Most gift shopping in Estes Park happens on or near Elkhorn Avenue, in shops that have sold to Park visitors for decades. Forty-eight are listed, all in the valley, from souvenir stores and boutiques to a general store and a visitor-center gift shop. Sorting out what is local and what is not is the real work.
Skip the magnet. Find the thing somebody here actually made, or the one that reminds you of a specific morning in the Park. That's the souvenir you'll still have in ten years.
Downtown
Every spring Brownfield's opens with an entirely new stock, and every fall it closes in early November with a rummage sale that locals line up for. In between, it's the shop on East Elkhorn, next to The White Orchid and a few doors from Poppy's Pizza & Grill, where a good share of visitors pick up the hoodie.
Carved wooden bears, huckleberry everything and handmade candles from Colorado makers fill most of the shelves at this West Elkhorn souvenir shop, next to the Candy & Jerky Depot and a few doors from Lonigans. Soaps, jewelry and hummingbird feeders round out the local goods, and a deck of cards for the cabin is an easy grab.
Out on West Riverside Drive, next to Estes Angler, this small studio hands you professional materials and teaches a real technique in one sitting. Wood burning is the class that comes up most, followed by tie dye and hydro dipping, with alcohol inks, marbling and batik on the schedule too.
Caramel apples are the thing to get here, whole or sliced, and the fudge and toffee come right behind. This is a national chain, so the boxed assortments, truffles and Mountain-Sized candies will look familiar from other towns.
Halfway along East Elkhorn, a few doors from Mary Jane's and Rocket Fizz, Aspen and Evergreen Gallery fills its walls and shelves with work from more than 75 Colorado artists. Pottery is the strongest part of the room, with paintings, prints, jewelry, photography and woodwork around it.
Elvis, a five-foot singing bear, handles the greeting, and Gordy, a three-foot sloth, backs him up. Behind them are more than 1,500 styles of stuffed animals, including a proper Steiff collection that pulls in grown-up collectors as much as kids.
At East Elkhorn and Park Lane, next to Hayley's Ice Cream, Trendz at the Park sells the kind of gift that isn't a magnet. The look is modern with a mountain accent: home décor, decorative accessories, jewelry, Pendleton, Creative Co-op and Cyan, plus pieces from American-made, female-owned vendors.
Pickle soda is the bottle people dare each other to buy, and it sits a few shelves from blue cream soda, fruit punch and a long wall of other glass-bottled flavors. This is the Estes Park outpost of a national soda and candy franchise, on East Elkhorn next to Hands Down Best In Town Therapeutic Massage, and the house taffy (blueberry, watermelon, tangerine, grape cotton candy) shares space with old-school brands like Nik-L-Nip.
More than 100 loose teas sit on the shelves at this East Elkhorn shop, next to Mountain Berry Bakery, many of them blended and packed by hand in small batches. The oolongs and the cold brew get singled out, and there are samples to try before committing to a bag.
Six thousand square feet is a lot of gift shop. The Trading Post of the Rockies fills it with Native American jewelry, rugs and blankets, Talavera pottery, hides and pelts, knives, western leather goods and a kids' section, and the metal yard art and dream catchers are what people tend to carry out.
In the middle of July, Nana's Christmas Cottage on Spruce Drive is still playing Christmas music. Ornaments are what most people leave with, along with traditional holiday decorations that lean timeless rather than novelty.
The hat bars are what set this East Elkhorn boutique apart: one for custom trucker hats, one for western hats, plus a bracelet charm bar and permanent jewelry. It is a souvenir you build rather than pull off a rack, and a decent way to spend part of an afternoon on Elkhorn.
Vinyl records and guitars are not the usual stock for a downtown souvenir shop, which is part of why The Phat Bear stands apart on East Elkhorn. The main business is soft Comfort Colors and embroidered tees, crewnecks and hoodies, many in the shop's own designs, and the sheer number of choices is what people talk about.
A block from Bond Park on East Elkhorn, Rocky Mountain Tops sells the shirt that says where you were. T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and hats carry Estes Park and national park designs, with souvenirs and gifts filling the rest of the shelves.
Next to The Whispering Wood on West Elkhorn, this small shop mixes farmhouse, vintage and whimsical decor with Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park souvenirs picked to be a little different. The friendly owner is a big part of why people linger.
On Park Lane near Bond Park, next to Images of Rocky Mountain National Park, this store is mostly furniture and decor rather than souvenirs: aspen lodge pieces, Big Sky Carvers bears, wood carvings, rugs, bedding, Heritage Lace and metal elk and moose art. The woodwork and the bears are what stay with people, along with a kind, helpful staff.
Stickers and T-shirts are the backbone here, in a big selection that leans toward kids. The shop is on West Elkhorn by Memories Old Time Portraits and Wild Spirits Gallery, and it stays open well into the evening, so it works for the after-dinner souvenir run.
Next door to Colorado Homestead on East Elkhorn, about as central as downtown gets, Dakotah Jewelry & Gifts is a ring shop first. The ring selection is what people come back to talk about, with turquoise pieces and work by individual artists mixed in among the gifts.
The 217 mug gives it away. This is the Stanley Hotel's own gift shop, a few steps from The Vault at The Stanley and Brunch & Co.
Silver is the focus at this West Elkhorn shop next to Real West Old Time Photography: necklaces, rings, earrings and bracelets, plus Navajo jewelry and other accessories. The staff are the reason people leave happy, helpful with choosing and with ring sizing.
If the souvenir run got pushed to after dinner, this West Elkhorn shop stays open into the evening. It sits next to Sports Hound, a short walk from Bond Park, with gifts and souvenirs for the people back home.
Five-and-dime is the idea, and people notice the old dime-store name first. Estes Park 5 & 10 is a souvenir shop on Moraine Avenue, a block from Bond Park and the Riverwalk, next to Big Red of the Rockies and a few doors from Plum Creek Shoe Station and Pines & Cones Ice Cream.
Down East Elkhorn toward the Visitor Center, next to Colorado Games Company and Kind Coffee, this souvenir shop does what the name says: Rocky Mountain gifts and T-shirts. It is a quick-visit kind of place, good for the last-minute magnet or the shirt for whoever stayed home.
T-shirts are the whole idea here. This family-run shirt shop sits on East Elkhorn right at the Riverwalk, stocked with the souvenir designs people buy on the last afternoon of a trip.
Right on East Elkhorn, by Bond Park and steps from the Riverwalk, Colorado Homestead is a bookstore that does a lot of its business in gifts. Its neighbors are Dakotah Jewelry & Gifts and Wear Me Out T's, and Elevations Eatery and Bar is a few doors down.
A block from Bond Park, at 300 East Elkhorn and right next to EPK Adventure Rental, The Mountain Vault is a small women's clothing boutique sized for a quick browse between other downtown stops. Most who wander in come away calling it a cute shop, and the help at the counter gets a mention too.
On East Elkhorn, right next to Elevations Eatery and Bar and a few steps from Bond Park, sits a T-shirt and sweatshirt shop of the classic downtown sort. Selection is the draw: racks of shirts and souvenir designs, plus sweatshirts for the evening that turns colder than anyone packed for.
Next to Rocky Mountain SereniTea and Mountain Berry Bakery on East Elkhorn, Mystic Mountain Gallery sells art, gifts and a fair amount of jewelry, which is what people mention most. The staff get as much credit as the stock, described again and again as fun and sweet.
T-shirts are the main event at this small East Elkhorn shop, next to Kirks Flyshop and Wynbrier Home. The designs are a little different from the usual souvenir stock and the shirts hold up, which is what people bring up along with the friendly staff.
Right on West Elkhorn, next to Flavors of the Rockies and steps from Grandma's Mountain Cookies, this is the quick stop for a Colorado T-shirt and a magnet for the fridge. Magnets and souvenirs are what people walk out with, and the staff are friendly about it.
Houseware, baby gifts, dog gear, kids' toys and beauty products share the shelves at Fia & Blue, a small gift shop on Big Thompson Avenue next to the You Need Pie diner. The mix is the point.
Stuffed animals and kids' clothes are what pull families into The Whispering Wood. The selection is wider than the shop's size suggests, and there are gifts here that don't turn up in every store on the block.
On East Elkhorn by Bond Park, next to the Elkins Distilling tasting room and a few doors from Laura's Fine Candies, Trailhead Threads sells souvenirs you can wear. The shirts are the reason to go in: men's and women's tees, plus hoodies, sweatshirts and hats, all built around Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park.
Japanese KitKats, Pocky, Milka and bags of foreign Lay's are the reason to walk in, and the international candy is what people leave talking about. Elk Bites also stocks freeze-dried candy, a bulk Swedish pick-and-mix and a sugar-free shelf.
A few steps from ELK BITES and the Dairy Queen on East Elkhorn Avenue, Unique Colorado Souvenir is a souvenir shop built for a quick stop. Nothing more specific is published about the stock, so walk in and look.
Apparel, gifts and souvenirs fill this West Elkhorn shop, part of the Water Wheel Gift Corner group of stores. Gifts For Everyone is set up for knocking out the whole list for the people back home in one stop, and it stays open later toward the end of the week.
Handmade pieces, clothing and home decor are what people notice at Annie's, a gift shop on Moraine Avenue a couple of blocks from the Elkhorn corner. It mixes things to wear with things to put on a shelf, which makes it an easy stop when shopping for someone back home.
Right at Bond Park on East Elkhorn, Flattop Mountain Trading Company sells gifts and souvenirs from a unit next to Estes Perk Coffee and Cocktail Lounge and Estes Silver & Gold, with Antlers Rooftop Tavern in the same spot. It is the kind of shop people duck into for ten minutes, not an hour.
Wood, glass, metal, pottery and photography, all from local artisans, in one shop on East Elkhorn next to Ed's Cantina & Grill and near Aspen and Evergreen Gallery. With several makers under one roof, it is a sensible stop when you need a gift and do not know the person's taste.
A card and gift shop under the Hallmark name, on East Wonderview a short walk from the Visitor Center, next to Notchtop Bakery & Cafe and Fabled Collections Game Store. It is a quick stop, the kind for a birthday card or a last-minute host gift, and it opens Sundays.
On East Wonderview, next to Rocky Mountain Pharmacy and The UPS Store, Blue Moose sells resort wear and souvenirs a few minutes from the Stanley and the Visitor Center. It keeps short, early-day hours, so make it a morning stop rather than an after-dinner one.
Around the valley
The cinnamon rolls are why people make the drive out to Glen Haven, and nearly everyone leaves with a box. They come warm, with cinnamon honey butter if you want it.
The gift shop is one piece of a bigger stop. Rocky Mountain Gateway sits about a tenth of a mile from the Fall River entrance, next to the Trailhead Restaurant and the Fall River Visitor Center, and it was the first joint venture between a private company and the National Park Service.
Cast aluminum statues are what set this Moraine Avenue shop apart from the usual souvenir stops, and they ship anywhere in the country through the shop's online catalog. The rest is souvenirs, clothing, homemade candy and gifts made in Colorado and around the U.
Seven thousand square feet of souvenirs, apparel, toys, stuffed animals, outdoor gear and home decor sit out Moraine Avenue, about a mile from the Park entrance. The size is the point.
Stuffed animals, every species that boarded the Ark and then some, fill most of this shop on Lone Pine Drive, not far from Lake Estes. The other side runs to antiques, vintage pieces, farmhouse decor and a miniature shop, plus puzzles, games and a slot car setup that gets plenty of attention.
Out on South St. Vrain near the fairgrounds, next to Lumpy Ridge Brewing, this shop sells cabin and camp decor from across the decades: knotty pine furniture from Nowels and Rocky Mountain Pine, rustic and Western pieces, the kind of thing someone's grandparents had in their cabin.
A cabin sign with the family name engraved in wood, a trophy for the league banquet, a plaque for a retiring volunteer: that is the work here. BTEC Design Shop is a family-owned engraving, printing and graphic design shop on South St.
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If made in Colorado matters, ask. Only 1 listing here carries a locally made tag. Estes Village says it builds its stock around goods from Estes Park and Colorado artisans, and Wild Horse Gift Shop says some of its stock is made in Colorado and elsewhere in America. Aspen and Evergreen Gallery carries handcrafted work from more than 75 Colorado artists.
Forty of the 48 are marked open Sunday, but hours still follow the season. Brownfield's has sold souvenirs and outdoor gear since 1956 and closes in early November, a reminder that many shops here run seasonal calendars and cut back in winter. Call ahead if you are visiting off-season, and plan your shopping around Park time rather than the other way around.
Not everything is a souvenir shop. Rocky Mountain Gateway at the Fall River entrance puts a gift shop, grocery, restaurant, coffee shop, visitor center and stables in one place, and Stuffed carries more than 1,500 stuffed animals. Only 1 gift listing carries a ships-online tag, so ask about shipping before you buy anything large.
Most are. Forty of the 48 listed are marked open on Sunday. Hours still shift with the season, and many Estes Park shops cut hours or close in winter, so call ahead if you are visiting off-season.
Estes Village in downtown Estes Park builds its stock around goods from Estes Park and Colorado artisans, from carved bears to huckleberry products. Aspen and Evergreen Gallery carries handcrafted work by more than 75 Colorado artists. Ask any shop where a particular item was made.
Rocky Mountain Gateway sits at the Fall River Road entrance, the Park's north entrance, with a gift shop, grocery, restaurant, coffee shop, visitor center and horse stables in one place. It is marked open on Sunday, but confirm hours in winter.
Stuffed carries more than 1,500 styles of stuffed animals and has two mascots: Elvis, a 5-foot singing bear who poses for photos, and Gordy, a 3-foot sloth. Rocket Fizz sells bottled sodas and candy in unusual flavors, and both are marked open on Sunday.
