Rocky Mountain High—
Estes Park & Rocky Mountain Park Inn
If you've never taken a trip to North America's Rocky Mountains you're missing out on a voyage of a lifetime. One of the most beautiful and expansive in the world, the 150-collective mountain ranges that comprise the Rockies stretch approximately 3,000 miles—from British Columbia and Alberta Canada to New Mexico.
Estes Park, Colorado is famous as a gateway city to Rocky Mountain National Park and the countless year-round outdoor and recreational adventures accessible to visitors along Colorado's Front Range. Fishing, rock climbing, rafting, snow shoeing, bicycling, hiking and sightseeing are just a smattering of the fun that can be had in and around Estes.
Human history in the area dates back at least 12,000 years and includes remnants of the Clovis culture and the Ute and Arapaho who summered around the Estes area and wintered in Middle Park region south of Grand Lake. Their trails are still visible across the Continental Divide.
Rocky Mountain Park Inn (RMPI), a well-known Estes Park retreat facility, is popular as a convention hotel and family resort. RMPI provides full-service dining and oversized guest rooms—plus the city's largest indoor heated swimming pool. It's across-the street from Lake Estes and recreational activities including golf, boating, biking and hiking. This summer the Inn will expand its pet-friendly program with ARF (AnimalsRFamily) and open their beautiful outdoor Aspen Courtyard as a community dining and gathering spot.
Historic Estes Park is filled with quaint shops and eateries, and entertains with live theatre, a robust night life, historic museums and notable annual events including the 30+ years running Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival (September 8-11, 2011).
Rocky Mountain National Park is what most people come to experience, and the free seasonal shuttle services out of Estes Park to various destinations and hiking trails in the Park make the visit easy and comfortable for those who just want to sight see and avoid traffic. (Shuttle hours/days vary by season). In 1932 the highest continuous motorway in the United States opened in the National Park. Trail Ridge Road, crossing the Continental Divide, connects the tourist havens of Estes Park and Grand Lake, Colorado, and provides unbelievable access to wildlife viewing, high-altitude and alpine ecosystems, and above-timberline mountain vistas. In fact, over 8-miles of Trail Ridge are above 11,000 ft.!
Forever Resorts operates lodging, dining and adventure attractions across the United States. Visit the Travel-Forever.com blog to see how the Lindfors, a New York family of four, were able to take advantage of two Forever Resort National Park properties during their 3-week tour of the West in the summer of 2010.
- Destinations include Rocky Mountain Park Inn, Estes Park Colorado, Signal Mountain Lodge and campgrounds in Grand Teton National Park, Cedar Pass Lodge and Badlands Inn in Badlands National Park, South Dakota. And, Forever Resorts also owns Mormon Lake Lodge, a quaint northern Arizona historic lodge just south east of Flagstaff Arizona that is open all year with full service dining, cabins, campgrounds and RV park and seasonal events, bike, ATV and snow mobile rentals.
- Just outside of Jackson Hole, WY, Forever Resort offers Mad River Boat Trips, featuring white water and scenic rafting on the Snake River, (May through September). And, new this year, are seasonal summer/winter motor coach excursions and winter snow mobile tours to remote locations.
- Many Forever Resorts properties are perfect unique getaways for meetings and personal events—like family reunions, weddings, and birthday parties. If you're planning a special event, make it even more special under the care of our experienced staff and caterers.
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