The Town of Estes Park operates six, free, seasonal, in-town shuttle routes allowing you to get around town either from your lodging, or by parking at one of the large (free) hubs in Estes.
Rocky Mountain National Park will be operating the Hiker Shuttle from May 27 through October 10, from the Estes Park Visitor Center to the Park & Ride Transit Hub located on Bear Lake Road. There are no other stops in the park. At the Park & Ride, riders will transfer to the Bear Lake or Moraine Park shuttles to get to their trailhead destinations.
Estes Transit will begin its summer season on Friday, May 27, with the Red Route (Downtown Trolley) serving from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
All other routes (Gold, Brown, Blue, and Silver) will begin daily service on Friday, July 1.
The Green Route (Express) will begin weekend-only service on Saturday, July 2.
Download the 2022 Estes Transit Shuttle Map & Brochure.
The Rocky Mountain National Park shuttles operate from May 27 through October 10, 2022 and offer transportation from the Bear Lake Park and Ride along the Bear Lake corridor. Don't forget your timed-entry permit and entry fees still do apply and park passes are available for purchase at Rocky Mountain National Park Visitor Center and entrance stations. You can also buy 1-day, 7-day, and annual passes online here. View and download a map of the park shuttles here.
The Hiker Shuttle will operate between the Estes Park Visitor Center and the Bear Lake Park & Ride from May 27 to October 10, 2022.
As part of the park’s overall pilot timed entry system, two things will be needed to ride the Hiker Shuttle: reservation tickets for all passengers plus a valid park entrance pass. One person may reserve up to 4 tickets per $2 reservation. At 5 p.m. the night before, a limited number of tickets will be available for seven specific time slots at RMNP Hiker Shuttle Reservations. Park entrance passes are also required.
The Hiker Shuttle will depart from the Estes Park Visitor Center to the Bear Lake Road Park & Ride at 9 am, 9:45 am, 10:30 am, 11:15 am, noon, 12:45 pm, 1:30 pm, and 2:15 pm, May 27 through October 10. Passengers are required to depart from the Estes Park Visitor Center using the specific time slot reserved.
The Hiker Shuttle will return from the Park & Ride to the Estes Park Visitor Center roughly every 45 minutes beginning at 9:45 am through 5:15 pm. Passengers can return using any Hiker Shuttle throughout the day. The last shuttle will depart from the Bear Lake Road Park & Ride at 5:15 pm. There are no other buses back to the Estes Park Visitor Center after this time. For further details on the Hiker Shuttle and the Bear Lake and Moraine Park routes please visit RMNP Shuttle Buses.
The largest and free parking area in Estes Park is the Park & Ride stop located at the Estes Park Events Complex at Stanley Park at 1209 Manford Avenue, just east of Highway 7 and south of Highway 36. This parking lot is serviced by the Green and Silver Route daily, while season shuttles are in operation. Public restrooms also are found at this location.
The Town of Estes Park Visitor Center offers guests free parking, with the new Estes Park Parking Structure hosting 415 spots, restrooms and access to all six town shuttles, including the downtown trolley. Located at 500 Big Thompson Avenue, the visitor center also provides free Wi-Fi and visitor information.
With shuttle routes passing nearly every lodging property in the Estes Valley, you likely can hop on very close to your hotel - avoiding driving and parking altogether.