Planning a fun-filled adventure to Estes Park this summer? Between the hiking, biking, and water activities, there’s plenty to keep you occupied until you’re ready to head back to your cabin or condo for the night. We love pointing our guests in the right direction when it comes to fun Estes Park activities and so we put together a list of summer activities to get your vacation plans started.
- Celebrate the official start of summer at the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival. This free event celebrates the summer solstice with dancing, music, food, sword battles, a craft fair, and much more. The festival is June 28 and 29 and is held at Bond Park, 170 MacGregor Ave.
- Enjoy the Go 4th Festival and Fireworks over Independence Day weekend. July 3rd festivities include a pig roast and beer garden with live music at the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park. Adult tickets are $8, $4 for children. On the 4th, enjoy a free concert at the Performance Park Amphitheater featuring the Estes Village Band before finding a great spot to catch the 9:30 p.m. fireworks show!
- The past comes to life through Campfire Ghost Stories. On July 10, hear about the history of Estes Park and the dream of Rocky Mountain National Park. Tickets are $10 for the hour-long presentation and includes marshmallow roasting! Call 970-586-3262 for more information.
- Score a hole-in-one at Tiny Town. A local favorite, our Tiny Town Miniature Golf, is the most affordable fun for the whole family at just $3 per person! The course, located at 840 Moraine Ave., has been around for years but the charming atmosphere and friendly owner has generations of Estes Park visitors returning for another try at that hole-in-one.
- Travel back in time and have the photo to prove it. Stop by Real West Old Time Portraits and check out the huge variety of costumes to pretend you’re back in Estes Park when it was first becoming a town.
- Taste the spirit of Colorado at an Estes Park winery. Sip your way around the Snowy Peaks Winery, you can even take the kids and drop them off at the “No Wine-ing Zone” right inside the winery while you enjoy the tasting room. Snowy Peaks has a variety of varietals in white, red, and dessert wines. Unfortunately, due to the flood in 2013, the Valley of the Wind Winery Tasting Room has closed its Estes Park location.
- See Estes Park from above. Jump aboard the aerial tramway for just $12 per adult and kids ages 6 – 11 for $8, and head to the summit of Prospect Mountain. The tramway has been a family owned and operated business since 1955.
- Ride the rapids. Whitewater rafting is always a popular activity during the summer and Estes Park has a variety of companies to choose from for your river adventure. Each company offers different adventures depending on skill levels as well.
- Explore Estes Park’s history at the Heritage Festival. Pretend you’re a pioneer and see what life was like as settlers arrived in Estes Park. The Heritage Festival is at the Fair Grounds at Stanley Park on August 23 – 24.
- Say goodbye to summer with a 30-year old festival. The Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival is an annual event that celebrates the heritage and national treasures of Scotland and Ireland. Scotfest runs Thursday, Sept. 4 through Sunday, Sept. 7, but the main Parade is Saturday, Sept. 6 at 9:30 a.m. on Elkhorn Avenue.
Hopefully this list is just the beginning of your Estes Park adventure, but we won’t tell if you decide to relax and lay low at Rocky Mountain Resorts.