Things to do on Estes Park Riverwalk . honestly its boring but hey you have to find out for yourself right?

So look everybody who comes to Estes Park asks about the Riverwalk and I honestly dont know why its such a big deal but if your here you probably feel like you have to see it. Its like seeing the liberty bell in philly or something where you go and look at it and go “okay thats a bell” and then you go find a cheese steak. Thats basically the Estes Park Riverwalk but instead of a cheese steak its an elk burger and instead of a bell its a creek running through a bunch of concrete.

But I get it. You drove all the way up here and the hotel isnt ready yet or maybe your legs are tired from hiking an actual mountian and you just want to walk on something flat. Thats really the main appeal of the riverwalk is that its flat. You can push a stroller or a wheelchair or just walk around in flip flops without twisting an ankle on a rock. So here is the guide on things to do on the riverwalk even though honestly its mostly just walking past shops that sell the same tshirts.

First you have to park which is a whole thing

Before you can even do the riverwalk you have to get your car somewhere and honestly this is the worst part of the whole day. In the summer the traffic is just backed up all the way down Elkhorn Avenue and everyone is staring at their phones trying to find the parking garage.

There is a big parking structure by the Visitor Center and everyone thinks “oh I’ll just park there” well guess what so does everyone else from Texas and Florida. If you get there at like 8am maybe you get a spot but otherwise your gonna be circling like a vulture.

The Garage: Its free which is nice but its always full.
The Paid Lots: Yeah you have to pay now in a lot of the downtown lots during the season. It used to be simpler but now there are kiosks and apps and nobody knows how to use them so there is always a line of dads standing there looking confused at a screen.
The Secret: Just park at the Events Complex and take the shuttle. Seriously. Sitting on a bus for ten minutes is better than driving around downtown for forty five minutes getting mad at people for walking to slow in the crosswalks.

The Vibe of the Riverwalk

So once you actually get on the path its… fine. Its fine. The river is the Big Thompson and it flows right through town. They did a lot of work on it after the floods years ago so now its got these nice walls and bridges and little plazas.

The water sounds nice if you can ignore the sound of the loud motorcycles going down the main drag nearby. Its paved the whole way so like I said its easy walking. You start at the Visitor Center usually and walk West toward the mountains. You go under a bridge and then suddenly your in the middle of it.

The smell is the first thing you notice. It smells like waffle cones and fudge. It just hangs in the air. If you are hungry it smells great but if you are car sick from the drive up the canyon it might be a lot.

Expectation	Reality
Peaceful nature walk with birds singing	Walking behind a family of 8 eating ice cream
Seeing beavers and otters	Seeing a duck and maybe a wet dog
Zen meditation by the water	Listening to a guy play guitar for tips

Shopping (The main activity unfortunately)

Most people just use the riverwalk as a back door to get into the shops. The shops all have back entrances that face the river so you can pop in and out. Im gonna be real with you a lot of these shops are selling the exact same stuff.

You have your tshirt shops where you can get a shirt that says “I climbed a mountain” even if you didnt. You have the souvenir shops with the bear statues carved out of wood. There are like fifty places to buy a magnet.

But there are a few places that are actually kinda cool if you look for them.

Patterson Glassworks: This is actually neat because sometimes you can see them blowing glass. Its hot in there but watching them make the glass is better than looking at another key chain.
Earthwood Artisans: This place has actual art and not just junk. If you want something that looks nice in your house and doesnt scream “I bought this at a gas station” check them out.
Trendz: My wife likes this place for home decor stuff. I usually just stand outside and look at the river while she shops.

There is also a Christmas shop because for some reason people want to buy ornaments in July. I dont get it but its there and its packed.

Eating is the best part

Okay so if your gonna walk the riverwalk just accept that your going to eat. There are so many places to eat right on the river and sitting on a patio is actually the one part of this that isnt boring.

If you can get a table by the water its pretty nice. You can watch the water go by and forget about how much you spent on parking.

Coffee

You will need caffiene to deal with the crowds. Kind Coffee is right on the river and its legit. The coffee is good and they have these little tables outside. Its usually crowded but the line moves okay. Inkwell & Brew is another one thats cool because its also a book store or a paper store or something so it smells like paper and coffee which is a good combo.

Real Food

There are a bunch of resturants.

Eds Cantina: Its tex mex. Its pretty good. The margaritas are strong which helps.
Mama Roses: Italian food. Its in a big building right on the river. Its a lot of pasta. If you just hiked ten miles this is great but if you just sat in the car all day you might feel like a balloon afterwards.
Poppys Pizza: They have a patio right on the river too. The pizza is decent. Its pizza. Hard to mess up.
Grubstake: This place is darker inside but they have good burgers.

The Sweet Stuff

This is what everyone is actually doing. You will see people walking around with these giant waffle cones that are melting all over their hands. There is taffy everywhere. The Taffy Shop is the famous one and yeah its good. Its salty and sweet. Just dont lose a filling.

The “Sights”

So besides shops and food are there “sights”? Sort of.

There is the Sensory Garden. Its this little spot with wind chimes and metal drums you can bang on. The kids love it. Its basically just a designated noise making zone. There are nice plants there too if you like flowers. Its a good place to sit down if your tired of walking.

There are also these bronze statues all over the place. There is a scavenger hunt for these little bronze pikas. Pikas are these little mouse looking things that live way up high in the mountains but since most people wont hike up there they put statues of them down town. Its something to keep the kids busy I guess. “Find the pika” is a good game to play while your waiting for a table at the restaurant.

Then there is George Hix Memorial Riverside Plaza. Its a fancy name for a nice spot with some benches and statues of people. Its usually where people stop to tie their shoes or figure out where they are on the map.

Performance Park

If you walk all the way to the end (or the beginning depending on how you look at it) you get to Performance Park. This is actually a cool spot. Its an amphitheater right against a big rock wall.

Sometimes there is music playing there. If there is a concert its fun to sit on the grass. Behind the stage there is a rock wall where you can sometimes see climbers. If you have your climbing shoes you can climb there too but usually its just people watching other people climb.

The river is wider here and kids like to play near the edge. Its a good spot to turn around and walk back the way you came or just give up and call an uber.

The Wildlife (The Elk)

Okay I have to mention the elk. Sometimes the elk just decide they want to walk on the riverwalk too. It happens. You will be walking along eating your ice cream and suddenly there is a twelve hundred pound animal standing in the flower bed.

Here is the thing. Do not touch the elk. I dont know why I have to say this but every year some tourist tries to take a selfie with an elk and almost gets trampled. They are big and they are grumpy. If you see them just stop and take a picture from far away. Its cool to see them in town but just give them space. They own the town we are just visiting.

Also there are ducks. The ducks are fine. You can look at the ducks.

Is it worth it?

Look honestly if you have limited time in Estes Park you should go into the National Park. That is why this place exists. Go see Bear Lake or drive Trail Ridge Road.

But if its 6pm and you are done hiking and you need to kill some time before dinner then yeah go do the riverwalk. Its easy. Its flat. You can buy a hoodie you dont need and eat a burger. Its not a life changing experience but its fine.

Just remember:

Wear comfortable shoes because its more walking than you think.
Bring a jacket because it gets cold when the sun goes down even in July.
Dont expect it to be a wilderness experience. Its a sidewalk with a nice view.

So thats the guide. Go walk it. Eat some taffy. Take a picture of the river. Then go get some sleep so you can do a real hike tomorrow.

A Quick List of Boring But Necessary Stops

If your trying to plan your walk here is the order you will probably do things in just because of how the path is laid out.

Visitor Center: Get a map you wont use. Use the bathroom.
The Underpass: Walk under the noisy bridge.
The Coffee Stop: Grab a latte at Kind Coffee so you have energy.
The T-Shirt Gauntlet: Walk past six stores selling shirts with bears on them.
The Bridge: Cross the river and look at the trout.
Lunch/Dinner: Wait 45 minutes for a table at a patio.
Ice Cream: Get dessert even though your full.
The Walk Back: Regret how much you ate and walk back to the car.

Its the circle of life in Estes Park. Enjoy it I guess.

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