Glasses break on a hike, contacts tear on the drive up, and sunglasses disappear at the overlook. The nearest city options are a drive away, so it helps that four eye care listings sit inside the valley, all based in Estes Park, covering exams, repairs and surgery.
Know which problem you have before you dial. A broken frame is a shop job. A red, painful eye is a doctor job. Cataracts and laser work point to the ophthalmologist. Get that sorted and you will not waste a call.
Downtown
Sarah Dech, MD practices ophthalmology on Prospect Avenue, a short walk from UCHealth Estes Valley Medical Center. The range is wide for a small-town eye practice: routine eye exams and contact lens fittings, glaucoma care, a cornea specialty, cataract surgery with premium lenses and laser vision correction.
Around the valley
Snapped frames and lost nose pads are the most common reasons people find Aspen Eyecare, out on Marys Lake Road a couple of miles from downtown. There's an optometric lab on site, so repairs, adjustments and cleanings are often quick.
Out on Marys Lake Road, two miles from downtown and a short way past the lake, Dr. Amber Busche is the optometrist and owner behind Aspen Eyecare, which shares her address.
A broken hinge, or lenses that need moving into a new frame, is everyday work at Wendy's Optical Boutique, a small shop on South St. Vrain next to The CowLick Hair Saloon.
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The four split into a few jobs. Aspen Eyecare is an optometry office offering routine exams, glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataract management, eyewear fitting and repair, and an on-site lab. Sarah Dech, MD, is an ophthalmologist doing general ophthalmology, glaucoma care, cataract surgery with premium lenses and laser vision correction. Wendy's Optical Boutique is a small shop that fills prescriptions from anywhere and does repairs on site.
For a snapped frame, Wendy's says it repairs many things on site, refits lenses into another frame, and usually turns work around the same day or the next. For an exam or a problem that needs a doctor, the first two are the places to start. Aspen Eyecare lists red eye emergency visits. Amber Busche is listed without a description, so call to ask. Summer crowds mean waits, so book an exam ahead of a trip rather than during one.
None of the listings says anything about insurance, so ask what is accepted before you book an exam. The same goes for contact lens fittings and whether a prescription from home can be used. Winter hours can run shorter than summer ones, and visitors who break glasses the day before a trip home will want to call first thing in the morning.
Wendy's Optical Boutique says it does many repairs on site and can refit lenses into another frame, usually in a day or two. Aspen Eyecare also lists eyewear fitting and repair with an on-site lab.
Aspen Eyecare lists red eye emergency visits, and Sarah Dech, MD, is an ophthalmologist in town. The listings do not give emergency hours, so call right away and describe the problem.
Sarah Dech, MD, is an ophthalmologist in town. Her listing includes glaucoma care, a cornea specialty, cataract surgery with premium lenses and laser vision correction. Call her office to ask about consultations, scheduling and whether you need a referral from your current eye doctor.
Its listing says it fills prescriptions from anywhere, which means a prescription from home should work. Bring a current copy, and call first to confirm frame choices and timing, since the shop runs without a large staff.
