Experience Puppy Paradise in Estes Park, Colorado
- Luie Boone
- Nov 22
- 9 min read
This travel spot is featured in our fourth blog series, Hounds Honored.
Are you ready to experience puppy paradise in Estes Park, Colorado? Luie Boone is!
Estes Park, Colorado, is considered a gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park—which was established in 1915 by then President Woodrow Wilson. As a recognized summer resort destination, this statutory town is a haven for dogs and their hoomans.
The Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the main attractions. It's one of four national parks in Colorado; one of the highest national parks with elevations ranging over 14,00 feet (the highest point is Longs Peak); and is actually one of the most visited parks in the National Park System! Luie Boone reckons it's popularity is due to all the different, super paw-some things you can see there. There's mountains, alpine lakes, wooded forests, mountain tundras, and more wildlife than Luie Boone could ever bark at. Plus, there's the Continental Divide—which is a hydrological boundary, separating the drainage systems of North America—and it runs through the center of the park! Even cooler, this divide created a geographical anomaly in the park: a horseshoe-shaped bend near the slopes of the Never Summer Mountains.
Unfortunately, as pawsome as the Rocky Mountain National Park sounds, dogs are prohibited on all of its trails, tundra, and meadows. Luie Boone totally gets it though; they're just trying to protect pups from becoming prey to coyotes and other animals that call the park home; being a predator and endangering wildlife; and possibly trampling vegetation. He'll just stick to exploring the other super paw-some stuff in Estes Park.
In Estes Park, there's a bunch of cool outdoorsy things to check out, such as Kruger Rock, Bible Point, Indian Peaks Wilderness, Lily Mountain, Homestead Meadows, Triangle Mountain, and Blue Lake! He'll bark more about this local gems in a bit, but would like to give a quick, friendly reminder: Before heading out into the nature, always be prepared. Pack the essentials, check the weather conditions, and be mindful of the mountain conditions.
If you're considering exploring beyond Estes Park (which Luie Boone totally recommends), there are several nearby mountain towns that you can check out:
Just fifteen miles south, there is the town of Lyons. This vibrant foothills town is set along the St. Vrain Creek, which is a paw-some spot for some water recreation and some doggy splashing. It's also home to the Lyons Dog Park and the LaVern M. Johnson Park—both parks welcome dogs, but please note that dogs must be on-leash at all times when at the LaVern M. Johnson Park. For food and drinks, Lyon's has the Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, which offers soup, salads, burgers, sandwiches and more. Dogs are allowed on the patio, as long as they are well-behaved and kept on leash. Luie Boone doesn't mind, as long as he gets a bite of his hooman sister's reuben sandwich.
If you head seven miles east of Estes Park, you'll find Glen Haven. And no, Luie Boone, this is not a haven just for Glens. Anyone with any name can visit this town and revel in it's quiet, mountain charm. The Crosier Mountain Trail is a moderate eight mile hike, taking you up 2,400 feet in elevation. At the top, you can enjoy a stunning view of the rockies with your pup—given that the sky is clear. Be sure to also check out the Glen Haven General Store. Why, might you ask? Well, because this general store makes delicious, homemade cinnamon rolls!
If you go a few miles farther east along Highway 34, you'll end up in the town of Drake. Nestled into the Big Thompson Canyon and River—an approximately 78-mile tributary—Drake offers peaceful riverside scenery, dramatic granite walls, and a slower pace. The river flows right through the town, which means tons of cannonballing opportunities (Luie Boone reckons). But, before Luie Boone does anything crazy, he must point out the history: In 1976, there was a catastrophic flash flood that killed 144 people. Over 12 inches of rain was dropped during the flood, and a Colorado State Patrol Sergeant named Willis Hugh Purdy raced the flood down the canyon in an effort to warn residents. Luie Boone will be sure to stop at the memorial to pay his respects and to keep history in mind as he and his hoomans walk the Big Thompson Trail and enjoy the river falls there.
About 12 miles south, along the Peak Highway, is Allenspark. This town is surrounded by pine forests, aspen groves, and peaceful mountain trails—including the Wild Basin Trail, St. Vrain Mountain Trail, Meadow Mountain Trail, Lily Lake Trail, and Buchanan Pass Trail. These trails not only make great hikes, but also allow you to view the gorgeous wildflower blooms that the town is known for. Luie Boone cannot wait to sniff all the flowers! And after all that sniffing, he's totally going to need some snacks. He'll drag his hoomans over to the gorgeous Camp St. Malo, where the historic St. Catherine's Chapel and St. William's Lodge is found. Although he's not allowed inside, he'll remain leashed outside, as his hoomans head into the Tahosa Coffee House to grab a coffee and a snack. Luie Boone won't mind waiting, as long as he gets a tasty snack, too!
Lastly, if you head a few miles farther south, you can find the self-proclaimed "weird" town of Ward. Sitting high in the Rockies (at nearly 9,500! feet!), this historic mountain town has a rustic, artistic charm. At one point in time, it was the richest town in the state, because it was home to the oldest and longest-lasting mining camps. Gold was discovered at the nearby Gold Hill in 1860. Maybe, just maybe, Luie Boone can sniff out some gold for his hoomans. Only after he visits the Brainard Lake Recreation Area, which offers stunning alpine trails and allows leashed dogs to explore its lakes, pine forests, and panoramic views. He'll also need to trek up the Bald Mountain via the Switzerland Trail, which was once a narrow gauge railroad line!
No matter where you land, a vacation to Este Park and its neighboring mountain towns is bound to be an exciting adventure.
Paws Rest Here
Luie Boone paw-selected this paw-some vacation rental for your stay in Estes Park, Colorado. Check it out below!
Rental Name: Solitude
This rental has 3 bedrooms with 4 beds and 3 bathrooms.
Photos by windcliff.com.
It features the following amenities:
Walkout doors from the main floor family room, which lead to an expansive deck
The expansive deck has lounge chairs, a grill, and an outdoor table
Sliding glass doors, which lead to an upper deck offering absolutely gorgeous views of the Rams Horn Mountain
Another sliding glass door provides entrance to the lowest deck
The lowest deck has a hammock and a swing chair
What does Luie Boone think of this rental? He woofed:
Solitude. That's not just the name of this paw-some rental that my hoomans paw-selected for us to stay at during our vacation to Estes Park, Colorado, but also how I'm going to be feeling on this trip. We're going to be able to recharge and self-discover here, I just know it. Why? Because this place is pure dog heaven. It has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and guess what? Three decks! Yeah, you heard me right. There's three decks—all for me and my sunbathing sploots, my squirrel watching, and my sniffing for snacks. There's also a big stone fireplace, which is where I'll sploot when I need to warm up inside. I can look out the big windows as I relax and maybe even spot an elk or deer wandering by! Upstairs, there's an expansive deck that overlooks the Rams Horn Mountain. Something tells me that Solitude is going to earn four paws and a bruising tail wag!
Paws Venture Here
Luie Boone sniffed out and dug up these local gems for you to check out while vacationing in Estes Park, Colorado.
Kruger Rock
You can find the Kruger Rock at the end of—you guessed it—the Kruger Rock Trail. What you probably didn't guess is that there is another route to the rock: the Limber Pine Trail, which is an over eight-miles hike. The Kruger Rock Trail is just a four-mile round trip, so be sure to choose what's best for you and your pup. The climb up to the Krueger Rock brings you to an over 9,000 elevation that is so worth it, because you can get sweeping views of the mountains.
Bible Point
The Bible Point hike is iconic. It is a 1.5-mile trail, starting at the YMCA Livery of Rockies at the Glacier Creek. In the early 1990s, it was called Buena Vista. However, the name was changed to Bible Point following the tragic death of Edwin Brant in 1918. Brandt's family had him interred at the top of the mountain and placed a mailbox at the site. They wanted visitors to add to the hiker logbook in there and leavy a prayer in honor of Edwin. After a Bible was discovered in the mailbox, the named was changed to Bible Point.
Indian Peaks Wilderness
Encompassing over 70,000 acres, the Indian Peak Wilderness has over 50 lakes, 28 trails that cover more than 100 miles, and six passes leading across the Continental Divide. Elevations in this wilderness area can vary from 8,400 to over 13,500 feet, ranging from montane to sub-alpine and alpine life zones.
Lily Mountain
The Lily Mountain is a low mountain on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain National Park. It offers spectacular 360 degree panoramic views. The summit of the mountain can be reached by hiking the 3.8 mile Lily Mountain Trail. Depending on the time of year, the top can be icy and snowy. Please be prepared and watch the weather conditions!
Homestead Meadows
In the Homestead Meadows, you can find eight different homesteads, which were built between 1889 and 1923. A dog friendly hike is required to reach each homestead. The trail is well-marked. The trailhead is at Lion Gulch, which will lead you on a 2.5-mile hike up the gulch. At the trailhead, there's a information board loaded with history.
Triangle Mountain
The summit of Triangle Mountain offers breathtaking views of the surrounding Rocky Mountains. You and your pooch will need to hike a secluded trail to reach the summit. Unfortunately, this trail is not well marked, so it is recommend to bring along a trail GPS. Luie Boone realizes that, as great as his sniffer is, it can't save them if they get lost.
Blue Lake
If there's one thing Luie Boone knows for sure, Blue Lake is definitely blue and definitely not ready for all the cannonballs that he's going to do into it. To get to Blue Lake, you and your pup will need to first go to Brainard Lake Recreation Area. There, you'll need to hike on the over 5-mile Mitchell Lake Trail. You'll cross several small rises, before it opens up to the stunning views of Blue Lake. A trail will continue to the right, leading around the north side of the lake. It's very common to see moose taking a drink from the lake!
Smokin' Dave's BBQ & Brew
Hungry? Well, Luie Boone's got just the place for you: Smokin' Dave's BBQ & Brew. This is a popular BBQ restaurant, where dogs are welcome to join you for lunch or dinner beside a table on their seasonal outdoor patio. They serve mouth-watering BBQ and a choice of 24 beers on tap. Luie Boone hopes his hooman dad doesn't try all of them.
Luie Boone's Pet Peeve about
Estes Park, Colorado
There's just so much to love about this vacation destination, but there's one thing that's got Luie Boone's leash in a twist. He woofed:
My hoomans keep talking about our upcoming big vacation to Estes Park, Colorado. They say there'll be mountains, elk, and miles of trails. That all sounds very exciting. I love adventures, but there’s one thing making my tail droop: something called a marmot. Apparently, it’s a big mountain squirrel that whistles. Whistles! I don’t know what to make of that. Whistles usually mean, “Come!” or “Drop it!” They don't typically mean: “Hello, I live under a rock.” What kind of creature just stands on a hill and goes “WHEEEEEE!” for fun? At home, I have a stuffed squirrel named Sally. She’s one my best friends and a very quiet squirrel—no whistling and no nonsense from her. I’m not sure how I’ll handle strange whistling squirrels without her, so Sally's been helping me practice. Every night, Sally does her best: “WHEEEEEE!” And, then, I bark bravely into the dark. My hoomans laugh, but I’m just preparing. Maybe the marmot will be friendly… but if it whistles at me too suddenly, I’m heading straight back to the car. Estes Park, here I come. Ready or not, Whistle Monster!
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