Grand Lake is the lesser-known gateway town on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Just a small percentage of the people visiting make it to this charming lake town, but it’s a nice change of pace from the crowds of Estes Park, where most people stay. It’s what Estes Park was like 30 years ago, before tourism picked up. There aren’t as many activities and restaurants to choose from, but Grand Lake has a vibe all of its own and is worth a stop.
The perfect day in Grand Lake includes shopping the boardwalk on Grand Avenue, grabbing a bite to eat, getting out on the water, hiking to Adams Falls, and catching a play in the evening.
I’m Cheryl, and my husband and I have been writing travel guides since 2020. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of our favorites and I can’t wait to share with you our favorite things to do in Grand Lake!
In 1880, silver was discovered in the area, and miners established Lulu City. The harsh winters and remote location made it difficult to sustain and it was abandoned just a few years later. The town of Grand Lake was founded just one year after Lulu City and served as a resort town for wealthy travelers in the 20th century. People are still vacationing here today. If you want to get out on the water, we prefer going here over Estes Park Marina.
It’s a small town, only 400 people live here, and the touristy area with the marina and shops is only 1 mile from end to end. It’s easy to park once and explore much of the town on foot. There are a few other places, including other lakes, hikes, and the Grand Lake Lodge, that are worth checking out, which you would want to drive to.
This itinerary is perfect for the first-time visitor because it will get you to the very best sites of Grand Lake. It will bring you to the shopping area, the marina, on a great hike, plus give you some ideas of places to eat. Plan on it taking a full day, but you can easily omit an activity or two that doesn’t interest you and do it in half a day. Many travelers visit Grand Lake as a day trip from Estes Park, driving the 48-mile Trail Ridge Road from the east side of the park to the west side of the park and just stop in Grand Lake for a meal and some shopping and then head back.
The best time to follow this itinerary is June through September. From mid-October to early June, Trail Ridge Road is closed by snow, making the drive impossible. Many local businesses also close or run on shortened hours in the off-season, and lake activities wind down by September as rental shops shut for the year.
Now that you know about Grand Lake, it’s time to explore it! Here is my ideal itinerary. Because this area is condensed, the order you do these activities in doesn’t really matter. Just make sure to check business hours.
Grand Lake is the perfect spot for kayaking, cruising around in a pontoon boat, or doing a boat tour. I used the Trail Ridge Marina to rent a kayak and paddle to islands in the lake. This is the best marina for kayaking because it has a no-wake zone. My paddle was delightful and I even saw an osprey. Advanced reservations are recommended, but they had walk-up availability the day I visited. Most rentals begin around $40 for kayaks and pontoons start at $150 per hour. If you don’t have time to get out on the lake, or if it just isn’t your thing, we really love to just walk out towards the docks in the town, sit on a bench, and take in the scenery.
GOOD TO KNOW: When we visited in late September, all the boat rental shops had closed for the season except Trail Ridge Marina.
The town of Grand Lake has gift and boutique shops, some of which feature local artists. The main shopping area is Grand Avenue, where you walk along a nice boardwalk. It’s only about 6 blocks long and can easily be done in an hour or two. You can park on the 2nd road behind the boardwalk or at the marina if there is no parking on the street. There are basically only three streets in town.
Grand Avenue is also home to some great places to eat! There are coffee shops, pizza, burgers, and ice cream. Our favorite is the Sagebrush BBQ & Grill.
Sagebrush BBQ & Grill has been serving Grand Lake since 1999 and feels like a true mountain-town hangout. The atmosphere is casual with lodge-style décor. You can tell locals hang out here, as well as plenty of tourists.
Their meals are huge and they have indoor and outdoor seating (summer only). Popular things to order are elk and buffalo burgers, wild-game sausages, buffalo meatloaf, ribs, and pulled pork. My husband liked his meat platter. After seeing the greenback trout on many menus in Rocky Mountain, I finally ordered it here. Excellent!
If you are curious about the other restaurants in Grand Lake, check out my article, Best Places to Eat in and Around Rocky Mountain National Park.
The hike to Adams Falls is on the outskirts of the town. The trail is relatively short with minimal elevation gain (0.8-mile round-trip hike, 115 ft elevation gain). This trail begins at the East Inlet Trailhead and goes through a forest of pines and aspens to Adams Falls. There are several boulders you can climb on to get different views, making it a great trail for kids. Adams Falls is ok, but if you continue on the trail beyond the falls for just 5 more minutes, it opens up to the most beautiful valley with amazing views of the mountains and a delightful little stream filled with minnows. This is one of my husband’s favorite spots in all of Rocky Mountain.
GOOD TO KNOW: Adams Falls is part of Rocky Mountain National Park. There is no ranger station, but you will need a park pass and a timed entry permit (if they are required when you are visiting).
The Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre is the nicest theater we have ever seen in a gateway town! It’s been in business for over 60 years. The new theater was built in 2019 after fundraising for millions of dollars. They do three top-notch shows in the summer that they switch on a nightly basis, so you can catch more than one show on your trip. Many people travel to Grand Lake just to see these shows!
When we were there, they were doing a concert, A Tribute to Tony Bennett. We aren’t big Tony Bennett fans, but we LOVED the experience. The seating in the theater was great! They had a live orchestra, professional lighting, and the performers were unbelievable. The place was packed and I could tell that everyone in the audience had a wonderful time. Catching a play here is something we will do every time we visit.
GOOD TO KNOW: They also have concessions and a bar.
This historic lodge was built in 1920 and overlooks the town. The inside of the lodge is nice, and the huge circular fireplace is cool. Eat lunch or dinner at the Huntington House Tavern (Fine dining, ~$30) with great views of the lake, or just sit on the front porch rocking chairs. If you eat dinner here, see if you can go sit by the fireplace on the deck outside. We did this and loved it. We stayed here and really enjoyed it; guests can also enjoy the outside pool with great views. Because it isn’t located downtown, it’s not very crowded.
There are lots of cool things to do in Grand Lake, but I haven’t done all of them yet. Below is a list of other activities in the area, just in case you are interested.
ATV Rides. Season goes from June 15-Sept 30 and rentals are available for ATVs, side-by-sides, slingshots, and mountain bikes. We haven’t tried this yet in Grand Lake, but we rented a slingshot in the Black Hills and LOVED IT! The two places in town are On the Trail Rentals and Grand Adventures. Grand Adventures offers guided tours.
E-bikes. Ebike rentals are available in town, but there are no dedicated, paved bike paths. The bikes we rented were super nice, but we don’t recommend biking here due to the lack of trails to explore. Rentals are available at Rock E Rentals.
Horseback riding. Our family enjoys riding horses, especially when the ride goes into the national park! Winding River Resort has been in business since the 50s and is located between the RMNP and Grand Lake.
River Rafting. 45 minutes from Grand Lake is Kremmling, where you can raft the upper Colorado River. This is a 1/2 day family-friendly float done through Mad Adventures. There are other companies, but they are further away.
Hot Sulphur Springs. Hot Sulphur Springs Resort & Spa is a great place to soak. It is about a 30-minute drive from the town of Grand Lake. This hot spring has 15 pools on site and their pools are 100% natural. They do not add any chemicals, so you’ll have a sulphur smell. You can also book massages and the resort has lodging on-site.
Monarch Lake Loop. One of our customers did this, and the employee at the visitor center told us this is a great trail, but we just didn’t have the time. It circles Monarch Lake, with different scenery on each side of the lake. It takes around 2 hrs, and is a flat, easy, 4-mile loop.
Photo Ops in Grand Lake. This area is quite picturesque! Our favorite photo spots are the Grand Lake sign on Highway 34 overlooking the lake and town, Point Park, and the meadow just past Adams Falls. All provide great shots of Mount Baldy framed by the mountains, with a lake or meadow in front.
Road Conditions: The roads are paved and drivable in a regular car
Cell Phone Service: Most cell phones have service here, but it will fade
as you enter Rocky Mountain National Park
Allow Enough Time: The purpose of visiting Grand Lake is to get to relax. Make sure
to give yourself more time than you need so you don’t have to rush
.
Although we haven’t eaten at all of these restaurants, we did visit all of them. We could tell they were popular with locals and tourists alike.
| Cost Breakdown | |
| $ | Inexpensive ($10-$20) |
| $$ | Moderate ($20–$30) |
| $$$ | Expensive ($30+) |
Because Grand Lake is a small town, there are not too many places to stay, and most of them are expensive. Last time we visited, we stayed at the Grand Lake Lodge in a cabin. It was the cheapest option they had and was ~$150 per night, but they have rooms in the lodge and larger cabins that run $300+ a night. It was clean and nice AND very small. We loved the viewing area in front of the lodge, and the lobby was really nice.
We have also stayed in Granby, a ski town that is about 20 minutes away. There are plenty of condos available, and at a cheaper price.
Grand Lake is just one of the cool places to check out at Rocky Mountain National Park. Amazing lakes, mountain peaks, drives, wildlife, and lots of crowds!
Most travelers want to visit the most popular sites and still avoid the crowds. We have a detailed itinerary that gives you a step-by-step game plan so you can get to the best places at the right times.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN TRIP PLANNER: To read or watch all of our content about Rocky Mountain National Park, check out our Rocky Mountain Homepage
THINGS TO DO: There is so much to do including hiking, swimming, and driving Trail Ridge Road and Bear Lake Road
GREAT CITIES TO STAY OR CHECK OUT: Discover where to stay when visiting or explore some amazing cities nearby including Estes Park where you can take a tour of the Stanley Hotel
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Find out about getting into Rocky Mountain without a reservation, if the park is too crowded, and all about altitude sickness
WATCH: Enjoy videos of gorgeous Rocky Mountain National Park while learning our best tips for visiting by watching our Rocky Mountain YouTube Playlist
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