Rocky Mountain National Park has five beautiful visitor centers and several small information stations located throughout the park. We had already visited Kawuneeche Visitor Center, Alpine Visitor Center, and Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, as well as the information stations at Sheep Lakes and the Holzwarth Historic Site, and up next was Fall River Visitor Center and Moraine Park Discovery Center.
The Fall River Visitor Center is located just outside the Rocky Mountain National Park Fall River Entrance Station on US Highway 34, five miles west of the town of Estes Park.
More than $2M was raised by the Rocky Mountain Nature Association (now the Rocky Mountain Conservancy) for the construction of this visitor center, which was completed in 2000.
At the visitor center, you’ll find:
- Exhibits and interpretive displays on wildlife survival and management
- Life-size bronze animal sculptures
- Rangers available to chat about park information and things to do in the park
- Ranger-led programs and activities
The Fall River Visitor Center shares a building and parking lot with the ginormous Gateway Store and Trailhead Restaurant.
The Gateway Store Complex
The Gateway Store is home to the Rocky Mountain Gateway Gift Shop that sells furniture, kitchen items home decor, garden items, souvenirs and gifts, books, clothing, authentic Native American jewelry and pottery, outdoor gear, and toys. It also has a small grocery store with a full array of convenience items, ice cream, snacks, and even camping gear.
The Trailhead Restaurant is a casual, family-friendly restaurant serving American fare such as an assortment of burgers, wraps, sandwiches, pasta, steak, and more. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the summer, and lunch only the remainder of the year.
If you want to pick up boxed lunches for the family before heading into Rocky Mountain National Park for the day, this is the place you want to stop!
The National Park Gateway Stables lets you be a cowboy or cowgirl for an hour or a day with guided trail rides on horseback through Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest.
Know Before You Go
- The Fall River Visitor Center at Rocky Mountain National Park is located at 3450 Fall River Road, Estes Park, Colorado 80517 in Larimer County.
- It is one of five visitor centers spread throughout the park.
- It is open year-round from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from late Spring through mid-Fall. It is closed for the winter except for select holiday dates and closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
- Food, drinks, and pets are not allowed in any park visitor centers. The National Park Service welcomes service animals that have been individually trained to perform specific tasks for the benefit of persons with disabilities.
- There are accessible and family flush restrooms available, as well as free public WiFi.
- Download the Fall River Area Trail Guide.
