Our First-Timer’s Guide to a Perfect Day in Estes Park, Colorado
Hi, travelers!
In July 2026, our adventures in Colorado led us to Rocky Mountain National Park, and just outside the park is a very charming small town called Estes Park. After twists, turns, and even a bridge to enter the city, you are met with a cute and quaint little town that feels so cozy and inviting. This post will let you know our perfect day in Estes Park and what we recommend doing!
FOOD AND DRINK
One of our favorite stops was Coffee on the Rocks. This coffee shop is right along Big Thompson River, offers many interesting and unique coffee flavors, and has beautiful scenery. While there, we tried two specialty lattes, one with vanilla and peanut butter, the other with chocolate and hazelnut. Both drinks were absolutely delicious, and paired well with the banana nut and cream cheese muffins we got. It was the perfect post-hike snack after spending a morning in the national park.
We highly recommend sitting with your cup of coffee outside and taking in the beauty of the area. Unfortunately, while we were there, a storm passed through and cut the power for a short while! Regardless, we were both impressed with the service, since the baristas went out of their way to apologize for the inconvenience and try to get the power back on. Plus, Ryan’s drink was accidentally made with whole milk as opposed to almond milk like he requested, and they offered to give the drink for free since they couldn’t remake it with the power being out. We really appreciated their care for their customers!
That evening, we went to The Post for dinner. Located on the grounds of The Stanley Hotel, this modern American eatery is known for their fried chicken and beer, and has a comforting, delicious, and classic feel to it. When we dined, we had to try the chicken! Ryan ordered the chicken tender meal and Lillian had the Spicy Orange Chicken. Both meals were fantastic, service was excellent, and this was one of our favorite spots on our entire trip. To see other favorite food spots and to read more about The Post, check out this article.
STORES
While walking through Estes Park, you will find all sorts of souvenir stores, sweet shops, outdoor gear outfitters, and independent retailers. Our favorite stop was Macdonald Book Shop. Built in 1928, it is the oldest bookstore in the state of Colorado! This is a go-to spot if you are a book lover visiting Estes Park. It’s small, but packed to the gills with books from classics to thrillers to children’s literature. Lillian’s favorite sections with the little corner spot entirely dedicated to J.R.R. Tolkien!
If you left your book and home and need one for your trip or plane ride, put this store on your list!
THE STANLEY HOTEL
Known for being the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining, The Stanley Hotel is a historic 140-room hotel in Estes Park. It was founded in 1909 by Freeman Oscar Stanley, originally intended to be his getaway when seeking a cure for tuberculosis. It became the Stanley’s summer home before eventually being converted into a hotel.
Before we went on our tour, we ate at The Post for dinner which was built into the original carriage house. The carriage house is one of eleven to twelve buildings on the property, and we got to tour several of the buildings, including the main hotel and manager’s cottage. Our tour was more of a historical tour, but there are other tour options, including ghost tours, a tour focused on The Shining, and vault whiskey tastings.
Our tour, simply called, “The Shining Tour,” was an hour long, focused on the differences between the book, movie, and miniseries, and took you through the historical buildings. We greatly enjoyed it and loved our tour guide who was friendly and engaging. Some of our favorite things to see were the original gramophone and portraits of Bevis, the hotel manager’s beloved dog.
Our last stop after the tour was the gift shop which was located near the main lobby of the hotel. Many pieces of memorabilia, from hats to mugs to keychains can be found there dedicated to the hotel and The Shining. Lillian got a copy of the book, while Ryan got a The Shining themed bookmark and a Stanley Hotel baseball cap.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When going to Rocky Mountain National Park, we knew we wanted to stop at Estes Park for a meal and some shopping. We were not disappointed! We highly recommend that if you have some time, wander through the town and enjoy all it has to offer. As always, we hope that this breakdown has given you some ideas of where to go and what to spend your time and money on.
Happy travels,