Visiting Estes Park, Colorado

Like most people in the modern world, you would be best advised to smoke weed in a forest, bowling alley parking lot or a kid's playground at night. I'm sure Estes Park has one of the three I have listed.

 

Take a jackets its still super cold at the top. Make sure you have hiking shoes.

 

those rules are standard.. you can smoke anywhere really lol just dont be obnoxious

 

You want to check out the Stanley Hotel where Stephen King wrote the Shining and where Kubrick filmed a good chunk of his film.(no hedgerow maze though) I would definitely recommend booking at least one night with drinks downstairs. Giant hearths taller than a man hint at much more....

Rocky Mountain National Park is not to be missed either. It's an amazing hike up above tree line to lakes of black glass/volcanic rock.

As to the kiddos, young and old...There used to be a Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum.

All this and a magnificent view of the reservoir.

We've been through many times on the way to the Dillon area for our skiing...sometimes stopping spontaneously.

You'll love it any time of year.

 

Just moved back to Houston after 2yrs in Denver and I visited that area quite often, maybe I can help:

This is complete, utter BS. You absolutely CANNOT smoke anywhere and you damn sure can't smoke in a family oriented tourist town like Estes Park. Just smoke in your car or in your room and you'll be fine. Or, like you said, get a Micro G Pen and take advantage of the choice wax/shatter available to you. Mahatma brand is always solid but there is definitely better.

Obviously I'm assuming you plan to travel up to Rocky Mountain National Park...Estes Park is just at the foot of the mountains. Yeah, you can bring a jacket, but you can also wear shorts...it's really not that cold in the Summer at all.

Going up the back way via Granby is the best way to see it all and then come back down the other side to Estes Park on the other side, but that's maybe not in the cards for you.

When you DO go up the mountain into RMNP, however, you HAVE to visit one of the handful of accessible waterfalls via hike. I can't remember the best one, ask around, I thinks it's Alberta or Timberline. There's a parking lot and information center at the trail head and the one I'm thinking of is so popular it has shuttles that run from auxiliary lots b/c it's so f'n awesome.

Also remember, there's VERY little (if any) cell coverage in RMNP. Just drive around and explore. You'll come across all KINDS of wildlife, "hidden" lakes, trails...it's a damn good time and I'm getting kinda jealous just remembering it all.

Enjoy, my friend. Colorado is incredible.


Edit Add:
If you DO intend to go up the back way by Lake Granby and come back down through RMNP to Estes Park...you HAVE to stop in Winter Park for lunch. KILLER ski town with lot's of cool people and good eats year round...and four or five nice dispensaries along the way.

 

It's a mountain, find a secluded spot and toke. No one will care, if someone reports you, you'll be gone by the time anything could remotely have the chance of happening

"Complete utter bs" hahaha

 

As a few have said. Rocky Mountain National Park is amazing. Dream Lake is one of my favorite hiking destinations if you're up for that sort of thing. One of the best views in all of Colorado IMO.

 

Beautiful place. Surrounded by mountains on all sides. Not a whole lot to do there after dark. There is this one bar there known for their karaoke at night but I can't remember the name of it. Cab drivers there are extremely friendly and helpful.

 

I just came back from Colorado and it is a very laid back place. The rule is that you can only smoke in public area but you can smell it in the air everywhere you go. You can always purchase cookies or even a brownie at the dispensory.

 

Utter BS? I can walk around almost anywhere in Denver and find someone smoking IN PUBLIC. Sure the rules says you can't but I see people doing it every single day

 

I went hiking in Garden of the Gods and people were straight up smoking. I'm sure everyone will be receiving second hand smoking.

 

I am in Estes Park right now... working this week, vacation next.

A reminder if you are from out of state, there aren't weed dispensaries all over the place. For a recreational dispensary, your best bet is Boulder or Ft. Collins. Check out leafly.com

As for things to do, it's all about the outdoors, which mainly includes RMNP.
Some of the classic hikes on the Western Slope (Estes Park side) would include:
The Bear Lake hikes (up to Emerald)
Alberta Falls (as another poster mentioned, Glacier Gorge trailhead.. but fyi this will be packed and you won't find parking unless you are lucky)
There are various short hikes around lakes - Lily Lake, Bear Lake itself, there's another lake on the way up to Bear Lake

Outside the "classic" park entrances you will find some good ones, too
Ouzel Falls
Gem Lake (this is less a hidden hike than it used to be, but still not as popular as the ones "in the park" and a real nice hike to do)

If you are more adventurous and want whole day hikes or harder hikes there are of course plenty. If you are in super good shape, give yourself a few days to acclimate, and want to top a 14er, Longs Peak is relatively accessible. You don't need any special equipment to climb it, but it will take you 10-20 hours, depending on your skill and speed. I did it in 2006, but wouldn't get close to completing today, as I'm in horrible shape, haha.

If you want to camp overnight, and want a spot in the park, you need to book now. Moraine Campground and Aspenglen campground are the two well known sites. You can backcountry, too, though. Of the two above I prefer Aspenglen, as it is less crowded, but both are fine.

There's usually some kind of festival or another in town on the weekends. Check the calendar.

One thing I particularly enjoy to do are some of the "ranger" activities, my favorite being anything astronomy related. Every other Friday or so they'll have a 30 minute talk at dusk followed by viewing, where local folks bring out the big boy telescopes. Last year I saw the ISS passing by overhead and then had a picture perfect view of Saturn... could make out the rings and everything.

The Rock Inn is the "best" restaurant, locals and tourists both like it.
The Dunraven is an old classic.

That should get you started!

 

Oh, and there's a "Y" camp. This is a YMCA campground.
You might be able to piggyback on some of their guided hikes.

And if you like or think you might like fly fishing, book a tour, or do it yourself... plenty of spots.

 

Even though weed is legal in CO, it's actually illegal in the park in any form(it's a federal thing). Just don't be a blatant douche and you won't get hassled.

If you do the Stanley thing:
1. It ain't cheap. You can hemorrhage cash in there faster than a Dallas strip bar.
2. If you're in the main building, try to get a room on the third or fourth floor. No ac means it gets hot, but the higher you are, the faster it cools down in the evenings. Plus the ones up top are the haunted ones. If you give Lord Dunraven a toke, he won't bother you though:grin:
3. Check out the whiskey bar. Amazing selection of top shelf liquor.

 

As far as smoking in public:

Yeah, you can do it...but if a cop rolls up on you, you're in trouble. They don't turn a blind eye. Trust me. Denver, Estes Park...doesn't matter.

The cops are pretty cool b/c they know where they are and what's up, but they also have rule of law to uphold and public smoking is completely illegal still.

I just didn't want OP to get in trouble on vacation. By all means, though, if you feel comfortable smoking somewhere outside....do it. Hell, I smoke on disc golf courses in ATX and Houston all the time.

...and for the record, smoking in Estes Park is different from smoking "up in the mountains." Of course you can smoke on the lesser traversed trails in the parks. You cannot, however, smoke in the busy town that is Estes Park for the most part.

Like others have said, just be smart about it. I used to see people smoking openly in downtown Denver everyday...these people were the same people that don't wash their hair and probably visit Denver Detention Center on a regular basis.

Don't be that guy. Have some GD decorum.