Town of Estes Park Colorado

05/30/2026

3:25 PM Update: All power has been restored.

1:14 PM Update: Power has been restored to all customers except those immediately adjacent to the damaged line.

11:23 AM Update: Power has been restored to most customers. Crews continue to work on an isolated outage.

Power & Communications crews are responding to a large outage on the west side of Town. The outage map is here:

05/27/2026

Get to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park with Bustang!

Skip the driving, and hop on Bustang at one of its many stops:
Denver Union Station
U.S. 36 & Sheridan
U.S. 36 & Broomfield Station
U.S. 36 & McCaslin Station
Boulder Junction at Depot Square Station (street-level stop)
Lyons Park-n-Ride

Riders can get off the bus at the Estes Park Visitor Center or at the Rocky Mountain National Park, Park & Ride Transit Hub. No timed entry pass needed for Rocky Mountain National Park with Bustang!

Get one-way tickets for $7.50 (discounts available for children, students, individuals with disabilities, and seniors 65+) at RideBustang.com for service starting Memorial Day weekend. The service runs weekends and holidays (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, and Labor Day).

05/27/2026

Be aware and use caution during elk calving season

Elk calving season takes place each spring. During this time, female elk, or cows, become irritable and highly protective of their young calves. Though they may look harmless, like the bull elk during the rut, cows are extremely dangerous during calving season. Known calving areas should be avoided and caution should be exercised at all times during calving season.

The bird sanctuary along the Lake Estes Trail and the Stanley Park area are common places for the elk to give birth, however births can take place in any area. For safety it is important to obey the “trail closed” signs and take a different route. Be watchful in residential neighborhoods, as people have been injured at their homes by walking out the door and unknowingly getting between a cow elk and her calf.

Safe elk and wildlife viewing means keeping a safe distance and being aware of your surroundings. Elk are everywhere and you never know when you may be near a cow and calf. If you see that a trail is closed during calving, obey the warning and head the other way. Elk are wild animals which must be observed from a safe distance to avoid injury or death. If an animal is carefully watching you and appears “jumpy” when you move, you are too close. Keep pets secured on a leash and do not allow them to bark at, lunge at, or chase wildlife. Respect private property when viewing wildlife.

Protective elk that are endangering people should be reported to the Estes Park Police Department at 970-586-4000. The Estes Park Police Department does enforce wildlife laws that include laws against feeding or harassing wildlife, or allowing one’s pet to harass wildlife.

05/27/2026

05/26/2026

Town announces 2026 Park-n-Walk Challenge

The Town is now accepting registrations for the 2026 Park-n-Walk Challenge, which is offered to encourage use of the Town’s free parking structure (691 N. St. Vrain Ave; near the Estes Park Visitor Center)—for those who are able to do so—during the busy summer months. Launched in 2021, this has been a successful program for our community.

Each month from June through October, the Town’s parking program monitors use of the parking structure and randomly draws a Park-n-Walk Challenge winner from registered license plates. The Town strives to offer a rewarding monthly prize pack that encourages parking and walking during these busiest months. Winners can expect prizes from a wide variety of local businesses such as car washes, movie tickets, restaurants and activity gift cards, and more!

Registration for the 2026 Park-n-Walk Challenge program is requested for new and past participants. To opt-in to the 2026 Park-n-Walk Challenge, please visit estespark.colorado.gov/parking and complete the simple online form.

Questions about the Town’s 2026 Park-n-Walk Challenge can be directed to Dana Klein, Parking & Transit Manager, at 970-577-3577 or [email protected]. For more information about navigating downtown this summer, please visit estespark.colorado.gov/parking and estespark.colorado.gov/transit.

05/20/2026

Planned water service outage Thursday, May 28, in portions of Carriage Hills and Town water customers in Little Valley.

The Town of Estes Park has a planned water service outage scheduled to allow safe interconnection of the new water pipes in Carriage Hills to the existing system. This water outage will impact water customers in all of Little Valley and portions of Carriage Hills, as shown in the map provided below. The outage is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, from no earlier than 9 a.m. to no later than 3 p.m.

Once water service is restored, you may experience some air in your service lines. Please run cold water until the air clears the service line. If you have any questions, please contact Project Manager Jacqui Wesley at 970-577-3611 or [email protected] or Water Plant Operator IV Jesse Shull at 970-577-3608 or [email protected].

Critical project updates will be available at estespark.colorado.gov/carriagehillsandspruceknob

05/20/2026

05/19/2026

Street improvement projects beginning May 26

Contractors for the Town of Estes Park will begin the 2026 street improvement projects on Town-owned streets in late May, weather permitting. Working hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Local access will be maintained during the work, although there may be brief periods when private driveways are not accessible. Please drive with caution and follow the guidance of any traffic control flaggers who may be directing traffic.

Overlay and Patching: Coulson Excavating Company (Coulson), will begin the 2026 Overlay and Patching Program in late May, and the initial work will focus on completing Old Ranger Drive and Old Man Mountain Lane improvements. The tentative schedule for these streets is as follows:

Asphalt Milling: May 26-29
Curb and Gutter, Stormwater Infrastructure, Asphalt Paving: June

Traffic patterns will incorporate full lane closures during milling and paving operations with local access maintained during construction to the extent possible. Detour routes are not anticipated at this time, although Fall River Lane will serve as an additional access point to the neighborhood at times.

Work on Brownfield’s parking lot is tentatively scheduled to begin in fall of 2026 and is expected to take five days to complete. The parking lot will need to be closed for the duration of the work.
Coulson will be active across Town through October to complete patches and other overlay work. Other roads identified for overlay improvements include Big Horn Drive, Grand Estates Drive, and 2nd Street. This program is not expected to result in any full road closures, but lane closures and local detours will be necessary to complete the work.

Chip and Crack Seal: Vance Brothers, LLC., will begin the crack seal work the week of June 1, and the work is expected to last 2-3 days. Chip seal work will begin June 22 and is expected to last 4-5 days. Roads identified for chip seal or asphalt rejuvenation treatment include Scott Avenue, MacGregor Avenue, Crabapple Lane, Greyhawk Court, Manford Avenue, Raven Avenue, Raven Circle, North Lake Avenue, Lakeshore Drive, Panorama Circle, Summit Drive, and Otis Lane. These surface treatments will involve moving lane closures and are not expected to result in any full road closures.

All work is part of the 2026 Street Improvement Program (STIP), which aims to maintain the street system Pavement Condition Index (PCI) at 80 (good condition). The plan receives its funding from the 1% sales tax approved by voters in 2024 and includes extensive preventative maintenance that will preserve good road conditions throughout the Town.

For more information, or to view the 2026 project map, please visit estespark.colorado.gov/stip or contact Jamin Rucker, Project Manager, at 970-577-3736 or [email protected].

The Town of Estes Park maintains around 59 centerline miles of paved streets, which requires a successful pavement management program that utilizes a variety of techniques to repair pavement surfaces that have deteriorated and, more importantly, maintain roadway segments that are in good condition...

05/19/2026

Mrs. Walsh’s Garden Pond construction complete

The Town of Estes Park is pleased to announce the completion of a new garden pond and waterfall feature at Mrs. Walsh’s Garden. The entrance pond was identified in the 2020 Garden Master Plan as a great way to draw people into the garden. Construction crews recently finalized installation of the pond, which includes multiple cascading waterfalls, decorative lighting, and natural stone hardscape elements. Native plantings and final landscape enhancements will be added in the coming weeks.

Mrs. Walsh’s Garden serves as a place of beauty, education, and inspiration for residents and visitors alike by showcasing plants native to Estes Park and the surrounding Rocky Mountain region.

Located at the west end of Elkhorn Avenue across from Performance Park, the garden is open daily from dawn to dusk. The site is wheelchair accessible, and admission is free.

05/19/2026

Join the next Trustee Talk May 28

Community members are invited to join Mayor Pro Tem Hazelton and Trustee Mieras for a Trustee Talk Thursday, May 28 at 10 a.m. in the Town Hall Board Room, 170 MacGregor Ave. This is an opportunity for community members to discuss local issues with members of the board in an informal setting.