Rocky Mountain National Park guide · 1 min read
Grand Lake and the Quieter West Side
The west side of Rocky Mountain National Park begins at the Grand Lake Entrance, just outside the town of Grand Lake, Colorado.
To get there, take Highway 40 toward Granby, then follow Highway 34 east to Grand Lake. From here, Trail Ridge Road climbs over the Continental Divide and connects this side of the park with the Estes Park side.
The Kawuneeche Visitor Center sits on Highway 34 north of town. It's a good first stop for park information and exhibits, and it has a Rocky Mountain Conservancy Nature Store. The Kawuneeche Valley, on this west side of the park, is the gentle valley of the Upper Colorado River. Kawuneeche is the Arapaho word for coyote.
This valley is the place to look for wildlife. About five miles north of the visitor center, the Coyote Valley Nature Trail follows the river on a level, wheelchair-accessible path, one mile round trip. Elk and moose are often spotted from it, especially in the early morning and early evening. Nearby, a one-mile gravel path leads to the Holzwarth Historic Site, an old dude ranch. For a longer outing, a 7.4-mile hike from the Colorado River trailhead reaches Lulu City, a former mining town.
Back near Grand Lake, the East Inlet trailhead starts one of the area's most popular walks. Adams Falls is just 0.6 mile away. It's a small waterfall, but moose sometimes wander nearby, and wildflowers can line the way. Beyond the falls, the East Inlet Trail keeps climbing. Lone Pine Lake is an 11-mile hike. Lake Verna, a wooded alpine lake past a small falls, is 13.8 miles. Strong hikers can push on to Spirit Lake, a strenuous 15.6 miles.
