The Perfect Family-Friendly Colorado Road Trip Itinerary: Rocky Mountain National Park and Beyond

Denver is very accessible and easy to get around, so you won’t need to devote more than a day or two to fully explore this capital city. Download a walking tour, grab a coffee or smoothie and start at the capitol building. After exploring the civic center park area, you can meander up the 16th Street mall, stopping in shops along the way and grabbing a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants. I suggest ending the walking tour at the Union Station area on 16th Street. Even if you aren’t catching a train, it’s worth heading inside and admiring the beautifully restored landmark, which was originally built in 1881. There are also some great restaurants and coffee shops to grab a bite to eat.

If you have an extra day (and some baseball fans among your group), we had a lovely day catching a Rockies game at Coors Field. The view of the mountains from the stadium is an added bonus!

Recommended restaurants: Wynkoop Brewing Company, Little Owl Coffee and The Yard Milkshake Bar (your kids will love the HUGE, over-the-top milkshakes!).

Kid-approved tip: You can take your picture on the stairs in front of the capitol building with the plaque denoting you are exactly one mile above sea level. Our two boys thought it was a fun photo-op!

After getting your fill of the cityscape, head to what is, in my opinion, the real draw of Colorado: the Rocky Mountains. There is no way to describe the feeling you get once the landscape starts to change on the drive out of Denver and you get your first real glimpse of the Rocky Mountains. Estes Park is the main town near the park entrance, hosting the millions of visitors that RMNP gets every year. With a national park this popular, expect crowds, especially in the summer, and be sure to secure your lodging as early as possible.

There is so much to see and do at Rocky Mountain National Park, but some of our highlights include:

• Driving the park end-to-end on the Trail Ridge Road and stopping at viewpoints and various points of interest along the way (be sure to get hot chocolate at the Alpine Visitor Center, which is located at the highest elevation of all national park visitor centers).

• Horseback riding in the park

• Kid-friendly hiking trails: Bear Lake, Alluvial Fan, Lily Lake and Emerald Lake (stopping at Nymph Lake and Dream Lake along the way)

• Exploring the Main Street shops, restaurants and cafes of Estes Park

Kid-approved tip: Head to the Bird’s Nest, a coffee shop on the way to the park entrance, and grab some goodies for those early morning hikes. They had great coffee, hot chocolate, juice and baked goods available to go. It definitely helps to have some encouragement (aka bribery!) for the early wake-up calls.

Breckenridge was a town we LOVED, and we wished we had an extra day there to explore more of the main street area. There are plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes to keep you busy for an entire day of meandering up and down the main street.

If you love outdoor activities, I recommend heading over to Idaho Springs, a small town about 45 minutes away, to do some zip-lining and white-water rafting with AVA Rafting. If you have an adventurous family, we can’t recommend this company enough. All their guides were great with our boys who were a little nervous for their first time zip-lining and rafting. They had a blast and can’t wait to do it again!

Recommended restaurants: The Crown, BoLD, Crepes a la carte and Daylight Donuts

Kid-approved tip: Hit up Downstairs at Eric’s for family fun! They have arcade games alongside the restaurant and bar area so kids can be entertained while waiting to sit and parents get to relax with a drink. They serve a variety of sandwiches, pizza and other entrees.

On your drive between Breckenridge and Colorado Springs, I highly recommend stopping at the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs for at least a few hours. It’s a slight detour (30 minutes one way, so an hour total of additional drive time) but well worth carving out some time. A day pass will grant you access to a variety of pools in which the hot spring waters are pumped. My two boys spent the entire time enjoying the 700-foot slides while my husband and I soaked in the mountain views. You won’t regret checking out this hot springs resort — it was a highlight of our road trip!

While Colorado Springs is the second largest city in Colorado, it definitely still has a mountain town vibe mixed into it. Some of our favorite activities included:

• A full day of hiking around the Garden of the Gods area

• Taking a jeep tour to the top of Pike’s Peak. We didn’t want to be stressed by the drive up and down the MANY switchbacks, and highly recommend hiring a company so that you can enjoy the scenery rather than worry about plunging over the side!

• Checking out the Manitou Cliff Dwellings

• Exploring the main streets in Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs

Kid-approved tip: After a day of hiking at Garden of the Gods, cool off, relax and grab a bite to eat at Red Leg Brewing Company. Less than a 10-minute drive from the park area, you’ll find this sprawling industrial complex of food trucks, a stage for entertainment, outdoor seating and the main brewery area. There are plenty of food options and a fun atmosphere to relax and enjoy.