Rocky Mountain Basecamp
Highlights
- 5 classic hikes in Rocky Mountain
- Out-of-this-world mountain scenery
- Abundant wildlife
- Wonderful camping experience
- Delicious outdoor cuisine
- Convenient all-inclusive tour
Description
Our Rocky Mountain National Park Basecamp hiking tour is an opportunity to have a diverse range of mountain hiking experiences carrying only a light backpack. In the evenings you'll enjoy fantastic meals and access to showers at a quiet, private campground on the western, less-crowded side of the Continental Divide. During the days we'll enter Rocky Mountain National Park for an amazing variety of hikes throughout the Park.
From our basecamp we'll venture out on carefully selected day hikes to various stunning features of Rocky Mountain National Park. These hand-picked hikes will take you through mountain meadows, to waterfalls, to the tops of alpine peaks (the highest being over 13,000 feet high), to the shores of high mountain lakes, to the edges of glaciers, and through fantastic wildlife areas. Each evening you'll appreciate delicious meals prepared by your guide. Then it's time to relax by the campfire, go on evening or moonlit hikes along the Colorado River, or have a hot shower. Your mornings will begin with a wonderful breakfast and hot coffee or tea before we head out on each day's adventure!
Trip Dates & Booking
You can also click here to request new dates or book through customer service.
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Contact Us Trip Itinerary
- Shuttle to trailhead: 20 minutes
- Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 1500 feet
- Shuttle to campground: 1.5 hours
This Rocky Mountain National Park hiking tour begins in Estes Park, where we drive to the famous Bear Lake/Glacier Gorge area of the Park. Our hike takes us past Alberta Falls, a beautiful cascading waterfall that plunges through a glacial-cut canyon. We'll continue up to The Loch, a picturesque alpine lake before continuing to Andrews Tarn and a dramatic view of Andrews Glacier. This hike is an extraordinary day in one of the most stunning alpine cirques in the Continental United States.
Following our hike we'll drive up and over Trail Ridge Road to the wilder, more wildlife-rich, west side of the Park. We'll set up camp at an established, private campground literally on the edge of the Park and get ready for a very tasty dinner prepared by your guide. At night you can enjoy a hot shower and then relax around the campfire with a glass of hot chocolate, tea, wine or beer (alcoholic beverages not provided).
- Shuttle to trailhead: 30 minutes
- Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
- Elevation Loss/Gain: 400+ feet
We'll have a relaxing morning and a big breakfast before setting off for our day's destination - the Cache La Poudre River Valley. This secluded valley is rich with wildlife and beautiful, vast meadows. We'll enjoy lunch on the edge of one of the meadows before hiking back to the trailhead. If time and energy allow, we can hike up to the flanks of Ute Mountain on the way back and enjoy a dramatic, bird's eye view of the valley we just explored.
Another tasty dinner and campfire will top off this fantastic day!
- Shuttle to trailhead: 15 minutes
- Hiking Mileage: 8 miles
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 1000 feet
After leisurely breakfast we will make our way to the North Inlet Trailhead for a day of wildlife viewing and waterfall exploration. The trail skirts the edges of a wetland meadow, where sitings of moose and deer are common. The trail begins to gain elevation as we hike along North Inlet Creek. We will break for lunch at Cascade Falls, and listen to the rapid water flowing to the headwaters of the Colorado River. Continuing further down the trail will bring more breathtaking views of mountain summits. With a full day of hiking, we will head back the way we came to our camp.
- Shuttle to trailhead: 2 hours
- Hiking Mileage: 7+ miles
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 2400+ feet
Day 4 will be a very early start. We'll eat breakfast en route to the trailhead and begin hiking as early as possible to beat potential thunderstorms. Our destination today is Mount Chiquita (13,069 feet) and if time, weather and energy allow Mount Ypsilon as well (13,514 feet). Our route takes us through a beautiful subalpine forest to treeline, where we traverse beneath 12,000+ foot Mount Chapin. Elk and Big Horn Sheep are plentiful in these mountains. We'll reach Chapin Pass and then begin our ascent of Mount Chiquita. Today requires nothing more than hiking, but we are at elevation so going can be slow. We'll break often, and eat and drink plenty! When we reach the summit of Mount Chiquita we'll assess the weather and our energy to decide whether to continue to Mount Ypsilon.
- Shuttle to trailhead: 40 minutes
- Hiking Mileage: 4 miles
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 400 feet
- Shuttle to Estes Park: 1.5 hours
We will start our last day with another wonderful breakfast and relaxing morning. After collecting our belongings and breaking down camp, we head back over the Continental Divide towards Estes Park. Along the way, we will stop to hike the Ute Trail. This is an enjoyable hike to conclude our trip as we hike above tree line the entire way. From the highpoint of the trail we are embraced with superb views of Long's Peak and yesterdays summit of Mt. Chiquita. We will make our way back to Estes Park to conclude our tour.
Please Note: We always do everything in our power to follow the set itinerary, however it can change occasionally based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes.
Trip Details
- Top-of-the-line tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and technical backpack
- Use of trekking poles
- All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
- A professional, knowledgeable, certified Rocky Mountain hiking guide
- Entrance fees and national park permits
- Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and satellite phone
- You will receive a Lifetime Hiking Membership entitling you, your spouse and kids to a lifetime discount of 10% off any Wildland Trekking hiking trip after your first one!
- Clothes, raingear and footwear
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
- Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the outdoors – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, couscous, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables (fresh and dried). In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.
We regularly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher and non-gluten diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee.
We provide all group gear which includes the following:
- Deuter or Osprey backpacks
- Sierra Designs, Kelty or Big Agnes tents
- Sierra Designs, Kelty, Big Agnes and Mountain Hardware sleeping bags
- Thermarest or Big Agnes sleeping pads
- Leki or Black Diamond trekking poles
- Cooking stoves and cookware
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Satellite phone
We ask that you supply a couple of gear items on your hiking tour. These items are two 1-liter water bottles per person and either a headlamp or flashlight per person. Basic items like sunscreen, bug repellent (where and when applicable), lip balm, and toiletries are also important. All of these items are available online at Wildland Trekking Outfitters.
Please refer to the trip packet for a recommended clothing list (we email you a detailed trip packet when you inquire and when you register). All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots (reliable brands include Montrail, Lowa, Merrell, Vasque, and Salomon), rain gear, and non-cotton and cotton clothing layers. A minimum of three pairs of wool or synthetic hiking socks are also required. All of these items are available online at Wildland Trekking Outfitters.
NOTE: See the Packing Lists page for more detailed information on what clothes and gear to bring on your hiking tour. The trip packet you receive when you contact us will have the most accurate clothing and gear list for the tour you're interested in.
Trip Logistics
Ready to hike? In the Dates section of this trip page, the green dates are bookable online by simply clicking on the date, and blue dates must be booked through our customer service team for a variety of possible reasons. To email our customer service team, you can click here to get the ball rolling. Our adventure consultants will confirm availability, and if you're ready to register we'll email you a link to a registration profile. You'll have 72 hours to complete your profile (and that of any dependents) and pay the deposit ($500).
Feel free to call us for more info - we're here 7 days a week!
You will meet your guide and group in Estes Park, Colorado on the morning of Day 1, when we pick you up at your hotel. Your guide will be in contact approximately 2 weeks before your trip to answer any questions you have, provide you with more details about your exact trip, and coordinate the pick up.
Check out our Travel Resources page for information on flights, shuttles, lodging and more.
Your guide will inform you of the first day's pick-up time in the pre-trip contact. Generally, you can expect it to be between 5 and 8 am, although the exact time will depend on current weather and road conditions. We will drop you off at your hotel on the final day normally before 5 PM (this time is not guaranteed, as a variety of circumstances can influence our exact return time).
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT's, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. We've developed comprehensive risk management protocols that our guides adhere to in case of an emergency, and most tours carry a satellite phone. If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Your tour will be led by a trained, experienced professional with a solid guiding background, years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. Check out our Meet Our Team page for staff bios.
Guides are required to take 8 hours off each 24-hour period to sleep, recuperate, take personal/down time...etc. In addition, as part of the 8 hours off they must sleep/rest or be in their tents/rooms uninterrupted for a minimum of 5 hours each night. We ask guests to respect these requirements and to not interrupt guides' off time and sleep time unless there is a true emergency.
The standard group size on this hiking tour is 6 guests and 2 guides, with a maximum of 10 guests and 2 guides. If you have more questions about group size, please give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) and we'll answer all your questions.
Age restrictions are as follows:
- 12 and older to join scheduled tours (mixed groups)
- 5 and older to join private tours, with final approval and specific logistical requirements (such as porter or stock assist) determined on a case by case basis
Being a high mountain environment, the Rocky Mountains are prone to sudden temperature and weather shifts. This is an exciting aspect of being in Colorado's high country. On trips in June, snow is a slight possibility, and the rest of the summer rain is always a possibility on your trip. To be fully prepared, please follow the recommended clothing list closely (this list comes as part of your trip packet when you register). See below for average summer temperatures:
| Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit) | |||
Month |
High / Low |
||
June |
71° |
48° |
|
July |
79° |
55° |
|
August |
78° |
53° |
|
September |
69° |
45° |
|
Basecamp Accommodations
Premier Campgrounds
4 nights
On our signature camping tours we hand pick wonderful campgrounds that put us right in the action for exceptional hiking and camping vacations. They may be national park, state park, or private campgrounds. They may vary by trip date depending on availability and seasonality.
Fantastic Meals
14 Meals
Basecamp trips include meals for the duration of the tours beginning with breakfast the first day through lunch the final day. Meals are prepared by your guide(s) using fresh ingredients, exclusive Wildland recipes, and we adhere to all department of health outdoor cooking codes.
Comfortable Camping
Camping Amenities
What amenities do basecamp tours include? Cold and hot drinks, campfires (where/when allowed), camp chairs, access to showers, fresh food, roomy tents, comfortable sleeping pads, comfy sleeping bags, camp pillows and more! Camp comfortably, eat like royalty, and hike til your heart's content!
