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Local Amenities
Estes Park is a resort community with a long list of eateries, campgrounds, cabins, condos, hotels, and motels. For a complete list, see the Estes Park Chamber of Commerce site at estesparkresort.com. If you prefer a short list, here are my favorites:

The historic Stanley Hotel (stanleyhotel.com, 800-976-1377) helped change Estes Park from the Wild West into a tourist destination and was the inspirational setting for the Stephen King novel The Shining.

Glacier Basin and Moraine Park campgrounds are inside RMNP boundaries and walking distance from Glacier or Moraine creeks. These are drive-up campsites for tents or RVs with picnic tables and fire pits. The public restrooms have running water but no showers. Both require reservations (800-365-2267). Timber Creek campground is the best base camp for fishing the Colorado River (west) side of RMNP. It is a first-come, first-serve campground where I've frequently seen moose. Click here for more campground information from the National Park Service.

Wildlife often interlopes into the Estes Park townsite, which also provides a base of operations for fly fishers.

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In Estes Park there is a Safeway grocery store with a Starbucks, cold beer, and a 1-hour photo lab. Everyone ends up here at some point. In the same strip mall there is a coin laundry where you can have a $4 shower—complete with a clean towel. This haven of cleanliness is invaluable to backcountry hikers and fishermen, especially since the park campgrounds a few miles away do not have showers.

Colorado is known for great pizza, and Estes Park is no exception. My favorites are Bob and Tony's (pool tables and pizza by the slice) and Poppy's Pizza (upscale, on the riverwalk, and cold microbrews on tap).

Near Poppy's is Kirk's Flyshop (970-577-0790). Kirk and Laurie Bien have fished all the waters in the park and are willing to share helpful advice. They sell Colorado fishing licenses and offer guided fishing trips, including guided horse pack trip and guided llama pack trips to almost any destination in the park. Llamas do not carry a rider--only food and gear--and are allowed in areas of RMNP where horses are not permitted. Estes Angler (800-586-2110) is the oldest fly shop in Estes Park and also offers guided trips.

Wild Basin Outfitters can provide accomodations and guide services, and has an up-to-date fishing reports page you can check for current conditions.

Estes Angler is the oldest established fly shop in the area with an excellent reputation for its guide services.

Alpine Outfitters has an Orvis shop along the river walk in Estes Park and another shop in Loveland. Estes Park Mountain Shop is not strictly a fly shop but does have fly fishing tackle and guide service.

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Ross Purnell is the editorial director of Fly Fisherman magazine. He used to live near RMNP in Fort Collins, Colorado, and now lives in Pennsylvania.

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