among whooshing rivers, fragrant pines, and mostly indifferent elk, you can reconnect with nature, revive your health with alpine air and adventures, and return home renewed. 

Today, this tight-knit, dedicated community of about 5,800 full-time residents, including artisans, retirees, and laid-back hospitality workers, still upholds this alluring promise. The town breezily walks the line between touristy enticements (a thrilling mountain coaster! a haunted hotel! candy shops galore!) and authentic natural wonders. Whether you hike a few miles in Rocky Mountain National Park or just sigh back into a riverside bench, you’ll likely decide that Estes Park was exactly what you needed.

Things to Do

Trees tend to reach peak autumn brilliance in the area between late September and early October, depending on the weather and elevation. For a potential fall foliage feast, amble along the town’s tranquil backbone, the Riverwalk Path, tracing the Big Thompson and Fall rivers beneath quaking aspens, autumn blaze maples, sensation box elders, and many other deciduous trees.   

Leaves still green? Head up higher for a gentle, nearly milelong hike around Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park (timed entrance reservation required from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., May 23 to mid-October). In the fall, cottonwoods and aspens light up the shoreline, while elk and moose sometimes meander through the pines. The park’s Trail Ridge Road climbs up to 12,183 feet, passing stomach-dropping views over the cliffs. It closes for the winter around mid-October, and drives on those last weeks may offer a snow-veiled glimpse of what the park is like when left wildly alone.

If you didn’t manage to snag a timed reservation into the park, you can still romp along its roads on one of the Jeep tours offered by two companies in town. Park passes are included on the 3.5-hour “Top of the World Tour” with Wildside 4x4 Tours, which switchbacks up Old Fall River Road, past gleaming aspens and perhaps bighorn sheep.

Fall is also prime time for the elk rut, when 700-pound testosterone-charged bull elk vie for the females (called “cows”) by tussling with their mighty antlers and making screeching sounds like a pubescent choirboy. Do not attempt a selfie—though the elk mosey everywhere, including on hotel grounds, along the Riverwalk, and once into a used bookstore in town. You can safely watch these mammoth deer-family members from the edge of an open area, such as Moraine Park in the national park, or at the golf course by the town’s visitors center. You can also celebrate the rut with the town at its annual Elk Fest. Don’t miss the festival’s bugling contest, when elk fans of all ages compete with their high-pitched impressions.

Where to Stay

Lean into Halloween-season spookiness with a stay at the grand Stanley Hotel. Dating from 1909, this 14-building lodging complex inspired Stephen King to write the horror novel The Shining after he spent an autumn night here in 1974. Though the hotel did not actually appear in the terrifying Stanley Kubrick flick based on the book, it did serve as a filming location for the 1997 TV miniseries. You can book specific rooms that reportedly have spiked paranormal activity, including the Stephen King Suite (room 217). 

Throughout the hotel, expect to be transported back to the times of F.O. Stanley, the brilliant inventor and entrepreneur who established the hotel with his wife, Flora, after he miraculously recovered from tuberculosis in Estes Park. A 1909 Otis elevator whisks you to your room, a curvy Stanley Steamer motor carriage (with a “redrum” license plate referencing The Shining) rests in the lobby, and historic pictures of early 20th-century hotel patrons decorate the rooms. 

The property also offers theatrical seances, high-level magic shows, and multiple guided tours, including a Spirited Night Tour that shares creepy tales of hauntings and photos of possible ghosts on the property. (Book tours several weeks in advance for October dates.) Look for the specter of Flora Stanley, who has been spotted in the concert hall; listen for the departed handyman, Paul, who has been said to shout at concert hall visitors; and give yourself goose bumps on the hotel’s fourth floor, where some guests have heard ghostly children laughing. 

If you’re looking for lodging that’s more modern but still spunky, try the Trailborn Rocky Mountains, a renovated motel with Southwest-chic décor, sleek outdoor firepits for making complimentary s’mores, and an in-house café serving tacos and tequilas. 

Relive your childhood camp memories, maybe with your own kids, at the affordable YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center, located about 5 miles outside town. Roller-skating at the property’s groovy rink, indoor swimming, access to a well-stocked crafts center (oh, hi, friendship bracelets!), and guided nature tours all come with your stay. The horseback-riding stables offer another way to take in the autumn colors.

Where to Shop

Every few steps along the main drag of Elkhorn Avenue, the smell of freshly made waffle cones or caramel popcorn leads you past shops filled with souvenir sweatshirts, insulated mugs, sterling-silver jewelry, outdoor gear, and moose stuffies. You might settle into a vacation-easy pattern: stop, shop, eat a sweet, and repeat. 

A few stores stand out, including Earthwood Collections, where the mountain town–friendly owners, Ann and Ron Wilcocks, share the work of over 150 American artists, about a third of whom are from Colorado. From vibrant representations of bison to handcrafted pottery featuring aspens, the gallery’s offerings often reflect nature in the West. Down the street at Mountain Blown Glass, pick out a speckled glass pumpkin from the colorful patch that’s handmade by the father-and-son team in the back of the shop. 

Pop into Buckles of Estes to choose from hundreds of belt buckles—including many featuring Rocky Mountain wildlife, such as wolves, eagles, and moose—as well as leather biker jackets and frontier-style ones with suede fringe. Or select upscale cabin-cozy home furnishings at Wynbrier Home. The scent of the Fraser fir candles makes it feel like Christmas has come early.

As you explore, you’re almost guaranteed to walk by a mesmerizing saltwater taffy pulling machine. Step inside The Taffy Shop, established in 1935, to savor a free sample (try the salted-caramel variety) while you sway to old-school tunes by the likes of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. At Laura’s Fine Candies, fancy caramel apples line up like plump soldiers ready to fulfill the store’s motto: “Spoiling dinner since 1970.” For a more fiery foodie souvenir, wander into the Elkins Distilling Co. tasting room to try its Colorado winter whisky and apple spiced liqueur. They are just begging to be poured into a hot toddy.

Where to Eat

For dinner in town, relax on the back patio by the Riverwalk at Ed’s Cantina & Grill, known for its blended avocado margaritas and bison enchiladas with tomato-serrano sauce. A couple of miles away at Bird and Jim, look out at a meadow (and possibly elk) while you enjoy farm-to-table seasonal fare, like deliciously crusty frontier trout, wild-game meatloaf, or smoked pheasant chowder. Locals also love Sweet Basilico, with its snug, brick-walled interior and patio seating by the Big Thompson River. Homemade garlic bread, lasagna bolognese, and cannelloni hit the spot after a hike. So does a Galactic Portal Hazy IPA from the locally owned, family-friendly Rock Cut Brewing Company, found riverside at the base of Prospect Mountain.    

The next morning, grab a “Howling at the Wind” macadamia nut and cinnamon latte and Mountain Mama vegetarian breakfast sandwich at Coffee on the Rocks. Kids love this café too, because it sits right beside a pond filled with hungry mallards. A scoop of dried corn duck food sells for $1. 

Elegant morning meals are served with a side of campy horror-movie humor at the Stanley Hotel’s Brunch & Co. at the Lodge. Here you can order a “Rise and Shining” classic two-egg breakfast from a “blood”-splattered menu. A steak knife comes stabbed into the towering “Here’s Johnny!” eggs Benedict–inspired gourmet sandwich. Views from the Lodge’s veranda look out on the cherry-red tram cars that have zoomed visitors up Prospect Mountain since 1955. It’s just another reminder of how Estes Park has long balanced touristy fun with its true alpine beauty.