Trail Notes Newsletter: Quieter Trails, Cozy Cafés & the First Signs of Snow

As of late October, Trail Ridge Road has officially closed for the 2025–2026 winter season. The road typically shuts down once heavy snow accumulates and safe travel is no longer possible.

🗺️ What You Should Know:

📞 For updates next season, call the Road Status Hotline: 970-586-1222

The crowds are gone, the air is crisp, and the trails are yours. November is one of the most peaceful times to hike in and around Estes Park.

🥶 Yes, it’s chilly—but still beautiful.

Most lower elevation trails are snow-free in early November, especially mid-morning into the afternoon.

✅ Top Quiet Trails This Week:

🎒 Tip: Wear waterproof boots and bring trekking poles if you're heading out before 10 AM—some shaded areas may be icy.

Q: The more you take away from me, the bigger I get. What am I?

(Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for the answer 👇)

As temperatures drop, Estes Park’s cafés are turning up the warmth with seasonal drinks and fireplaces worth lingering by.

☕ Favorite Local Stops:

🧣 Bring a book, a friend, or just your favorite hoodie. Estes is built for quiet mornings with warm mugs.

Fall’s final leaves are clinging to lower elevations. If you’re chasing that last burst of gold, now’s your window.

📷 Photo-Worthy Spots This Week:

🍂 Tip: Early morning or just before sunset gives the best light—plus a better chance to spot wildlife moving through.

The rut is over, but the elk are still very much around. With fewer people in town, you might just find yourself face-to-face (from a safe distance!) with one of the Rockies' most majestic animals.

🦌 Current Hotspots:

💡 Reminder: Even though the rut is almost done, bulls can still be territorial. Respect space, leash your pets, and use your zoom lens—not your feet.

Looking to slow down after a busy fall? November is the perfect time to unplug, recharge, and find inspiration in Estes Park’s slower rhythm.

📚 Where to Go for a Quiet Reset:

🍁 Slow travel isn’t just a trend—it’s how Estes was meant to be experienced this time of year.

Fire in the Sky – Captured by Amy Kujawa-Corgiat

This week’s photo takes us to Sprague Lake at sunset, where the sky lit up in deep golds and fiery oranges—reflected perfectly on the glassy surface below.

Silhouetted trees stand like sentinels at the edge of day, reminding us that even in late fall, Estes Park delivers moments of pure magic.

📍 Location: Sprague Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
🍂 Conditions: Clear evening, vibrant skies, still reflections
🎞️ Captured by: Amy Kujawa-Corgiat

Thank you, Amy, for sharing this stunning and peaceful moment with the Trail Notes community.

Do you have an amazing shot of fall in Estes Park?

🍁 A golden aspen trail?
🦌 A perfectly timed elk photo?
🎃 A festival moment you captured?

Send it our way! We’ll pick one reader-submitted photo to feature in next week’s Trail Notes Newsletter, along with your name and photo credit.

📧 Submit your photo using this link: Estes Park Resort Guide – Photo & Video Submission Form

📅 Deadline: Friday, November 7 at 5 PM MT

📧 Email us: [email protected]
📱 Message us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstesParkResortGuide

“The slower the season, the better the view.”

November in Estes Park isn’t loud. It doesn’t need to be. The crowds have quieted, the trees have mostly dropped their leaves, and what’s left is a kind of calm you can feel in your bones.

This is the time of year when the best views aren’t just about mountains or color—they’re about mood.

☁️ A thin layer of frost on the Riverwalk railing.
🦌 An elk herd moving slowly through the early morning fog.
🏔️ A snow-dusted peak revealed just as the clouds lift.

You don’t need to hike 10 miles or climb to a summit. Just being here—really here—is enough. So bundle up, walk a little slower, and let the silence do the talking.

November rewards those who know that not every moment has to be full of motion. Sometimes, standing still is the best way to take it all in.

The season is shifting in Estes Park, and with it comes a quiet that speaks louder than summer ever could.

There’s a magic in this in-between time—after the buzz of fall festivals but before the rush of the holiday lights. You’ll find it in the empty trailheads, the warmth of a small-town café, the sound of elk hooves on cold pavement at dawn.

This is a moment worth noticing. Worth savoring.

So if you’re lucky enough to be in Estes this week, don’t wish it away. Let it slow you down. Let it remind you what peace feels like.

“When the trail is quiet, nature speaks loudest.”

A:Holes