The 5 Closest Airports to Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain is a phenomenal national park full of sparkling lakes and majestic mountains. In this article, we’ll discuss how to get to Rocky Mountain National Park, including the best airports to fly into and the best roads to drive!

If you are flying to Rocky Mountain National Park,  I recommend flying into the Denver International Airport. Since this is the closest major airport, you’ll have many options when choosing your flights.

Driving to Rocky Mountain National Park? Any road you take will give you spectacular views, but expect to spend a lot of time on Highway 34 as you explore these mountains!

My name is Ash, and I’m a former park ranger. I love visiting Rocky Mountain with my family, and I can’t wait to help you plan your upcoming trip to this magnificent national park.

Let’s talk more about how to get to Rocky Mountain National Park, including my advice on the best airports and roads in the area!

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Where is Rocky Mountain National Park Located?

Rocky Mountain National Park is located in the middle of northern Colorado. It’s about 1.5 hours from downtown Denver, CO, 1 hour from Fort Collins, CO, and 2 hours from Cheyenne, WY.

The nearest national parks to Rocky Mountain are Great Sand Dunes National Park and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Both of these parks are about 5-6 hours from Rocky Mountain.

Rocky Mountain is sandwiched between two towns with a decent number of amenities. On the east of the park, you’ll find the town of Estes Park. On the west side of Rocky Mountain is the town of Grand Lake.

What is the Closest Airport to Rocky Mountain National Park?

Northern Colorado Regional Airport

Northern Colorado Regional Airport (FNL) is the nearest airport to Rocky Mountain National Park. It is located between Loveland, CO, and Fort Collins, CO, which is about an hour from the park. If you fly into this airport, you won’t have to deal with the crazy traffic coming from the bigger airports nearby.

This airport is serviced by United Airlines. Connecting flights are common from major cities such as Denver, Phoenix, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Nashville. You can also arrange shuttle services from this airport to the Denver International Airport.

Other Regional Airports Near Rocky Mountain

Colorado has many regional and county airports near Rocky Mountain National Park — below, you will find just a few options for you to choose from.

In most cases, though, it will make the most sense just to fly into Denver instead of these regional airports because you’ll likely have a connection through there anyway (and Denver isn’t very far from Rocky)!

Cheyenne Regional Airport

The Cheyenne Regional Airport is located in Cheyenne, WY, and is about a 2-hour drive north of Rocky Mountain National Park. When booking a flight through this airport, you’ll likely have a connection through Denver.

Yampa Valley Regional Airport

Yampa Valley Regional is located in Hayden, CO, about 2.5 hours from the Grand Lake Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Flights to this small airport most often connect in Denver first.

Eagle County Regional Airport

The Eagle County Regional Airport is about 2 hours from the Grand Lake Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. This airport is serviced by popular airlines, including American, Delta, and United. However, your major connecting flights will still be limited to large areas such as Dallas and Denver.

What Is the Largest Airport Near Rocky Mountain National Park?

In almost every case, it makes the most sense to fly into the Denver International Airport if you’re trying to get to Rocky Mountain National Park. The Denver Airport is the largest airport near Rocky, and ticket prices to this airport can be hundreds of dollars cheaper for direct flights than the regional airports. From Denver, you’re only about 1.5 hours from the park!

The gateway town of Estes Park on Rocky’s east side offers a commercial shuttle service to and from the Denver Airport, making it easy to get to the park.

Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport (DIA) is the most convenient airport to fly to for a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. At only about 80 miles away from the park, it’s just as close as many of the regional airports.

Flying into the Denver Airport gives you the advantages of more flight options and cheaper prices than the smaller airports in the area. This is a major hub, so you will be able to find flights at all times of day from all major airlines. Not many national parks in the United States are so lucky to have a major airport so close!

After landing in Denver, you can pick up your rental car and drive about 1.5 hours to Rocky Mountain. The roads leading to Rocky (which we’ll talk about below) are extremely scenic as you head out of the city and into the mountains.

The Best Roads to Rocky Mountain National Park

If you’re driving to Rocky Mountain, you’ll be immersed in the beautiful scenery along the way. The routes you take will either bring you to the park from the east, through Rocky Mountain’s Estes Park entrances, or from the west, through Grand Lake. Here are some things you can expect on the roads that lead to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Highway 36 (Boulder to Estes Park)

Highway 36 is a gorgeous route that connects the eclectic city of Boulder to Estes Park on Rocky Mountain’s east side. As you drive, you’ll be treated to views of the Rockies and the Flatiron Mountains as you jump between the towns nestled in the foothills of the mountains. You will also have many opportunities to stop and experience the amazing culinary, shopping, and fine arts experiences in Boulder if you choose.

This route is a 2-lane highway and is easy to drive until you leave the town of Lyons. After Lyons, you’ll head up into the mountains as you work your way to Estes Park, so you can expect the route to get steeper and curvier.

Highway 36 stays open year-round, but there is the possibility of temporary closures/delays along Highway 36 to allow for snow plowing in the winter.

This road is RV-friendly. Highway 36 is the easiest route to take to Rocky Mountain if you’re driving an RV — it has fewer curves and elevation changes than Highway 34.

Highway 34 (Loveland to Estes Park)

If you’re hoping to find yourself immersed in the mountains as soon as possible, Highway 34 is a stunning drive as you make your way to Estes Park. You’ll travel through Big Thompson Canyon, which is tucked into the rocks next to the river. We often see bighorn sheep along the road as we drive this route!

This highway travels through the city of Loveland if you’re coming from Fort Collins or Denver. It can get a little congested while you’re in the city, but as soon as you get through town, you will have nothing but gorgeous views as you make your way to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Highway 34 actually turns into Trail Ridge Road (the main road through Rocky Mountain), so you will definitely gain elevation if you stay on this road as it connects over to the town of Grand Lake. 

If you are an experienced RV driver, then driving this route in a large vehicle is possible. You’ll want to expect narrow roads, lots of curves and switchbacks, and plenty of elevation changes as you drive Highway 34.

If you haven’t done much mountain driving in your RV, I suggest driving to Rocky Mountain via Highway 36 from Boulder instead of taking this route.

Trail Ridge Road (Estes Park to Grand Lake)

When Highway 34 crosses into Rocky Mountain National Park, it becomes the Trail Ridge Road, Rocky’s most famous road!

The Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved road in any U.S. national park — it reaches over 12,000 feet above sea level! You’ll drive above the tree line and into the tundra, a mountain landscape that many people never get to see. Enjoy the dramatic mountain views from up here, but be sure to stay on the pavement and trails. This is an extremely fragile place, and it’s important not to step on any plants here!

You definitely don’t want to miss all of the amazing things you can do along the Trail Ridge Road. There are many stunning hiking trails, dramatic viewpoints, fantastic wildlife viewing — there is even a visitor center all the way up here!

The Trail Ridge Road is only open during the summer season, typically from about Memorial Day (depending on the snow levels) until mid-October. Due to its elevation, this road can see snow at any time, especially in May, June, September, or October. It closes down completely in the winter.

You can drive an RV on the Trail Ridge Road, but you’ll need to be extremely cautious. Be sure that you have enough driving experience to stay in your lane on curvy mountain roads, that your engine is powerful enough to handle the elevation changes, and that your brakes are in working order.

Highway 40 (Kremmling to Grand Lake)

You’ll drive on Highway 40 if you’re trying to get to the quieter west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Highway 40 connects the towns of Kremmling or Winter Park to the town of Granby, at which point you’ll cut up along Highway 34 to get to Grand Lake.

This route provides continuous mountain views and beautiful landscapes, but amenities are few and far between. You will find the gorgeous ski town of Winter Park along this road, but be aware that it is a much steeper drive to travel Highway 40 from Empire up to Granby via Winter Park than it is to go up Highway 9 to Kremmling and then hit the 40 from there.

This road is RV-friendly, but take your time and pull off as needed (especially if you decide to drive through Winter Park).

Peak to Peak Scenic Byway (Central City to Estes Park)

The Peak to Peak Scenic Byway is Colorado’s oldest scenic byway, and it’s a good one! Driving this route takes you along the Continental Divide with endless mountain views. You’ll also delight in exploring a few ghost towns and mining towns along the way.

The Peak to Peak is 55 miles long, and it connects the town of Central City to Estes Park just outside of Rocky Mountain. It takes about 2 hours to drive the whole route one way. A few fun stops along the way are Black Hawk Main Street, the Carousel of Happiness, and St. Malo’s Chapel.

If you’re in the area during the fall, DEFINITELY take the time to drive the byway so that you can see all of the vibrant yellow aspen trees!

This road is RV-friendly, but it can be treacherous during inclement weather.

This information should help you get to Rocky Mountain quickly and easily — there are so many exciting adventures waiting for you in this gorgeous national park!

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