Are you visiting Colorado or Denver soon? I highly suggest adding Rocky Mountain National Park to your list!
Before your visit to Rocky Mountain National Park
Make a reservation
When we went in July, we had to reserve a day and entry time (you have a two-hour span to arrive). Plan ahead and do this in advance. The entry was around $20 for the day.
The day you visit
Again, we visited in July and went to Rocky Mountain National Park on a Sunday. However, my roommate visited in September and the traffic on the trails was much different. If your travel allows, maybe make your visits to the park on a weekday.
A map
Bring it – study it – have a plan. Thankfully, this is my boyfriend’s forte. He planned ahead which trail we would hike during our visit and already had an idea of where we could park within the Park. Yes, there are signs along the way to follow and paths are easy to follow, but I was glad to have my own guide.
Your clothing
…in layers. Sounds silly, but trust me. While the hike was definitely a workout, it did get cool as we got closer to the final destination of our trail. Both of us wished we had one more layer.
For your hike(s)
Your mask
During our hike, we did not wear one constantly. However, the hike we set out on is one of the most popular ones (Bear Lake Trail) and it can get a little congested. We both wore neck gaits to make it easy to throw up when it got busy or when we were closely passing another hiker.
Food & Water
Bring some snacks! There are a lot of spots on the trail to stop and take a breather. And water – bring it! I brought two bottles and was glad I did.
Camera & tripod
While it’s my job to take photos, my boyfriend is always better about taking pics of us… but with the scenery, I knew we would have, I wanted some non-selfies. I brought along this lightweight travel tripod in my pack and was so glad we had it to capture the full view. My DSLR can connect to an app on my phone (thanks Canon!) and I was able to remotely snap while we looked lovingly into each other’s eyes.
Shoes
If hiking mountains isn’t your norm, invest in some hiking shoes. I fell in love with these (hello color!) and have used them multiple times on hikes in Florida too.
Take breaks
Us Florida kids were definitely humbled by the elevation difference.
First Aid Kit
While we didn’t need it, I was glad I had it. Bandaids, extra masks, Tylenol, hand sanitizer, bug spray wipes, extra chapstick, you know the stuff.
Now, the real question is, did I miss anything? And don’t forget to leave a day for Estes Park, CO.
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