Travel | ReneGade Roaming

9 Best Hikes In & Around Estes Park

RRadmin — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 09:23:17 +0000

Looking for hikes in the area around Estes Park? You’ve found the right place. Located just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park boasts a ton of awesome hikes both into and outside of the park.

Where is Estes Park?

Estes Park is located an hour and a half northeast of Denver just outside of the eastern gate of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Easy Hikes Near Estes Park

Twin Owls and Lumpy Ridge Loop

Length: 1.6 mile loop trail
Elevation Gain: 446 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 57 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.39651, -105.51303
Additional Notes: This trail is inside the National Park which requires a fee to enter

Lake Estes Trail

Length: 3.8 mile loop trail
Elevation Gain: 190 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 1 hour 39 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.37747, -105.51252
Additional Notes: Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash

Moose Meadows and Limber Pine

Length: 4.1 mile loop trail
Elevation Gain: 498 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 1 hour 59 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.33539, -105.47226
Additional Notes: There is a $9 per car fee to get to the trailhead

Moderate Hikes Near Estes Park

Gem Lake Trail

Length: 3.4 mile out and back trail
Elevation Gain: 990 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 2 hours 2 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.39644, -105.51299
Additional Notes: This trail is inside the National Park which requires a fee to enter

Kruger Rock Trail

Length: 4 nile out and back trail
Elevation Gain: 977 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 2 hours 16 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.3406, -105.47289
Additional Notes: Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash

MacGregor Falls Trail

Length: 6.2 out and back trail
Elevation Gain: 948 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 3 hours 8 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.3965, -105.51345
Additional Notes: This trail is inside the National Park which requires a fee to enter

Album: Iceland Day 5

RRadmin — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 12:00:20 +0000

Day 5 in Iceland and we were in the Fjordlands. We didn’t have a whole lot of time to explore this area – and it deserves a LOT of time. There are so many things we wanted to do in this area that we were just unable to make it to. But we did get to do some awesome stuff like visiting Dynjandi (argued to be the most beautiful waterfall in all of Iceland – a BIG claim), seeing the Garðar BA 64 shipwreck, hiking along the cliffs at Látrabjarg and hiking down to the strange see stacks at Hvitserkur.

Album: Iceland Day 4

RRadmin — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 12:00:03 +0000

We started Day four at Kirkjufellsfoss – a waterfall at the base of the most photographed mountain in Iceland: Kirkjufelll. As we headed off the Snæfellsnes peninsula we saw a huge roadside sign for Bjarnarhöfn Shark Museum… so we made a pit stop and learned all about the history of Greenland shark hunting in Iceland. (Did you know the oil from this shark was once highly sought after in Europe because it burned “cleaner” than other oils?). Then it was on to Selvallafoss, aka Sheep’s Waterfall. An unassuming but beautiful waterfall off the side of the road. The rest of the day was spent navigating some of the craziest roads I’ve ever been on as we headed north into the Fjordlands of Iceland.

Album: Iceland Day 2

RRadmin — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 12:00:02 +0000

Day Two of the Most Epic Icelandic Roadtrip: Our second day in Iceland took us to the remains of an ancient fishing village, a geothermal area, a church from the 1800’s and… back to the volcano.

Album: Iceland Day 1

RRadmin — Sun, 25 Jul 2021 18:26:40 +0000

Day (0 and) 1 of the Most Epic Icelandic Roadtrip: We flew across an ocean, got a COVID test, quarantined for results, picked up a rental #campervan, went grocery shopping, checked out the waters at the blue lagoon and hiked a #volcano.

Be sure to check out the new exclusive prints from Iceland in my shop:

Fagradalsfjall Volcano Print
$21.00 – $33.00 Select options
Sky Blue Waters Print
$21.00 – $39.00 Select options
Blue Lagoon Print
$21.00 – $39.00 Select options

Album: Norway

RRadmin — Sun, 23 May 2021 15:00:33 +0000

Who “pops on over” to Europe for a weekend? Well, when roundtrip flights are available for less then $150 a person… I do. It was a quick trip with on our carry-on bags so I didn’t bring a lot of camera equipment… in fact, I didn’t bring any. In retrospect I should’ve sprung for the check bag so that I could’ve brought all my equipment!! This tiny portion of Norway that we got to explore was… magical. I hope you enjoy Norway via my iPhone album!

Video: Norway

RRadmin — Sun, 23 May 2021 00:05:05 +0000

Dash and I had a weekend where neither of us had any plans and we found some super cheap tickets to Norway so…..

We hopped on a red eye to Bergen, Norway and watched the sunrise over the Atlantic. As we approached the coastal city of Bergen, the sun peaked out from behind the clouds and gave us a glimpse of the town and the surrounding magical mountains we were about to be exploring!

Once we had landed and made our way through customs, we grabbed a rental car and headed to our AirBNB outside of town. This adorable woman let us into our home for the weekend and we unloaded our gear before we headed back into town. When I am traveling on shorter trips, like this, I go ahead and pay the $10 a day for international service on my phone (via AT&T). Not only am I able to call/text family back home, but I can look up locations and use GPS for directions. Bonus: I can create a personal WiFi hotspot so everyone else I am traveling with ALSO has access to Internet – and can send texts/make phone calls via apps like WhatsApp.

We decided to head east into the mountains to try and find the epic towering rock that we have all seen plastered across basically every traveling influencer’s Insta: Trolltunga. The drive out of town took us immediately into gigantic mountains via never ending tunnels. Sidenote: I have an absolutely irrational fear of tunnels… and Norway was like oooohhh yeeahhh? Challenge accepted. These tunnels were ridiculous. I’m talking miles and miles inside a tunnel. Have you ever seen a round about with four exits inside a tunnel? No. They’ve got it. (It’s in the video below if you don’t believe me.) There is even a point where you are in what seems like a never-ending tunnel and you finally see light. As you emerge from the mountain you find yourself on a huge suspension bridge. As you look out across the bridge, you wonder to yourself.. “Self, am I seeing things, or does this bridge just take you to another tunnel!???!?” Nope. Your eyes are not deceiving you. The road goes out of a tunnel, onto a bridge, and immediately into yet another tunnel.

After more tunnels than I ever wanted to drive through we finally got to the trail head for Trolltunga, only to find the trail was closed. Seriously? All those tunnels for the trail to be closed. We also found out that the trail there was something like 25 km… probably should’ve done a bit more research on this one. (This is what happens when you buy plane tickets to Europe at the last minute.) We weren’t going to let it get us down. We took a shorter hike up over a small hill and found a gorgeous vista to have a snack.

And then it was back into Bergen for dinner and some much needed shut eye.

The next day we set out about seeing the town of Bergen. We ate a bunch of delicious foods, wandered around cobblestone streets and even found a group of street performers who were apparently quite funny. We didn’t get it, but the other people watching were laughing at the punch lines. When we had our fill of the city, we set about hiking up the “hill” on the edge of town for a better vantage. It was quite the hike, but totally worth it.

That night we headed back into town and found a small bar/restaurant for dinner and drinks and then headed back to our AirBNB….

To see all of the photos from this trip check out the Norway Album, and be sure to watch the video to see the whole adventure:

https://youtu.be/wSr_ARh2YYY

Album: Angel Oak

RRadmin — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 18:22:30 +0000

To hear a magnificent tree described is one thing, to walk among its majestic boughs is quite another. This album in no way does this beauty justice, but hopefully it will inspire you to go and see this amazing tree for yourself…

Video: The Angel Oak

RRadmin — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 15:16:22 +0000

The Pirate called me up and told me he had read about an EPIC tree in South Carolina. So I hoped on the road and headed to Jacksonville to grab him and then go check out this tree. Angel Oak is a Southern live oak located on Johns Island near Charleston, South Carolina. The tree is estimated to be 400–500 years old and is 66.5 ft tall, 28 ft in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet. Its longest branch distance is 187 ft in length! The oak was named after Justus Angel and his wife, Martha Waight Tucker Angel. Local folklore tells stories of ghosts of former enslaved people appearing as angels around the tree… and it is a site to behold!

We also stopped into the Old Sheldon Church Ruins. A historic site located in northern Beaufort County, South Carolina, it is eerily beautiful. The ruins lie among majestic oaks and scattered graves and have been a popular site in the Lowcountry for photographers and wedding ceremonies.

Our final stop was the Old House Plantation, a historic plantation site and grave located near Ridgeland. The plantation was first settled in 1743 and was active into the early 19th century. It was the birthplace and burial site of Thomas Heyward, Jr., one of South Carolina’s four signers of the Declaration of Independence. The plantation site includes a number of plantation structures including the main house, two flanking outbuildings, a tidal mill, stable and slave quarters. The original 500 acre plantation grew to 16,000 acres and was destroyed by fire in 1865. Associated with the plantation is the Heyward family cemetery and surrounding brick wall. The location was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Check out the Video on Youtube here:

The Ultimate To Do in Acadia National Park

RRadmin — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 16:19:02 +0000

Acadia National Park is located along the coast, southwest of Bar Harbor in Maine. The park covers half of Mount Desert Island, part of the Isle au Haut, the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula, as well as parts of several smaller outlying islands. In Acadia National Park you will find the stunning rocky headlands, including the highest mountains along the Atlantic coast, a glaciated coastal and island landscape, a plethora of habitats, and a rich cultural heritage. The tallest mountain on the Atlantic Coast, Cadillac Mountain, can be found in the park.

You can trace the human history of Acadia National Park back more than 10,000 years to the native Wabanaki people. Fur traders and European explorers left their mark on the area in the 17th and 18th centuries before it eventually became a summer destination for wealthy families.

In the spring, summer and fall people enjoy driving the park’s paved road to take in sights, hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, kayaking and swimming along with the many ranger-led programs offered by the NPS. In the winter cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing are all popular activities in Acadia National Park. With 3 campgrounds and five lean-to sites, overnighting in the park is a great experience as well (if you can nab one of the sites).

You can’t start a trip to Acadia National Park without a trip around the 27 mile Loop Road. It is the go-to scenic drive around the eastern side of Mount Desert Island and connects the parks lakes, mountains and shoreline. The road is available for travel from April 15th through December 1st (weather permitting).

The park has 14 great and 10 smaller ponds that are perfect for hiking around, kayaking and canoeing and even swimming. As a photographer, I love shooting landscape shots with these lakes. Read this to see my Top 9 Ponds you must see while in Acadia National Park.

The park boasts more than 150 miles of hiking trails! In a single hike you can find yourself hiking through a forest, walking along a rocky coastline, and even standing on an exposed mountain top. I have a list of my Top 10 Hikes in Acadia National Park here. It gives you a breakdown on each of the hikes that I love the most! You can also find them on the map below. If you are physically able you absolutely should lace up your hiking boots and hit the trail because there are so many that take you up the faces of the mountains and give you unmatched views of the coastline:

And now for what you all came here for:

My Ultimate Acadia National Park To Do List

#1 Drive the Park Loop Road

#2 Summit Cadillac Mountain

#3 Have Tea at the Edge of Jordan Pond

#4 Catch Sunrise or Sunset at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

#5 Explore the often Overlooked Schoodic Point

#6 Defy Death on the Beehive Trail

#7 Explore the Coastline at Otter Cliff

#8 Watch the Waves Roll In at Thunder Hole

#9 Stick your feet in the water at Sand Beach

#10 Walk Through the Wild Gardens of Acadia

BONUS #11 Walk Across the Bar Harbor Land Bridge

Okay okay okay, that last one isn’t technically in Acadia National Park. But it’s park adjacent and worth doing… just make sure you get the timing right or you could get stuck on Bar Island for 9 hours waiting for the tide to go back out!