YMCA Estes Park: An Easy Way To Stay Near Rocky Mountain National Park

Posted on March 20, 2018
by Aimee

Note: YMCA of the Rockies provided our weekend stay. All words and photos are mine.

I love Estes Park as a destination. There is an adorable downtown area, and it’s right at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. I also love YMCA of the Rockies, which provides an affordable place to stay very close to Estes Park and RMNP, but still has their own array of fun activities. The best part? You get there by going north from Denver – meaning no I-70 weekend traffic!

Backcountry Education

We were there for “Family Mountaineering Weekend” which entailed a bunch of lessons on how to get around at high altitude. I finally learned how to use a compass properly! YMCA of the Rockies plans to have another Mountaineering weekend on next President’s Day weekend, Feb 15-18, 2019. Here is a list of all the activities they offer for this special event.

Lots To Do

We often don’t have time to do all the things that YMCA offers during a normal visit, much less a special weekend. Check out their activity list – it’s insane! You can even come over and get a pass to do activities there if you are staying elsewhere in Estes Park. (But why would you do that?)

I have to admit BINGO is my favorite activity. We get pretty competitive about it, especially seeing there is really nothing to be competitive about.

There are plenty of places to eat around Estes Park, but the easiest (and cheapest) is the buffet at the YMCA. Sure, it’s not gourmet but I love being able to choose what I want and going back for seconds. (And tons of fruit!)

Another great thing about YMCA is the flexibility of housing options. You are in the mountains, with plenty of fresh air – but I like to call it “glamping” because the cabins are definitely NOT anywhere close to “roughing it.” We had plenty of room to spread out but there are also hotel-style rooms in the lodges. Either option has several configurations to fit the size of your party, and your budget.

Set Your Alarm!

Cabin reservations for non-members for June-November begin April 4th, 2018. This is their busiest day of the year for reservations, but trust me – it’s worth it. Online reservations open at 6am MT.

Fun For Teens

Our son has often asked his best friend to join us in Estes Park; she’s become our best travel companion. They both look forward to the wide variety of activities but this time, they exclusively shared footage of falling while roller skating on their Snapchat. I have to say, I like heading up to YMCA with them more now than when they were younger. We love doing activities together and separately – we drop them all over and they’ll hike back to the cabin on their own (now that know how to use a compass, of course).

Also cool: YMCA Estes Park Center will have a 5-day camp just for young teens this summer that includes two days of skill preparation and a 2-night, 3-day backpacking trip in the Colorado wilderness. Dates are July 9-13 and July 30-August 3.