Rocky Mountain National Park Glacier Basin

Summary

Glacier Basin Campground in Rocky Mountain National Park offers stunning views of lush valleys and craggy peaks, and activities such as scenic driving, hiking, fishing, horseback riding and wildlife viewing are also popular. The park features 355 miles of trails and two historic roads, Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road, for visitors to explore. The campground provides tent-only and RV sites and other facilities like flush toilets and drinking water. Wildlife is plentiful in the park, and the nearby town of Estes Park offers additional activities like dining, shopping, rafting and golfing.

Overview

Glacier Basin Campground (8,500 feet) is adjacent to Estes Park in the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.


From lush valleys to craggy peaks with elevations reaching over 14,000 feet, visitors are provided opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures.


Scenic driving, hiking, backpacking, fishing, horseback riding and wildlife viewing are popular activities in the park. 

Recreation

Rocky Mountain National Park has 355 miles of hiking trails that range from flat lakeside strolls to steep mountain climbs. Visitors enjoy the park's various lake trails (Bear Lake, Cub Lake, Mills Lake), waterfall trails (Adams Falls, Alberta Falls, Ouzel Falls) and summit trails (Deer Mountain, Twin Sisters Peaks, Flattop Mountain).

The park offers some unforgettable scenic driving routes, including Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road. Trail Ridge Road reaches 12,183' above sea level and is America's highest continuous highway. It climbs above the park's evergreen forests to its windswept alpine tundra, where visitors enjoy sweeping panoramic views of the surrounding peaks and valleys.

Driving along the historic Old Fall River Road is like motoring through an earlier era. Constructed in 1920, this steep, one-way, uphill, gravel road punctuated by switchbacks, quietly leads travelers from Horseshoe Park through the park's wilderness to Fall River Pass, 11796' above sea level.

Several visitor centers are within the park, offering ranger-led activities, education and history about the park, and seasonal nighttime programs.

Facilities

Glacier Basin Campground contains several group and family tent-only sites, as well as RV sites without hookups. Each campsite is equipped with a picnic table, fire ring with grate and tent pad of various sizes. Roads and parking spurs are paved. Flush toilets and drinking water are provided.


Rocky Mountain National Park's free shuttle bus stops in the campground, which is also across the street from Park & Ride, the park's main shuttle system hub. The shuttle system provides access to many park trailheads throughout the Bear Lake corridor and to the town of Estes Park.


Due to a pine beetle epidemic, all the trees in the C Loop, D Loop and the Group Loop have been removed, leaving little to no shade in these areas. However, the tree removal has opened up beautiful views of the mountains.

Natural Features

A pleasant mix of Douglas fir, Lodgepole pine, Ponderosa pine and the occasional Engelmann spruce, forests the campground, offering equal amounts of sun and shade. Grasses, shrubs and seasonal wildflowers fill the open meadows.

Wildlife is plentiful in the park, and while mule deer and the majestic Rocky Mountain elk are the most commonly seen, black bear, coyote, bighorn sheep and moose inhabit the region as well.

Nearby Attractions

The town of Estes Park lies just outside the park's main east entrances, and is a short drive from Glacier Basin Campground. Dining, shopping, rafting, fly fishing, horseback riding, and golfing opportunities await. Lake Estes offers boating, sailboarding, and fishing.