Estes Park, Colorado

Did You Know?

• Isabella Bird was hauled up Longs Peak "like a bale of goods" during her 1873 ascent.
• The Estes Park Hotel, the area's first resort, was destroyed by fire in 1911.
• The Estes Park post office opened on June 2, 1876, when Colorado was still a territory.
• In 1992, the three-day Rocky Mountain Rendezvous in Estes Park focused on "guns, resisting the federal government, and white supremacy."

History

Before European settlement, the Arapaho Native Americans inhabited the Estes Valley during summers, calling it "the Circle." In 1914, three elderly Arapahoes revisited the area and pointed out sites from their youth, including camps around Mary's Lake, eagle traps on Longs Peak, and a buffalo trap. They recalled battles with Apaches in the 1850s and conflicts with Utes who hunted bighorn sheep in the valley. The town was named after Missouri native Joel Estes, who founded the community in 1859 in the Territory of Nebraska and moved his family there in 1863. Newspaper editor William Byers publicized the area after attempting to ascend Longs Peak in 1864. Griff Evans arrived in 1867 as caretaker of the former Estes ranch and began building cabins for tourists, establishing a dude ranch with guides for hunting, fishing, and mountaineering. By the time Isabella Bird visited in 1873, Evans hosted nine guests. The 4th Earl of Dunraven arrived in late December 1872 and attempted to turn the valley into a private hunting preserve, controlling 6,000 acres before opening the Estes Park Hotel, which burned down in 1911.

Demographics

In August 1900, Estes Park had 218 residents across 63 households, with 73 born in Colorado and 18 born abroad, including Canada, England, Germany, and Finland. By the 2020 census, the population had grown to 5,904, with a median age of 55.5 years. 14.4% of residents were under 18, and 34.5% were 65 or older. There were 90.7 males per 100 females. 98.3% of residents lived in urban areas. The town had 2,791 households, of which 17.8% included children under 18; 49.9% were married-couple households, and 34.0% were individuals. Of 4,378 housing units, 36.2% were vacant. The 2010 census recorded 5,858 people, with a racial makeup of 91.0% White, 0.3% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander, 5.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino of any race comprised 14% of the population. In 2010, the median age was 45 years, with 17.6% under 18 and 20.7% aged 65 or older.

Local attractions

The Stanley Hotel, built in 1909, offers overnight accommodations and hosts history and ghost tours, along with the Cascades Restaurant and Whiskey Bar. The Mustang Mountain Coaster opened on May 21, 2021, on Sombrero Ranch, operated by the Walker family. The Estes Park Aerial Tramway, which opened in July 1955, carries passengers to the summit of Prospect Mountain and had carried over 3 million riders by 2024; it was sold to Gondola Ventures and reopened on May 25, 2024. Olympus Dam creates Lake Estes, a site for boating and swimming. Roughly three to four million tourists visit Rocky Mountain National Park each year, with most using Estes Park as their base; wapiti migrate through town in spring and fall.

Infrastructure

Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous highway in the United States at a maximum elevation of 12,183 ft, runs from Estes Park westward through Rocky Mountain National Park to Grand Lake. The main airport is Denver International Airport, 75 miles southeast, with service provided by local carriers. Estes Transit operates a free summer shuttle. US 34 connects Estes Park to Loveland, Interstate 25, Greeley, and Interstate 76. US 36 begins at Rocky Mountain National Park and connects Estes Park to Boulder and Interstates 25 and 76. State Highway 7 runs from Estes Park to Boulder, Lafayette, and Brighton, with its northwestern segment part of the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway.