Estes Park, Colorado

Located just 46 miles from Moose Lake Lodge, Estes Park is known as the “eastern gateway” to Rocky Mountain National Park, and people often equate it with the park. Situated outside Rocky Mountain National Park boundaries, Estes Park is a mountain community that offers shopping, dining, museums, and a riverwalk.

In the summer and fall, a drive to Estes Park can make a lovely day trip from Moose Lake Lodge. Trail Ridge Road, which connects Grand Lake and Estes Park, is one of the most scenic drives in the world, reaching 12, 183 feet at its highest point, cutting through Rocky Mountain National Park, across the Continental Divide.

The Stanley Hotel is the most famous landmark in Estes Park, and its Sunday brunch is a big draw. The hotel is reputed to be haunted (in fact, ghost tours are offered to the public) – a designation that was no doubt enhanced when novelist Stephen King used the Stanley Hotel as inspiration for The Shining.