Mountain Towns: Estes Park, Colorado - 7 Best Places to Visit

 

For more than 150 years, Estes Park has been known as Colorado's original playground and has been a highly sought after place to visit and vacation. Sitting at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Estes Park offers a variety of activities for the content creator, visitor, outdoor adventurist, and window shopper. If you're planning a visit anytime soon, here are the seven top places you should check out.

 

• The Stanley Hotel
• The Egg of Estes
• Antonio's Real New York Pizza
• Rocky Mountain National Park
• Thirty Below Leather
• Trendz Shop
• Estes Lake

 

Where to Stay

 

 

If you've seen Dumb and Dumber or The Shining, then you have definitely caught a glimpse of the beautiful, historical hotel that sits overlooking Estes Park. The Stanley Hotel opened in 1909 by Freelan Oscar Stanley and his wife Flora who had fallen in love with this corner of the West in 1903 and vowed to return every summer.

 

 

In the midst of the mountains, rugged way of living, and wilderness, The Stanley Hotel prides itself in being elegant, luxurious, and very stately. As you stay at the Stanley and explore its many features, you will take a step back in time as you take in the beautiful, antique decorations, furniture, and details. The Stanley Hotel offers various amenities, including lavish spa treatments and delicious culinary experiences.

 

 

Food

 

Before you venture out and explore all that Estes Park has to offer, you need to be sure you are fueled and ready for the day. The Egg of Estes is located a couple minutes away from downtown and The Stanley Hotel and is a very popular breakfast and lunch spot. It offers locally grown ingredients that ensures your food is fresh and tasty. If you're looking for a delicious lunch or dinner spot and craving some New York style pizza, you don't want to miss Antonio's Real New York Pizza located just outside of downtown. Six of the employees moved straight from Long Island and have brought their expertise of making authentic Sicilian pizza.

 

 

After filling your belly with yummy pizza, stop into Hayley's Ice Cream to satisfy that sweet tooth or The Taffy Shop to finish off your perfect day of content creating or taking in all the sights of Estes.

 

Shopping & Activities

 

As you are planning your trip to Estes Park, whether you're a visitor or on a mission to capture beautiful content to share with your community, most people know Estes as the gateway to the Rockies. Rocky Mountain National Park is located just outside of downtown and offers a variety of things to do and see for any content creator or visitor. Just driving through the park is absolutely beautiful and there are many hiking trails to discover scenery that will take you to another world. Check out our blog post on RMNP to get more information about park fees, parking, and trails to check out.

 

 

If you're looking to explore downtown and all it has to offer, there are plenty of gift shops and stores you can check out to take some merchandise home with you. Thirty Below Leather has a great collection of all leather products that are (wait for it) all below $30. Take home a brand new leather purse, hat, belt, or gloves. If you're a content creator and need a backpack for your camera or supplies, this is a great place to get an affordable, quality leather bag.

 

 

As you make your way down main street, check out Trendz at the Park, a boutique shop located downtown that offers many choices of Rocky Mountain merchandise for men, women, and children. As you're leaving Estes Park, be sure to check out the walking path around Estes Lake, a great spot to capture some more content, stretch your legs, and take in the beauty of the Rockies.