Hi! I am driving to bear lake very early Thursday morning to get married and have never driven in snow, let alone black ice.

How dangerous is this drive? I am going to drive extremely slowly and already know not to brake on shady turns.

I am so excited to get married but this is in the back of my mind that this is kinda dangerous

My family will be in Estes Park for a few days over New Years. What are casual options for New Years Eve? Not interested in dancing, just food, drink and friendly people. Thanks.

Hi guys! My husband and I are planning to visit Estes park early next week for 3 days. We checked the weather and obviously it is cold, but tuesday 11/12 is snowing and raining. we were planning on doing some hiking and sightseeing. So, local estes park people, would it still be good for us to come or should we wait it out until the weather is nicer?

Hi! My fiancé is trying to find someone who can do her hair the morning of our wedding/elopement. We are getting married next Thursday and she is a little stressed because doing her own hair is harder than she imagined. The problem is that our ceremony is at sunrise at Bear lake. If anyone knows any hair stylists willing to do this, she would really appreciate it!

There was a thread from months ago and the consensus seems to be the Beaver Meadows entrance is better given the construction and what not, is that still the case?

Hi everyone! Can anyone who lives in Estes Park provide contact information for a realtor you used to purchase your home in town? My family will be moving to Estes in the near future, and we would prefer to work with someone who is a local and great to work with.

Hello! I'm moving to Estes Park for work right after Thanksgiving and am looking for some insight on the climate. Obviously it's a mountain town, and as a cold weather lover I'm absolutely thrilled. I'm coming from a state that has short but brutally cold (often negative temps) and WET winters (think freezing rain, ice sheets every morning, heavy slushy snow, etc). In my current state in the winters we wear multiple layers, heavy rain jackets, and just generally don't go outside after November. However I know EP isn't like that! My research has shown me the weather is lighter, seems to rarely get into the single digits, and maybe not super wet and icy? Can any locals confirm that? I'm looking at purchasing a 3-in-1 heavy coat for my arrival and first winter but... Is that overkill?

My fiancé and I are looking into getting married in the Estes Park area but aren’t familiar with it. Does anyone know of any pretty wedding venues? We’re planning to have a small one, so if there are any on the cheaper side that you know of it would be awesome! Thanks!

Are there any adult stores in town or stores that sell sex toys? Google says the nearest is in Boulder or Fort Collins.

Visiting for a wedding November 2nd-6th, looking for recommendations for things near or in town. Free days are Nov 2-4.

Couple things I looking for recommendations for

Easy hikes, more sights than actual challenge. Will be with my mother, who doesn't hike, but is coming to Colorado for the first time. Would love to show her, not scare her. Preferably less technical, an shorter than 1 hour.

Local restaurants, only issue is need for gluten free options. My mother has allergy an has issues with cross contamination. Doesn't need to be a "gluten free restaurant', just a place that respects the cleanliness to produce a safe plate. (Breakfast, lunch, coffee, dinner options are welcome)

Scenic drives that won't test my winter driving abilities. Coming from Houston, Texas, I have absolutely no winter weather driving experience. Renting a mid size suv with awd. Hoping to show my mother how beautiful colorado is with out getting to far out of town an stretching our abilities on the road.

Museums or places that focus on educational topics of any type. Open to anything, love to learn how place/industry became or survived through their own struggles.

Feel free add anything that you recommend that I missed an haven't listed above. I will appreciate any local recommendations.

I was heading into Estes from Lyons on 36 today around 1pm and there was a slow down that cleared up right after passing this poor van in rough shape on the side of the road. The left front tire was blown out, the windshield totally smashed in and gone, and the engine/hood looked like it had been on fire.

I hope that driver and those involved are ok physically and otherwise :( must have been so scary.

Does anyone know what happened?

Hi all, does anyone in the area have a PS3 controller cable? I need one for some equipment, please help a brother out. Have cash to give.

The wife and I scored a rare night out tonight. Any chance someone would have extra tickets to the Stanley ball tonight? TIA

What’s up with the health code standard here in Estes? Saw 2 separate restaurants have been closed by health department in the past month.

Hi everyone! My wife and I will be in Estes for our honeymoon in mid November. We plan on visiting RMNP again of course but I had a question about the Bear Lake Rd passes. I know there is no longer timed entry but still a fee, but I don’t see anywhere to snag a BLR pass. Is that something we will need to do day of since it’s the off season? Any help is appreciated.

Also please let us know the must sees around town, especially for that time of year. Favorite shops, restaurants and all that good stuff. We love y’all’s town and can’t wait to be back!

Hey there! I am visiting Denver next weekend and will be driving to Rocky Mountain National Park. While I'm there, I was thinking about going to the Stanley (huge King and Shining fan) but not sure if the tour is necessary. Has anyone been to the Stanley and what is your experience?

Going to be in Estes Park for the last week of April for a wedding. What are some things I should do?

I’d like to watch the World Series with other fans

Hello! We’ll be in Estes in mid-November and are looking for dog friendly hikes with stunning views. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

What are the brown poles/posts on Highway 36 between Estes Park and Lyons? Looks like they have electronics inside?

She says:

I am a Realtor, so I'm involved in our local board - and we do a few fundraising events throughout the year. I also make donations to one of my favorite nonprofits with each closing I have. We also do highway cleanup as a board 2 times per year.

I sit on the Estes Nonprofit Network Board, am part of the Family Advocacy Coalition, and there is a newer event that I brought to the library last year that they helped me actually bring to life - 2025 will be its second year. I'm also a member of the chamber and try to attend their after hours events when I can.

Hello! Are there any places to hunt small game like rabbits and squirrels during a camping trip in the Estes Park area (up to 45 min radial proximity)? I’ll be visiting for a few days and want to make sure I respect the rules of the area, figured this sub would be full of knowledgeable folks.

I really appreciate any info/feedback, stay well!

Can you still sometimes see Elk in town the first week of November? I’m not from CO originally but have friends who want to visit and see some wildlife so I’m trying to think of where to take them

Just have 1 large bag of trash...can't find cost info on webpage except by "car" which is $20.

Is it really $20 minimum to drop off?

Hey all, I have been staying in Estes Park for a few years now and have absolutely fallen in love. I had a question for the locals, what's businesses is Estes Park missing? I am looking to retire and settle down, but I'd love to start a hobby business and bring something positive to the community. So hoping you can tell me - what is missing from Estes Park?

I'm working on a novel in which one of my characters is a field biologist working in Rocky Mountain—at least, that's the first-draft version. But I know diddly squat about science, and while my grandparents lived in Estes when I was young and I visited them often, I also know very little about life around the park!

I'm trying to do some research to make this character more believable. If you've worked in this area or know folks who have, I'd love to hear what you know.

This is a pretty unserious book, so I'm not looking for detailed scientific information (unless you really want to talk about it!). Here are the types of questions I'm hoping to answer:

• What sort of field work regularly occurs in the park, and how does that change by season? (Is anything going on in late winter/early spring?) Do scientists ever stick around long-term, or are they more transitory, coming in for specific research projects?
• Is it common for guests in the park to come upon active research sites when hiking/camping? (Monitoring equipment, seasonal no-entry areas, etc.)
• Where do park staff typically live? Are there more affordable parts of town than others? Would it be weird for someone to have roommates? (Ideally my character calls Estes home and has more permanent digs than researcher housing.)
• Any notable dynamics between Parkies and the other residents? How much of Estes' population is employed by NPS, anyway?
• If you saw two thirty-something people on what is clearly a first date, which restaurants/bars would be terrible choices?

If any of these questions made you go "Oh yeah, I've got the inside scoop" or "I have so many opinions about this," please sound off in comments or send me a DM to connect!

This is my first earnest attempt to do actual research for my writing, so I greatly appreciate anything you can tell me that will chip away at my large boulder of ignorance. Thanks!

Are there any trunk or treats or other Halloween activities for kids in Estes that lead up to Halloween on the 31st?

Any recommendations for a place in town to pick something up either in the morning or the night before? Sandwiches or the like...something to stick in a backpack. Thanks in advance!