Tour Estes Park — Local services in Estes Park

First of all I rarely write reviews and I would give Bruce and his company 6 stars if I could. Having never been to Colorado and having been tasked with making all our reservations and excursions i was a little overwhelmed and concerned about doing this by reading others online reviews. I decided to look in to a guided tour of the area as I was totally unfamiliar with Estes Park and The Rocky Mountain National Park. In retrospect - smart... using Bruce and Tour Estes Park - even smarter.

1. prior to booking with Bruce we spoke on the phone about what we wanted to see and his many suggestions. 2)we initially agreed the all day Trail Ridge Rd. (46 miles) tour over the Continental Divide and back was must and then we could decide later on any half day trips based on our interests.
2. we got to meet Bruce the evening before our tour as he was giving a lecture on the indigenous peoples of the Estes Park region where we were staying. Bruce picked our family of 4 up at our lodge and we were under way. Bruce immediately made us all feel like old friends. We left a t 5:45 AM (by choice) and our 7 hour tour lasted over 9 hours including lunch in Grand Lake on the other side of the Rockies. Bruce is an encyclopedia of Rocky Mountain history, geology, flora and fauna. He took us to every point of interest in the area which we would have been totally lost had we explored on our own. Geologic formations, old homesteads, where to see the Elk, the Moose, the Sheep. So many areas of particular interest like the alluvial fan from the landslide, the actual Continental Divide, Sheep Lake, farms from the Homestead Act, Grand Lake and even the areas of incredible forest fire destruction. Around every turn was something amazing even if only the scenery. We traveled in air conditioned comfort. We weren't crammed in the back of a oversized Jurassic Park looking jeep listening to a guide on a loudspeaker (no social distancing there). Also, those open jeeps didn't look like a lot of fun when that everyday 3PM brief rain shower came around. The next day Bruce took us on a hike on one of the Bear Lake trails again spending way more time then the planned 3 1/2 hours. It may have cost a bit more for the private tour, but it was worth every penny several times over. Bruce spent way more time with us than the amount listed for full and half day tours and always seemed to be enjoying it as much as we were. He also was able to recommend restaurants and even directed us to a guide for a day of fly fishing. Can't say enough about enjoyable and even essential Bruce was to a successful trip to The Rocky Mountain National Park....

My wife and I were in town visiting family and only had a small window to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. We wondered if a 3-hour guided tour would be sufficient to truly appreciate the grandeur of this beautiful wonderland. Ultimately, after reading so many amazing reviews, we trusted that we would be in good hands with “Tour Estes Park.” From our first phone call, Bruce put us at ease, assuring us that we’d get to truly experience some of the magnificence of this beautiful land and offered us the opportunity to customize our experience based on our preferences.

We told him that we wanted to see as much wildlife as possible, hoped to have spectacular, panoramic views but were also curious to explore the Stanley Hotel. As for wildlife, Bruce tempered our expectations, reminding us that while we are likely to encounter some of the creatures that call the park home, he can’t quite control what will show up and when. More about this in a moment.

Our tour began at the Stanley Hotel and Bruce gave us a deep appreciation for the history of this remarkable landmark and it’s influence on the community as well as why it inspired Stephen King’s “The Shining.” Having worked at the hotel himself, Bruce offered a unique perspective that few others could offer.

As we made our way into the park, we quickly learned how fortunate we were to be guided by someone with such a deep and extensive knowledge and appreciation for the ecology of the land. Bruce’s wisdom and sense of humor was constantly on display which enriched our experience greatly.

As promised, we got to behold the most breathtaking views from some of the highest peaks in the park, took short walking hikes to beautiful mountain streams, and were gifted with some spectacular photo ops. But it was our wildlife encounters that blew us away. To our great fortune, we got up close and personal with a majestic moose, witnessed an elk raking its antlers on the side of the road, and spotted marmots, picas, and the rare sight of a herd of elk gathered on a snowy peak.

Thank you Bruce for this amazing experience and for making our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park...

I'm a detailed reviewer so I hope this helps anyone who is deciding which service to use.

We had an amazing experience with Tour Estes Park. Bruce, our personal tour guide was on time, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. He asked the questions before the tour that made your tour special. It's not a "rinse and repeat"kind of experience. It really was the best part of our time in the area.

We were very interested in both a Native experience and an opportunity to see as much wildlife as possible. He was upfront about certain animals that may be scarce or harder to locate but he seemed to know right where to go. We say Elk, Owls, Marmuts, and a variety of other Birds and too many animals to remember.

The price was reasonable, especially for the content. We heard about the history of the area and even met some awesome Native folk at a local store, where I made some amazing purchases of souvenirs. We made the stops that were important to us and even had lunch at a local "joint" with good food and ambiance.

There are other types of tour experiences that Tour Estes Park can offer this was just our preferences. Definitely worth the effort to...