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Private Elk Rut Tour: Rocky Mountain Exploration
5.0
14 Ratings
Rocky Mountain National Park
Experience the elk rut in Rocky Mountain National Park on a private 4-5 hour tour. Enjoy stunning views, wildlife, and scenic drives.
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Join us on our Elk Rut tour in Estes Park for a breathtaking journey up the Rocky Mountain National Park. Our tour takes you as high up the mountain ranges as weather conditions permit, through stunning mountain pass routes. Enjoy panoramic views of Estes Park city, magnificent lakes, expansive meadows, cascading waterfalls and a variety of wildlife. As the day turns into evening, observe the gathering of elks in Moraine Park for the elk rut. Entrance and permit to the Rocky Mountain National Park are taken care of, so just sit back and enjoy!
- Usually open between July and September, our driver Riley will take you on Old Fall River Road, a one-way dirt route that winds up to the Alpine Visitor Center. Experience an exhilarating cliff-side drive, while catching sight of beautiful wildlife, flowing waterfalls and much more! When the Old Fall River Road is closed, we’ll drive up Trail Ridge Road as far as possible for the season.
- When it’s open, stop by at the Alpine Visitor Center, the highest visitor center in the US National Park System, typically open between June and September. Our driver will allocate 20 minutes for you to browse. Take this opportunity to grab a quick snack, snap some memorable photos, or get your National Park Passport stamped!
- Our driver will guide you down Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the U.S., on the way to Moraine Park. Witness the diversified beauty of the various ecosystems within the Rocky Mountain National Park as you transition from the high-elevated tundra to the lower montane. In October, we’ll take the Trail Ridge Road as far as it’s open for the season.
- The final stop of your tour will be in Moraine Park around sunset where the elk rut takes place. Experience the unique sight of elks vying for their harems amidst the backdrop of the meandering Big Thompson River!
What's Included
- Timed Entry Permit
- Private transportation
- Bottled water
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- All fees and/or taxes
- Binoculars / Spotting Scope
What's Not Included
- Lunch
Additional Information
Come and experience the incredible elk rutting season on our private, 4 to 5-hour rut tour aboard our three-row Subaru Ascent vehicle, exclusively for your group! We will accompany you on an unforgettable journey through the Rocky Mountain National Park along the renowned Old Fall River Road (open usually until September). This tour includes panoramic mountain vistas and waterfalls, a visit to the highest visitor center in the US National Park System, and a drive down the steepest continuous paved US road, the Trail Ridge Road (typically open through September). If the Old Fall River Road happens to be closed, the journey up and down will occur via the Trail Ridge Road. Observe the spectacular elk rutting season up close in Moraine Park. Please, note this is a driving tour, not a hiking one. While wildlife sightings are not guaranteed due to their unpredictable nature, we make every effort to choose the best spotting locations.
For participants staying in Estes Park, hotel pickups are available, otherwise, meet-ups can be arranged at the free car park of the Estes Park Visitor Center.
- Carseat must be provided for infants
Location
Rocky Mountain National Park
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(14 Ratings)
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Linda_h
Oct 24, 2023
The perfect tour - Loved the scenery and the elk. I have never seen so many in one place. We really enjoyed this tour and our guide was very informative. I would love to make a trip back to make it to the Alpine visitor center as it was closed on this trip. I would definitely pick Riley for another perfect tour.
Review provided by Viator
Gruyter
Oct 20, 2023
Skip the rest and book the best tour of Rocky Mountain National Park - Explore Estes is a great service that I highly recommend. Riley gave my wife and I a fantastic and informative tour of RMNP. I booked the tour for our first day in Estes Park/RMNP so we could have an intimate tour from a local guide who knows the area. The idea being we could have the best information to make the most of our trip. Riley from Explore Estes delivered. Riley was conversational and provided history and local lore to complement the tour. Another aspect of Explore Estes is the blog on their website which provides tips and information for planning your visit. When my wife and I return to Estes Park for another visit, I would book a tour with them again. We did not use their transportation service on this trip, but that is another service they offer.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
221donalds
Oct 7, 2023
RMNP excellent tour and guide - Excellent tour. Highly knowledgeable guide. Very flexible. Strongly recommend. He showed us the highlights of the park
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kittenreindeer
Sep 28, 2023
Highly recommend this tour! - This was an amazing experience! I highly recommend this tour. Riley picked us us up a t our hotel. He was professional, personable and engaging. We felt very comfortable in his Subaru Ascent. He is a careful driver and he knew the best places to show us as we made our way up the mountain. We heard about the history of the park, and he made sure to show us the wildlife, we saw the pika, marmots, and of course elk. It was a spectacular experience and we learned so much! Having our own personal driver and tour guide allowed us to relax and enjoy the park. Thank you Riley for making our visit to the park such a memorable one!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Johnzk2511hn
Sep 27, 2023
Rocky Mountain National Park Tour - We had a great time during this tour. Riley our guide was very informative and showed us many unique and interesting things about the park. We would definitely recommend this for anyone who is new to the park. It is a great way to get to know what is available to do in the park and where it is located. We saw lots of elk and big horn sheep which was also a great plus.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michaelox4003mb
Sep 24, 2023
Outstanding excursion - Outstanding. Riley, our guide, did an outstatanding job of telling us all about RMNP. We saw a wide variety of animals, learned about the history of the park, and were able to take some great photographs. This was our second year visiting the park and we saw and learned more in these five ours than in our previous visits. If you visit RMNP this tour is a must thing to do.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mike
Sep 14, 2023
Best way to experience RMNP - My wife and I went on Elk rut and RMNP tour with Riley, he is an awesome guide and very knowledgeable about the park history, wildlife and ecosystem. Visited areas we would not have been able to on our own. Wonderful experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amy_d
Sep 13, 2023
Highlight of our trip! - Riley was an awesome tour guide! Very knowledgeable about Rocky Mountain National Park! He educated us on the history of the park, the various mountain ranges, the wildlife and SO MUCH MORE! We were able to get out of the car periodically and soak it all in. Even though heights terrify me, Riley put my mind at ease and there were only a few spots I couldn't look. Riley is a great tour guide, we absolutely loved our trip with him and would recommend it in a heartbeat!
Review provided by Viator
Amy_d
Sep 11, 2023
Great experience! - My fiancé and I had a great time on our tour! We're not necessarily hikers, but wanted to get a good glimpse of all that RMNP had to offer and Riley, our tour guide, did a great job. He was friendly, informative, and made sure to show us some great spots. He had binoculars and a scope, so while we didn't get a ton of photos of the elk, we did end up seeing a whole lot of them! Definitely recommend.
Review provided by Viator
300deannag
Sep 11, 2023
You've got to do this! - Amazing! From start to finish, the experience was easy to book, convenient and Riley was an exceptional guide. I highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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