In the Area
Explore downtown and around Estes Park with this list of fun activities, fine eateries, and local breweries.
See & Do
Trail Ridge Road
Also known as the “highway to the sky,” Trail Ridge Road is the most elevated stretch of continuous road in the U.S. — a 48-mile ribbon of asphalt that runs west from Estes Park to Grand Lake and peaks at 12,183 feet. Leave it to our fellow car-loving Americans to think the best part of a National Park is the road traversing it—but it does offer astonishing views.
Historic Park Theater
The oldest continuously operating single-screen cinema in the U.S. It’s housed in a historic building constructed in 1913, and the 255-seat theater still has a player piano up front for use during special events. Despite its vintage flair, the Historic Park Theater is a modern-day picture house, running classic and new releases much of the year.
Macdonald Book Shop
Not just your average bookshop—Macdonald offers a rich selection of books about the unique and rich history of Estes Park and Rocky Mountains National Park. The building is over a century old and the same family has run the shop for three generations. Check out the original stove, appropriately located in the cooking section.
Estes Park Aerial Tramway
Operating since 1955, the Estes Tram takes visitors each year up 1,100 vertical feet to the summit of Prospect Mountain for a stunning view of Estes Park and surrounding Rocky Mountains. There is plenty to do at the top—grab a coffee and enjoy the views from the observation deck, visit the gift shop, or venture off on family-friendly trails. Open high-season only.
Eat & Drink
Café & Casa Colina
Full disclosure: we operate a café (coffee, grab-and-go breakfast and lunch) and contemporary tex-mex restaurant with a full bar right here at our hotel. We think you would like it. You can make a reservation or order to your room. That is all, thank you.
Cinnamon’s
Pastry chef Brian Goddard rises at 3 a.m. to prepare tasty cinnamon rolls (dubbed “old fashioned classics”), salted caramel rolls, and pecan sticky buns. They tend to sell out by 10 a.m. so line up early. TIP: Skip the line and grab a Cinnamon’s cinnamon roll at nearby Kind Coffee before 8 a.m.
Antonio’s Pizza
Perhaps you’re thinking NY Pizza in a Colorado mountain town sounds suspicious, but let us assure you, it is not. Native-New Yorker and Chef Anthony DeSousa specializes in pizza. Even the bears like it: a mama and two cubs broke into a previous location and cleared it of dough and salami, with the security footage to prove it. Save room for the cannoli.
The Barrel
The Barrel is a great spot to grab a post-hike craft beer or build your own flight. With ample space indoors and outdoors, this is our go-to recommendation for groups. In the summer, this brewery hosts rotating local food trucks all afternoon.
The Post
One of several outposts, this popular Colorado eatery and brewing company’s newest iteration is in a former carriage house on the grounds of the legendary Stanley Hotel. Chicken is front and center on the menu—whether fried, roasted, or served with waffles. They also offer their own selection of award-winning craft beer.
Bird & Jim
Bird & Jim serves up a tasty rotating menu curated by Chef Thomas Newsted with help from one of the best sommeliers in town. Bartenders here have a unique skill set — from making smoked cocktails with a blowtorch and wood plank, to traversing a sliding ladder for navigating the high shelves of whiskeys.
