Your Ultimate Guide to Exploring Around Rocky Mountain National Park!

Just outside the park, there’s Lily Lake (technically part of RMNP but outside the main gates). The sign says "Entrance permit required 9 AM–2 PM" (the same timed-entry pass for the park), but no one checked when we arrived! 😅 🚗 Drive 10 more minutes, and you’ll find a stunning stone chapel—Chapel on the Rock ⛪💎. You can even ring the bell upstairs 🔔! The best view is from the roadside angle. Most visitors stay in Estes Park, the cozy town right below the Rockies. We stayed there too! �🏡 After leaving RMNP, park for FREE at Estes Park Visitor Center Parking Garage 🅿️. Cross the bridge from the lot, and you’ll hit the River Walk (follow the little arrow signs 🏞️➡️). Stroll along, check out the mini art displays, then loop back to Main Street for food & fun! We grabbed food at Nepal’s Café (Nepalese cuisine? 🥟). It was packed, so we got takeout—steamed & fried momo + mango lassi… but surprise, even takeout took 30 mins! 😩 Food was decent, nothing crazy. Killed time hanging out at the little plaza outside! The town is full of public xylophones 🎶—random people (and tourists) stop to play them, so the streets are always filled with chill, tinkly music. Walking by the river with a drink in hand? Pure relaxation. 🍹😌 #Colorado #ColoradoTravel #RoadTrip #ScenicDrive #TravelGuide #RockyMountains #USNationalParks #EstesPark #RMNP #TravelTips #FamilyTravel #HiddenGems #SummerTravel #NorthAmerica #Chapel #BeautifulChurches #ChapelOnTheRock