Once the elk rut is over around Rocky Mountain National Park, and the leaves have fallen from the trees, most tourists stop streaming into Estes Park, instead waiting until the following spring or summer to venture back up U.S. 36.
But just like the dark gray, tuft-eared Albert’s squirrels that call the area home, Estes Park doesn’t hibernate in the winter. It just gets a little less active.
That is why the late fall and winter months are some of my favorite times to visit for a little personal getaway – something I have done solo three or four times in recent years.
The town is a different place during the colder months – sometimes gloomy and overcast, other times brilliantly sunny, but typically quiet, even contemplative. It’s a world away from my home in Denver, but less than two hours by car.
I like to get a cabin, room, or condo along Fall River Road, which is the road to the second, lesser-used entrance to the park. There are plenty of them here, but my best option has typically been at the Fawn Valley Inn, 2760 Fall River Road, which has a variety of rooms, many of them decorated with antler lamps, moose-themed pillows and blankets, furniture made from logs, and other classic mountain decor. While this kind of interior design would make some people cringe, it’s the exact kind of kitsch that can also soothe my soul. It also goes well with the fireplaces that flicker on in many of the rooms with a press of a button.
The place isn’t fancy … or hip. But it’s very cozy. And prices in the off-season are cheaper than in the high season. Some of the lodging management companies, including Rocky Mountain Resorts, which runs the Fawn Valley Inn and several other properties in the Estes Park area, offer discounts or deals, especially if you stay for two or three nights. If you’re lucky enough to have a job that allows you to work remotely, it means you can stay an extra day and use the Wifi to “commute.”
One of the best things about this place, though, is the hot tubs that sit on some of the patios. Soaking in a hot tub in the winter is a Colorado right of passage (even on an apartment balcony) and is extra special if it is snowing. The balcony is also a good place to look for birds – if you’re into that kind of thing. I saw my first-ever red crossbill here, right outside my window.
When I do finally wander outside of the building, I drive into the national park, where I’ve seen elk and deer (and Albert’s squirrels) hanging about. I’ve looked for snowshoe hares, which turn a brilliant white in the winter, but have yet to see them. Many of the park’s trails, like Sprague Lake, are open for snowshoers or spike hiking, which is what I do. And it is so very quiet.
For dinner, it’s takeout pizza from Antonio’s Real New York Pizza, 1560 Big Thompson Ave., and a six-pack from a local brewery, maybe Lumpy Ridge, 531 S. St Vrain Ave. Then it’s back to the room for a soak and a fire.