Hollowell Park
- nps.gov
- Estes Park
About
Hollowell Park is a quiet pullout on Bear Lake Road with meadow, creek and mountain views, and a route into Mill Creek Basin. It's less famous than its neighbors. Good for a mellow morning when the big trailheads are full.
The turnoff is on Bear Lake Road, about 5 miles from Beaver Meadows Visitor Center by the NPS distance chart, at roughly 8,300 feet. It sits in Rocky Mountain National Park near Moraine Park. Trails from here run through meadows and wetland edges into Mill Creek Basin, and you can link toward Cub Lake. Hike guides disagree on loop lengths, so I won't give a number. Look at a current NPS map and choose how far you'd like to go.
This is where I'd steer people who want a trail without the Bear Lake crowd. Go early or late, since elk and moose like these meadows too, and keep your distance. You can also park at the Park & Ride and take the free shuttle if the small lot is full. In summer you'll need a timed-entry reservation, and Bear Lake Road corridor hours have their own rules, so check nps.gov/romo first. Pets are not allowed on any Park trail.
