Lodging is the valley's main business. The 94 hotels and inns listed here are all based in the valley, from a 1909 estate to roadside motels, riverside cabins and lodges along Fall River. Summer is the busy season, and what you can book swings with it.
I have slept in a lot of small-town motels, and the questions never change: is it clean, is it quiet, and how far is the coffee. Here, add one more. Ask what the place is like in winter, because plenty run on summer hours.
Downtown
Up East Wonderview Avenue, less than half a mile from downtown, the Stanley Hotel is as much a tour stop as a place to sleep. Plenty of people who never book a room still come through the front door.
S'mores at the gas fire pits are the nightly ritual here, with popcorn alongside, and it's the thing guests bring up first. The inn sits on Spruce Drive along the Fall River, a few minutes on foot from Bond Park and the Riverwalk, with a hot tub, a pool and a continental breakfast in the morning.
For a room by the river that's still a walk from dinner, Murphy's on West Elkhorn covers it, about half a mile from the center of town. The river view is what people book for, and the beds are comfortable.
Up the hill on Riverside Drive, above downtown, the Crags is a century-old lodge where every room is a suite. It sits in the town's old hillside neighborhood, with trailheads and wildlife-watching spots starting close by, and The View Restaurant is right next door.
Downtown is a walk along a paved riverside path from the Maxwell Inn, and that is most of the argument for staying on this stretch of West Elkhorn. Rocky Mountain National Park is about five minutes the other way, by a bypass entrance that skips the downtown traffic.
A trout pond with a small island in the middle sits on the lodge's four acres, and guests can fish it. The hot tub, a fire pit and fireplaces in some rooms cover the evenings, and sliding glass doors open the rooms onto the grounds, where elk sometimes wander through.
Off Steamer Parkway, a short way from the Stanley Hotel and under half a mile from downtown, Aspire Hotel & Spa mixes standard rooms with studios and apartments, some with full kitchens and mountain or lake views. Room size and balconies get the most notice, along with the pool, the sauna and a hot tub, and the rooms are quiet.
A short walk east along Elkhorn from the center of downtown, this small motel near Estes Thai and The Egg of Estes gives hikers a simple base with gas fireplaces in the rooms. Rooms are spacious, with a full bath, a microwave and a refrigerator.
S'mores at night and a breakfast burrito before the trailhead set the rhythm at this hotel on Stanley Avenue, a block or so from the Visitor Center and half a mile from downtown. Trailborn runs a small set of outdoors-focused hotels near national parks and mountain towns, and this is its Rocky Mountain one, sharing an address with La Colina.
A block from the Visitor Center on Stanley Avenue, half a mile from downtown, this is the hotel formerly called Trailborn Lodge. The rooms were redone, and the grounds carry most of the personality: a seasonal outdoor pool and an evening campfire where the staff hands out s'mores.
A spa and a cheerful staff are the two things that stick with guests at Estes Park Resort, a resort hotel in town. Not much else is on record about rooms or rates, so call for the specifics before booking.
The swing on the private patio is the point. The Big Thompson runs right in front of this single stand-alone cabin on East Riverside Drive, and downtown is a five-minute walk along the river.
Around the valley
Four thousand feet of Fall River runs past The Inn on Fall River, about halfway between town and the Park's Fall River entrance. The land once sat inside the Park's original boundary, and some of the pine and spruce on it are around 300 years old.
DVD players in the rooms, a shelf of board games and free popcorn. Murphy's Resort runs on an old-fashioned idea of a family motel night and doesn't pretend otherwise.
Ten room types fill this motel on Big Thompson Avenue, from plain one-bed rooms up to suites with Jacuzzis, fireplaces and balconies. The beds are comfortable, rooms have minifridges and some have DVD players, and breakfast is included, delivered to the room if you ask, and curbside check-in skips the lobby altogether.
Adults only, twenty-one and up, with no pets and no smoking. That rule shapes everything at Stonebrook, a set of cottages and suites on Fall River nearly two miles up Fall River Road, and the quiet is what people come for.
Ask for a lake-view room. The hotel sits on the shore of Lake Estes, about a mile and a half from downtown, and the rooms that face the water, some with balconies and fireplaces, are the ones guests talk about afterward.
Along Riverside Drive, about a mile from downtown, these condos are all about the river. The river view is the thing people talk about most, and the riverfront units are the ones to ask for.
Hotel Estes sits on Big Thompson Avenue a bit over a mile from downtown, near Lake Estes, which buys it some quiet and a long view toward the Continental Divide. The hot tub gets the most attention, with the nightly s'mores and popcorn a close second.
About a mile east of downtown on Big Thompson Avenue, the Appenzell is styled after Swiss mountain lodging and set back from the busier riverfront strip. Check-in happens next door at its sister property, Estes Mountain Inn, where the lobby is newer and roomier, with seating inside and out.
Being this close to the Park is the first thing guests bring up about Rams Horn Village, a resort of log cabins off Highway 66 about a mile from a Park entrance and two from town. The cabins have stocked kitchens, fireplaces and grills, and the hot tubs, outdoor heated pool, fire pits and hammocks are shared under tall pines.
Anniversaries bring more couples to Riversong than any other occasion, with weddings and elopements close behind. It is a bed and breakfast on the river, down Lower Broadview Road a couple of miles from downtown, and the seclusion out there is a large part of the appeal.
In summer the outdoor pool opens; the rest of the year the hot tub does the work. The Quality Inn is on Big Thompson Avenue near Lake Estes, about a mile and a quarter from downtown, and the rooms are roomier and quieter than the roadside look suggests, with balconies and some fireplaces.
Weddings drive a lot of what happens here. Black Canyon Inn runs two venues, The Boulders and The Homestead, on the same ground as its lodging, on MacGregor Avenue closer to the Stanley Hotel than to downtown.
Near Lake Estes on Big Thompson Avenue, a little over a mile from downtown, the Silver Saddle is a standard Best Western Plus done reasonably well. Ask for a balcony room: the mountain view from it is the best thing about the place, and some rooms add a fireplace.
A covered bridge over Fall River is the way in to Castle Mountain Lodge, about a mile and a half up Fall River Road from downtown. The cabins are the draw: one to three bedroom cottages among tall pines, many with fireplaces, plus suites, rooms and private spa cottages with their own hot tubs.
About half a mile from the Fall River entrance, McGregor Mountain Lodge is as close to the Park as a cabin in Estes gets, and the property borders it. It sits a little over three miles up Fall River Road from downtown, so town is a drive and the trails are not.
A mile and a half up Fall River Road, Nicky's is a small riverfront resort with twenty-six pine-paneled rooms and two cabins, and The Wapiti Colorado Pub right next door for dinner. The beds are comfortable and the rooms small and warm.
The hot tub is the thing people remember about Brynwood on the River, and the elk are a close second, since they wander through often. It's on Moraine Avenue about a mile from downtown, with cabins along the river, some with fireplaces and screened-in porches, and an outdoor pool on the grounds.
Fireplaces and the sound of the river are what stay with people after a night here. The suites sit right on Fall River, about two miles up Fall River Road from downtown and about the same distance from the Park's Fall River entrance, in one-bedroom, two-bedroom and two-bedroom-with-loft layouts.
A hiking trail on the property is the first thing guests bring up, followed closely by the river. Fall River runs a long stretch through the fourteen forested acres here, with spots to fish or just sit, and the land borders Rocky Mountain National Park about a mile and a half up Fall River Road from downtown.
If the sound of the river is the point of the trip, this is the place. Ponderosa Lodge sits on the banks of Fall River, down a one-lane drive off Fall River Road, a little under two miles west of downtown.
Summer here looks like camp for the whole family: mini golf, archery, roller skating, axe throwing, disc golf and horseback riding, and plenty of hiking. Winter swaps in ice skating.
Near the top of Fall River Road, under a mile from the Park's Fall River entrance, Wildwood Inn spreads its rooms, suites and a vacation home over six acres. Hot tubs are the theme: a communal one with a sun deck, plus private tubs in some units, and that's what people remember.
Down South St. Vrain near the Events Complex, a little over a mile from downtown, The Rustic Acre rents cabin-style lodging meant as a base for town and the Park.
Forty-nine rooms, a heated pool and a hot tub. Coyote Mountain Lodge is on Big Thompson Avenue a little over a mile from downtown, a few minutes from Lake Estes and the marina, and the rooms have been updated, some with private balconies or patios looking at the mountains.
A mile west of downtown on Fall River Road, Streamside spreads twenty-one cabins and suites through pine and aspen along the river, next to Estes Park Retreat. Elk and mule deer wander the property, and rainbow trout can be fished from right outside the cabins.
Two names, one stretch of river. River Stone and Bear Paw Suites are cabins and condos run together on Fall River Road, a little over two miles up from downtown and about a mile and a half short of the Fall River entrance to the Park.
Adults only, about two miles up Fall River Road from downtown. Boulder Brook's spa suites put a two-person jetted tub, a gas fireplace and a private deck over the river in one room, and the one-bedroom suites add a king bed and a separate living room.
The hot tub on the riverside deck is the reason most people book here, and the river view is a close second. The 4 Seasons Inn is an adults-only spot on Fall River along West Elkhorn, a little over a mile from downtown, with tall trees around the buildings and a barbecue area by the water.
On Marys Lake Road, a short walk from the lake itself, this woodsy lodge has been taking guests since 1913. The condos are what most people book and talk about, and the lodge doubles as a wedding venue.
Updated rooms and comfortable beds are what stick with people after a night at the Columbine, which is the right priority for a basic inn. It sits on Big Thompson Avenue east of downtown, about half a mile from Lake Estes, with free Wi-Fi, satellite TV, a continental breakfast and a hot tub for after the trail.
Three miles from downtown on Dripping Springs Lane, right on the Big Thompson, the Woolly Bugger Inn rents tiny homes, cabins, duplexes and suites on five acres of canyon. Some of the cabins have been putting up Park visitors for over a hundred years, and they are kept simple on purpose.
S'mores every night, popcorn and board games come with the room here, along with continental breakfast, and that about sums up Estes Mountain Inn: a budget inn built around families. It's on Big Thompson Avenue about a mile east of downtown, near Lake Estes, and it now shares amenities with the Appenzell Inn next door.
A private hot tub on the deck, with the river in view, is what most people book Fawn Valley for. The inn sits out Fall River Road, under a mile from the Fall River entrance to the Park, and its rustic alpine-style rooms and cabins share a heated outdoor pool, with grills on some decks.
Recent renovations are the first thing most guests notice at this simple hotel on Moraine Avenue, about a mile and a half from downtown on the way toward Beaver Meadows. The mountain view from the balconies is the second.
Cabins are the whole point at Valhalla: simple wood ones with kitchens, decks and barbecues, several with fireplaces, all kept clean, and some roomy enough for a family that likes elbow room. The resort is up Eagle Cliff Road, a couple of miles from downtown and closer still to the Beaver Meadows entrance, which makes the Park an easy morning drive.
Up Fall River Road, a little over a mile past downtown, Deer Crest sits right on the river, with no kids and no smoking anywhere on the property. The water is the main event.
Ten cabins line the edge of the Big Thompson out on Highway 66, close enough to the water that they had to be grandfathered in. A few of them started life inside the Park and were moved here.
The river is the point here. The suites and cabins on Highway 66, next to River Ridge Cottages and about two miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance, look onto the water, and the sound of it at night is what people mention.
Down Sketch Box Lane, under a mile from Lake Estes, nine private acres of pines hold 45 standalone two-bedroom cabins and a seven-room lodge. Each cabin runs about 1,200 square feet with two king beds, two baths, a gas fireplace, a full kitchen, a washer and dryer and a deck with its own grill.
Out Fish Hatchery Road, a little over a mile from the Fall River entrance, these cabins sit along Fall River with fishing right on the property. Fireplaces and private decks come standard, some cabins add balconies, jetted tubs and full kitchens, and a shared hot tub is on site.
Adults only, and every cabin has its own hot tub in the room. That's the whole pitch at this cabin resort out on Riverside Drive, about a mile and a half from downtown, and it works: the in-room tubs are what guests talk about afterward.
On North St. Vrain, a little more than half a mile from the Lake Estes Marina, Estes Lake Lodge rents rustic rooms and cabins, some with full kitchens and fireplaces in the room.
Old-school motel, and it does not pretend otherwise. Saddle & Surrey on South St.
Lake Estes fills the view from Bristol Mountain Home, a bed and breakfast on Grand Estates Drive close to the marina. Elk come through often enough to be expected, hummingbirds are around in season, and the fire pit gets used at night.
Hummingbirds get mentioned almost as often as the cabins at Workshire Lodge, and elk turn up too. It is a small cabin resort on the banks of Fall River, three miles up Fall River Road from downtown and under a mile from the Fall River entrance, spread across several wooded acres.
A little over a mile west of downtown on West Elkhorn, Riverview Pines sits on four and a half acres along Fall River, with trout fishing right on the property. Log cabins are the reason to book.
Condos, not cabins, and roomy ones. Riverwood On Fall River has three floor plans running from 1,100 to 1,400 square feet, each with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, gas fireplace, two full baths and a private deck.
Moraine Avenue, a mile and a half from downtown and about a mile from the Park entrance, is where these log cabins sit. Each has a kitchen, a fireplace and a private deck facing the mountains, and one of the larger cabins has two bedrooms and two baths for up to seven.
Up Fall River Road, a couple of miles west of downtown and about five minutes from the Fall River entrance, Blackhawk keeps ten log cabins on roughly an acre. Pine paneling, fireplaces, kitchens.
S'mores around the fire pits are what families remember from this Holiday Inn, along with the game room. There is an indoor pool and a hot tub, Starbucks coffee, and free sparkling water.
The hot tub is what people book this place for, and some of the cabins have one of their own. The suites and cabins sit up Fall River Road, a little under two miles west of downtown, with hiking trails, barbecue grills and waterfalls on the grounds.
Out Highway 7, a little under six miles from downtown, this Christian family dude ranch runs its stays as all-inclusive weeks rather than nights. Cabins range from small ones for two to larger ones that sleep eight, meals are chef-prepared, and there is a pool.
The river is what people talk about first at Tiny Town Cabins. The 19 rustic cabins line the Big Thompson on Moraine Avenue, a little over a mile from downtown, on a 12-acre property that feels more tucked away than the address suggests.
On Mesa Drive, among the YMCA of the Rockies buildings about two miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance, Longs Peak Lodge is set up for groups. Meeting rooms, access to the dining hall and a coffee area make it work for retreats and family reunions.
Built in 1948 and fully renovated in 2023, this motor lodge on South St. Vrain went back to its original name after carrying several others over the years.
Tiny cabins are what people book at Trout Haven Resorts, on Moraine Avenue a little over a mile from downtown, on the road toward Beaver Meadows. There's a hot tub, a playground for the kids, and mountain views from the grounds.
Old cabins, a hot tub and a stove to cook on: Triple R Cottages keeps it simple on Riverside Drive, a short drive from downtown, as one of the Rocky Mountain Resorts properties. The cabins are small and rustic, with compact kitchens, and kept clean.
Down Big Thompson Canyon Road, about two and a half miles from downtown, six cottages sit along the Big Thompson River. Guests have been coming here since 1924.
Up Fall River Road, a mile and a half short of the Park entrance, Timber Creek Chalets is a group of rustic cabins and chalets with kitchens, Wi-Fi and, in some units, a private hot tub. It is one of five Rocky Mountain Resorts properties, along with Fawn Valley Inn, Lazy R Cottages, Sunnyside Knoll and Triple R Cottages.
Three miles down the Big Thompson Canyon from town, in Drake, Loveland Heights runs 19 cottages across 22 acres of pine and aspen on the banks of the river. The river is the point.
On a cold evening after a day in the Park, the game room and the heated saltwater pool earn their keep at this lodge on North Lake Avenue, near Lake Estes. Board games, fire pits and a fireplace finish the job.
Two miles east of downtown on Big Thompson Avenue, the road in from the Big Thompson Canyon, this old-school motel has its own restaurant and lounge and a specialty in hosting events. The owner is the one people mention most, helpful and hospitable, and the rooms are clean, some of them updated.
Out on US 36, about six and a half miles from downtown, this is a four-room Southwestern inn with antiques, Native American art and an outdoor hot tub. It's a bed and breakfast at heart, small and personal.
Closer to the Beaver Meadows entrance of the Park than to downtown, this lodge sits about three and a half miles out of town. Family reunions are the gathering that comes up most here.
Muffins, yogurt and a continental breakfast in the morning, s'mores at night: the basics at this Trailborn outpost on Big Thompson Avenue, next to The Outpost Rocky Mountains, are built for people who will spend the day hiking in the Park. The rooms are a mixed bag.
Hot tubs and gas fireplaces are what people talk about after a night at Creekside Suites. Some units have their own outdoor tub, and there is a shared one on the property.
On Reunion Lane, among the YMCA of the Rockies cabins about three and a half miles from downtown, Fairchild Lodge is remembered for its view. The Beaver Meadows entrance to the park is about two and a half miles off, and Mary's Lake a little closer.
Horses still live at this 19th-century lodge on Elkhorn Avenue, less than a mile from downtown, and the stables and trail rides are what most guests talk about afterward. Rooms in the old lodge and separate cabins are both available, with free Wi-Fi.
No televisions, no cell service in the valley and only minimal Wi-Fi. That is the design at Dao House, a rustic lodge and retreat center six miles out Highway 7 from downtown.
Four bedrooms and two baths make Brown Cabin one of the larger houses Eagles Crest Rentals offers in Estes Park, out on Highway 66 less than two miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance. It is a private house rather than a hotel room, with a full kitchen, and a grocery store and places to eat are close by.
Just off Highway 66, along the Big Thompson River and next to The Landing at Estes Park, River Ridge Cottages is a cluster of stand-alone cabins about a mile and a half from the Beaver Meadows entrance. Downtown is two miles back toward town.
Up on Longhouse Way, about three and a half miles from downtown and a couple of miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, Twin Sisters Lodge is lodging built around groups. Bunks come up often enough to make the point, and so do family reunions, which is the crowd it seems to fit.
Up Fall River Road, under a mile from the Fall River entrance, Rocky Mountain Resorts is based at the same spot as Fawn Valley Inn, one of its properties. The others are Lazy R Cottages, Timber Creek Chalets, Triple R Cottages and Sunnyside Knoll, plus a list of vacation homes and cabins.
Among the cluster of cabins a couple of miles from Mary's Lake, Happy Trails sits right by Evensong Cabin, about two and a half miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance. The view and the cabin itself are what guests remember.
Longs Trail, a little over four miles from downtown and about two and a half from the Beaver Meadows entrance, is where Recovery Room sits. Little else is on record about the rooms or rates, so get the details directly before booking.
Out on Big Thompson Avenue, under a mile from downtown, The Outpost is a ski-chalet-style lodge that used to go by Trailborn Rocky Mountains Outpost. The pool comes up more than anything else.
Anyone hoping to book a night at Hague Staff Lodge should ask first: the name says staff lodge, and whether it takes outside guests isn't clear from what's listed. It's on Longhouse Way, nearly four miles from downtown and a bit over two from the Beaver Meadows entrance.
Up among the YMCA of the Rockies cabins, under two and a half miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance and nearly four from downtown, Evensong Cabin sits next to Moosquin Cabin. Little else is published about it.
Longs Trail runs past several of the YMCA cabins, a little over four miles from downtown and about two and a half from the Beaver Meadows entrance. Trails End sits there, with Mary's Lake a couple of miles off.
As the name says, Halletts is a staff lodge on the YMCA of the Rockies grounds, out on Longhouse Way about two miles from Mary's Lake and a little farther from the Beaver Meadows entrance. Nothing about the rooms is published, so anyone booked here should confirm with the YMCA what the stay includes.
Elk and deer wander through the yard at Elk Rock Cabin, a two-bedroom place in the pines about two miles from downtown on Olympus Lane, with Longs Peak showing through the trees. It's 938 square feet and sleeps six.
Drake is down the Big Thompson Canyon from Estes, about three miles from downtown, and this room at Dripping Springs Hotel is on Dripping Springs Lane, right next door to The Woolly Bugger Inn. Not much is posted about the room itself, so ask directly about beds and setup when booking.
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Start with what you want in the room. Hot tub is the most common mark, on 24 listings, followed by kitchen on 18, river or mountain view on 14 and fireplace on 12. Only 3 are marked pet-friendly and 1 as a walk to downtown. The marks are incomplete: Silver Moon Inn's description says a few rooms take pets, so call to confirm.
Location splits the list. The Inn on Fall River and Stonebrook Resort both sit along Fall River between downtown and the park's Fall River entrance, and Stonebrook is adults-only. Silver Moon Inn is on the river less than a block from downtown. The Estes Park Resort & Spa is on Lake Estes, and Historic Crags Lodge sits on a hillside above downtown.
Budget and kitchen options matter on longer stays. Murphy's Resort lists free breakfast and a seasonal shuttle, and Rams Horn Village has cabins with kitchens and barbecues. The Appenzell Inn has kitchenette suites and a year-round hot tub. Many businesses cut hours or close in winter, so ask what is open. Elk wander through town, so expect company outside.
This directory lists 94 hotels and inns, all based in the Estes Park valley. They range from historic estates and lodges to roadside motels and cabin resorts. Availability swings with the season, and summer is the busy one.
Only 3 listings are marked pet-friendly, but the marks are incomplete. Silver Moon Inn says a few rooms take pets, while Stonebrook Resort is pet-free and adults-only. Call before booking and ask about fees and room restrictions.
Hot tubs are marked on 24 listings and kitchens on 18. Rams Horn Village and Historic Crags Lodge are both marked for hot tub and kitchen, and Stonebrook Resort and The Inn on Fall River are marked for kitchens.
Many businesses here cut hours or close in winter, so call first. Rams Horn Village says it runs all four seasons with posted winter specials, and The Appenzell Inn lists a year-round hot tub. Winters are long and cold.
