Upper Beaver Meadows Trailhead
- nps.gov
- Estes Park
About
Upper Beaver Meadows is a quiet valley of meadow and aspen near the Beaver Meadows entrance, with room to spread out. It's where I send friends who want elk and a long view without the Bear Lake crowd.
The turnoff is on the park side of Highway 36, close to the Beaver Meadows entrance, and a dirt road leads up to the trailhead. That road closes to cars through much of the winter, but you can still walk or ski it. The area is a small valley of meadows and aspen with ponderosa and spruce-fir around the edges, and the NPS lists the turnoff at 8,290 feet. Trails from here link up with the Ute Trail, Deer Ridge, Moraine Park and Windy Gulch, so you can build a short outing or a long one. Mileage you'll see online varies a lot depending on which loop people count, so look at the park map and pick your own.
Go in the early morning or near dusk, when the elk are out along the meadow edges and the light is good. September and October are the aspen weeks. Bring binoculars if you have them, because the birding here is good too. Leave the dog home, since pets aren't allowed on park trails (they can walk the road, leashed). And give the elk plenty of room, especially in the fall.
