I have so many memories from coming to this place as a kid, I always wondered if it'd still impress me when I came back as an adult. And I have to say this park is still one of America's most beautiful. And the drive on Trail Ridge Road just after the snow had melted was about as tense as it was mesmerizing (there are no guard rails despite sharp turns over 2,000 foot drop offs). You have to spend at least one night in Estes Park (one of the park's entrances) at the legendary Stanley Hotel.
Things to do
This old mining boom town has been converted into a touristy casino destination, but many of this mid-19th Century architecture is still in tact, making it a neat getaway from Denver of some of the surrounding posh ski resorts. My girlfriend and I were seemingly the only people here in our twenties when we visited, so we didn't stay super long, but it was good for a walk through the historic environs.
