Upper Beaver Meadows Trailhead — Attraction in Estes Park

A very awesome place right in the middle of the Rockies! It's relative isolation means you'll be able to catch all the night stars and even some of the Milky Way if you decide to stay out long enough. The National Parks Service even host astronomy night on Friday nights during the summer at Beaver Meadows, which is an unbelievable experience. Volunteer astronomers bring their telescopes, which aren't your ordinary backyard ones, and teach you about the constellations and planets. It's definitely a fun experience for kids and adults and well...

Good spot to photograph elk in the morning hours. Set against a beautiful mountain backdrop and wooded area, it's a good place for a picnic. Restrooms, parking and picnic tables (with shade from trees) are all available in the vicinity. Multiple trails start from here, pick your choice as per available time. I had a full day for myself, so I went to Odessa lake from here. The roundtrip was...

We did the Upper Beaver Meadow Loop (1.1 miles) and were blown away by how much wildlife we spotted.

We saw mule deer, a ram, elk, and many birds.

This is a super easy hike with very little elevation gain and very appropriate for kids. Our 4 year old and 6 year old had no problem.

Most of this trail is wide open - so prepare for the exposure of the...