Drive north to Rocky Mountain National Park via Trial Ridge Road and keep an eye out for some great viewpoints along the way. If you decide to drive all this picturesque pass to Estes Park, the trip will take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
Alternatively, you can stop along the way to take a walk for a few miles of the approximately 355 miles of hiking trails maintained in the park, turning around at any point to return to Grand Lake. Without any stops, driving down Trail Ridge Road also takes approximately 1.5 hours. Trail Ridge Road is the famous road through the Rocky Mountains that is only open from late spring to early fall. Cross the continental divide that divides the park.
Regardless of the point of entry, the journey from Denver to Estes Park takes approximately 1.5 hours on a normal day. On your way back to Denver, you'll have the Rocky Mountains on your left and follow them south for a little over an hour. Once you return to Interstate 70 East, you'll descend from the Rocky Mountain Range for most of the remaining trip.
