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Fall Private Elk Rut Rocky Mountain National Park Tour

Fall Private Elk Rut Rocky Mountain National Park Tour

Overview

Join us for a safari-like experience during the the elk rut! Drive through Rocky Mountain National Park on a 4 - 5 hour private tour with only your party & your guide! On our Rut Tour, you will be taken up the famous Old Fall River Road where you will see beautiful mountain views & waterfalls, stop at the highest visitor center in the US National Park System, drive back down the highest continuous paved road in the United States, Trail Ridge Road and witness the elk rut mating season in Moraine Park. When Old Fall River Road isn't open, you will drive up & back down Trail Ridge Road. This tour is NOT a hiking tour, and focuses more on driving in the National Park with small strolls throughout. *Wildlife is unpredictable & we cannot guarantee sightings, but we try our best to scout the prime locations!

We only offer pickup for guests staying in Estes Park. If you are staying outside of Estes Park, we can meet you at the free parking garage for the Estes Park Visitor Center for pickup.

City: Estes Park

Sun 25 May

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $170.00

Make a reservation

Sun 25 May

Starting at $170.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Timed Entry Permit

Private transportation

Bottled water

Air-conditioned vehicle

All Fees and Taxes

Binoculars / Spotting Scope

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Carseat must be provided for infants

What To Expect

Rocky Mountain National Park

Our Elk Rut tour in Estes Park is all about taking a beautiful drive into the Rocky Mountain National Park. We'll take you as high up the mountain as the weather allows through beautiful scenic mountain passes. You'll see the city of Estes Park from above, beautiful lakes, meadows, waterfalls, and wildlife. At sunset, you will get to witness the elk gather in Moraine Park for the elk rut. Don't worry about the timed entry permit, your entrance and permit into the Rocky Mountain National Park are included!

Old Fall River Road

When open, (typically July through September) our driver Riley will take you up Old Fall River Road, a one-way dirt road that goes up to the Alpine Visitor Center. You'll experience thrilling cliff-side mountain driving, see beautiful wildlife, flowing waterfalls, and more! When Old Fall River Road is not open, you will drive up Trail Ridge Road as far as it is open for the season.

Alpine Visitor Center

When open, take a short stop at the highest Visitor Center in all of the US National Park System (typically June through September)! Our driver will spend 20 minutes here for you to shop. Grab a snack, snap some photos, or get your National Park Passport stamped!

Trail Ridge Road

On the drive to Moraine Park, our driver will take you down the highest continuous paved road in the United States, Trail Ridge Road. Witness the changing beauty of the ecosystems within the Rocky Mountain National Park from the upper tundra to the lower montane. In October, you will drive up Trail Ridge Road as far as it is open for the season.

Moraine Park Museum

To finish your tour, you will stop around sunset time in the Moraine Park to witness the elk rut. Here, you can see the winding Big Thompson River with the elk fighting for their harems!

Show 2 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (21)

lisadC3221YH

Oct 2022

Our tour was amazing and Riley was the best tour guide ever. He had so many interesting fun facts and stories about everything Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park. He was so accommodating and stopped for me to take pictures anytime I wanted. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip.

travelbugportcity

Sep 2022

If I could leave 10 stars I would! We had the most incredible time and tour with Riley. He was such a great tour guide, full of interesting stories and a wealth of information about everything in the park and general area. You will NOT be disappointed....book this if you are going to Rocky Mountain National Park! We were so, so glad we did. This is a MUST!

ChristianStorm7777

Aug 2022

This was definitely not your standard tour, it exceeded all expectations. Our tour guides Riley and Marriah went above and beyond to show us the beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park. They allowed us time to get out of the tour vehicle and absorb several scenic points and wild life throughout our tour. This gave us more than enough time to take photos of the the beautiful mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and wildlife It was Rutting Season so we were able to see the interaction between Elk or "Rutting Stags" as well as hearing them make very loud bugle and grunting sounds while protecting their harems. It was a site to behold. Riley and Marriah were as excited to share their knowledge and love of the Rockies as we were taking it all in. To say the tour was amazing would be an understatement, this tour gave us life long memories. We would recommend Explore Estes to anyone visiting the Rocky Mountain National Park, it's definitely a tour you don't want to miss.