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Your insider’s guide to the best of Estes Park—brought to you by the Estes Park Resort Guide.
Estes Park closes out February with frosty mornings, clear skies, and the kind of stillness that only winter knows.
🌟 Where to Watch the End of Winter
The calendar is about to turn, and while spring feels close, winter is still holding her ground in the Rockies.
This is the in-between season—when snow lingers in the shade, light grows softer and longer, and the landscape feels reflective rather than rushed.
Late winter in Estes Park isn’t loud. It’s subtle. And for those paying attention, it’s one of the most beautiful times of the year.
Here are a few peaceful places to watch the season’s final flourish.
📍 Best Late-Winter Viewing Spots:
Bear Lake at sunrise — Icicles catch the first light like glass, and the stillness feels almost sacred before the day begins.
Upper Beaver Meadows — Elk herds often linger in the lowlands, grazing against a backdrop of snow-dusted peaks.
Lily Lake overlook — On calmer mornings, crisp reflections ripple across partially thawed water.
Gem Lake Trail (mid-morning) — A quiet, snowy climb with less ice once the sun warms the rock.
Lake Estes at dusk — Geese return, river mist rises, and the sky softens into pastel light.
This is the season that rewards patience. The crowds are lighter. The air is sharper. And the silence carries weight.
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to slow down and take it all in—this might just be it.
📰 This Week’s Top 5 Picks
🥾 1. Trails for the Last of Winter
Late February is a quiet sweet spot in Estes.
Snow still lingers in the shade. Sunlight stretches a little longer each afternoon. Trailheads begin to soften — but winter hasn’t fully let go.
You get the beauty of the season without trudging through waist-deep drifts
🌲 Top Trails This Week
Homer Rouse Trail - Peaceful and moderately graded. Best enjoyed late morning to early afternoon when the sun has softened the surface and brought out that crisp alpine glow.
Knoll-Willows Open Space - A local favorite with snow-dusted views overlooking town. Often quieter than park trails and perfect for a reflective winter walk.
Lily Ridge Loop - Frequently windswept, meaning lighter snow coverage and surprisingly solid footing. Wide views and open sky make this one feel expansive even in winter.
🎯 Trail Notes Tip: Plan for early afternoon when the sun has had time to work its magic. If you’re starting before 10 AM, bring microspikes — freeze/thaw cycles can turn shaded sections into slick patches quickly.
This is the season where preparation meets reward.
Clear skies. Crisp air. And that deep, late-winter quiet that makes every step feel intentional.
🧩 Trail Notes Riddle of the Week
Q: I shrink smaller every time I take a bath, yet I’m used to getting clean.
What am I?
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer 👇)
🔭 2. Clear Nights. Big Skies. Winter Constellations.
February in Estes Park delivers something special after dark.
Cold air. Low humidity. Crystal-clear skies that feel almost close enough to touch.
If you’re willing to bundle up and step outside, this is one of the best stargazing windows of the entire winter season. Snow on the ground reflects just enough ambient light to guide your footing—while the sky above goes full velvet-black.
Best Stargazing Spots This Week:
Sheep Lakes Pull-Off (RMNP) - Wide open horizon. Minimal light pollution. Big-sky views that make the constellations pop.
End of Devil’s Gulch Road - Quiet. Remote. Hardly any traffic at night. Let your eyes adjust for 10–15 minutes and the stars multiply.
YMCA of the Rockies Overlook - An easy-access option with sweeping views over snowy peaks. Great for families or a quick post-dinner sky check.
✨ What to Look For
After 8 PM, turn your eyes west and slightly south:
Orion — easy to spot by the three bright “belt” stars in a row.
Sirius — the brightest star in the night sky, sparkling just below Orion.
If skies stay clear late in the week, keep watch for possible activity from the Delta Leonids meteor shower. It’s not the flashiest of the year, but on dark, steady nights you may catch a quiet streak across the sky.
🧤 Trail Notes Pro Tip: Bring more layers than you think you need. Mountain cold sets in fast once you stop moving. A thermos, insulated boots, and patience make all the difference.
Winter isn’t just something to see here. It’s something to stand inside—under a sky that reminds you how big this place really is.
🍲 3. Local Eats That Still Feel Like Winter
March is around the corner.
And with it?
Menus start to lighten. Stews disappear. Roasted root vegetables give way to greens.
This is your last real window for the kind of mountain comfort food that feels earned after a cold trail morning.
The kind that warms you from the inside out.
🥘 Don’t Miss This Week
Bird & Jim - Wild game meatloaf. Roasted carrots. Deep, savory flavors that taste like the Rockies in winter.
Claire’s on the Park - Elk stew with buttermilk mash — rich, slow-cooked, and exactly what you want after a snowy walk around Lake Estes.
Notchtop Bakery & Cafe - Creamy potato soup paired with a grilled cheese combo. Simple. Cozy. Perfect when the wind picks up.
🍽 Trail Notes Tip: Ask your server about any remaining winter specials before they quietly roll into spring menus. Some of these dishes won’t be back until next November.
Winter in Estes isn’t just about the views. It’s about sitting down after the cold… and letting the meal do the rest.
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🛍️ 4. Late-Season Shopping in the Quiet
The holidays are long gone.
The sidewalks are calm. And downtown feels like it belongs to the locals again.
This is the season to browse slowly. To linger. To ask questions. To notice details you’d miss in July.
No rush. No lines. Just warm storefronts and time to explore.
🛒 Where to Shop (Unhurried):
Trendz at the Park - Winter décor often marked down as shelves prepare for spring. It’s the perfect moment to snag cozy mountain pieces at end-of-season prices.
Macdonald Book Shop - A quiet afternoon here feels like stepping back in time. Browse poetry, Colorado history, and local author picks without anyone hovering behind you.
Dick’s Rock Shop - Geodes, fossils, meteorites — and the kind of curiosity that makes you stay longer than planned. Winter is when you can actually ask about that strange stone and hear the whole story.
🧤 Trail Notes Bonus: When you’re the only customer in the shop, conversations get better. Owners share stories. Staff offer recommendations. You discover pieces you didn’t know you were looking for.
Late winter in Estes isn’t just quieter. It’s more personal.
🎨 5. Winter-Inspired Art Exhibits
There’s a certain hush to winter in Estes Park.
Artists feel it. And right now, you can see it on the walls.
Snowlight. Long shadows. Quiet forests. The kind of stillness that only February understands.
If you need a slower afternoon this week, step inside and let the season speak through canvas, lens, and clay.
🖼 Must-See Galleries:
Art Center of Estes Park - “Snow Shadows” is now showing — a collection that leans into winter’s contrast: bright drifts, blue dusk, and the soft geometry of light on snow.
Images of RMNP - Black-and-white winter photography by Erik Stensland captures the raw structure of the Rockies — stripped down, dramatic, and beautifully quiet.
Earthwood Collections - Handcrafted ceramics and driftwood pieces that feel grounded and organic — art that carries a bit of the mountains into your home.
🎨 Trail Notes Tip: If an artist is in the studio, start a conversation. Many are already sketching, firing, or framing pieces for spring collections — and winter is when they have the time to share their process.
Art in Estes isn’t just decoration. It’s another way this place tells its story.
💡 Trail Notes Pro Tip of the Week
Now Is the Best Time for Quiet.
The last stretch of February is something locals quietly protect.
No festival traffic. No summer rush. No pressure to check off a list.
Just open space.
This is the season where Estes exhales — and if you let it, you will too.
Take a solo morning walk along the Riverwalk before the shops open.
Find a sunlit bench with a hot coffee and nowhere to be.
Drive out to Marys Lake and sit long enough to hear the wind move across the water and snowmelt trickle along the edges.
There’s no agenda required.
Up here, connection doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from noticing more.
Sometimes the most magical part of Estes isn’t what you see.
It’s what you don’t hear.
📸 Featured Photo of the Week
Riverwalk in Winter — Captured by Amy Finn
Some scenes don’t need a sunrise to glow.
They whisper instead.
In this week’s featured photo, fresh snow softens the Riverwalk as the Big Thompson winds quietly through downtown Estes. Ice edges trace the current like delicate lace, while flakes drift steadily from a gray winter sky. The river keeps moving — dark, steady, alive — even as the banks rest in white stillness.
The rock walls wear a fresh dusting. Bare branches hold their quiet posture. The town lingers in the background, hushed and unhurried.
Nothing here is dramatic. Nothing is trying too hard.
It’s simply winter — doing what winter does best.
This is downtown Estes at its most intimate. Not bustling. Not busy. Just snow, water, stone, and breath.
📍 Location: Riverwalk, Downtown Estes Park
🌨️ Conditions: Fresh snowfall, late winter afternoon
📷 Photographer: Amy Finn
Thank you, Amy, for this beautiful reminder that sometimes the quiet is the whole point.
📩 Have a stunning moment from Estes Park or RMNP to share? Email your photo to me at [email protected]— I’d love to feature it in an upcoming post or newsletter!
📸 Local Spotlight: Photosbybrian — Guided Photography in RMNP
If you’ve ever looked at a wildlife shot from Rocky Mountain National Park and thought, “How do you even get that?”
This is the guy you want to talk to.
Brian Stanley of Photosbybrian isn’t offering a casual sightseeing tour. His guided sessions are built for photographers who genuinely want to improve — the ones asking about settings, light direction, positioning, animal behavior, and timing.
🦌 What Makes His Tours Different
Brian keeps his groups intentionally small.
Maximum of 6 people
Prefers 4 or fewer
Private sessions available
Each session runs 4–5 hours, scheduled during the most powerful light of the day:
🌅 Early morning at sunrise
🌄 Late afternoon into sunset
These are not “ride around and point” tours. They’re hands-on learning experiences focused on:
Wildlife photography (all species)
Landscape composition
Reading light in the mountains
Anticipating animal movement
As a licensed guide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Brian works primarily on both the east and west sides of the park. He grew up spending summers on the west side and knows that terrain intimately — not just where to go, but when and why.
🎓 Beyond the Park
Brian is also a Photography Mentor through The Camera School, offering deeper training for photographers looking to sharpen skills in:
Wildlife
Sports
Portraits
If you’re serious about improving — not just collecting snapshots — this is mentorship-level guidance.
🌐 Connect with Brian
Website: www.photosbybrian.net
Facebook: Photosbybrian
Instagram: @photosbybrianstanley
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 303-827-5272
Brian will be in Estes next week and would love to introduce himself in person if you're around.
If you've been asking yourself how to elevate your photography in RMNP — this might be the sign to step out at sunrise and find out.
🎵 A Little Note About My Music
Over the last few years, I’ve been creating simple instrumental music inspired by Estes Park?
RMNP—the seasons, the quiet moments, and the calm that lives between the mountains. It started as something personal, just for those peaceful pauses in the day.
I never expected anyone else to want it… but people kept asking.
So I gathered it all in one place, for anyone who wants to bring a little of Estes Park’s stillness with them. 🎧www.soundsofestes.com
Thank you for listening. It truly means a lot. ❤️
📸 Want to Be Featured in Trail Notes?
Did you capture a magical holiday moment in Estes Park? We’d love to see it—and share it with our community of mountain lovers.
✨ Maybe it was:
🎄 A snow-covered porch glowing with holiday lights
🥾 A quiet, peaceful moment on the trail
🦌 Wildlife caught in soft winter light
❄️ Or a scene that simply felt like Estes
📬 Submit your photo here: Estes Park Resort Guide – Photo & Video Submission Form
📅 Deadline: Friday, February 25 at 5 PM MT
Selected photos may be featured in an upcoming Trail Notes newsletter and on Estes Park Resort Guide—with credit to you.
📷 Have a story behind the shot? We’d love that too.
📣 Shine This February in Trail Notes
New month. New stories. New chances to be seen.
We’re now booking February feature spots for:
🏪 Local businesses doing something cool
🛍️ Downtown shops with seasonal finds
🎨 Artists, makers & musicians with winter magic
📅 Community events that deserve the spotlight
Whether you're hosting a workshop, launching something new, or just want people to know your story—we’re here to help share it.
📧 Send us a note: [email protected]
📱 Or message us on Facebook: facebook.com/EstesParkResortGuide
Let’s make February about more than cold days—let’s make it about connection.
We’d love to feature you. ✨
Let the Quiet Carry You
Late winter doesn’t announce itself.
It doesn’t roar like summer waterfalls or blaze like fall aspens.
It lingers. It softens. It waits.
It lives in the corners of your days —
in the way light stretches slowly across a frozen lake,
in the rhythm of boots on packed snow,
in the small cloud of breath that disappears into morning air.
This season is not about spectacle.
It’s about space.
Space to think.
Space to notice.
Space to begin.
Don’t wait for spring to start something new.
Start now — in the stillness.
Take the hike you’ve been putting off.
Open the notebook.
Call the friend.
Sit longer than feels necessary.
Because while the mountains thaw at their own pace, your spirit doesn’t have to wait.
Sometimes the quiet isn’t the pause before life begins again.
Sometimes it is the beginning.
✅ Riddle Answer:
A: A bar of soap.