Picnic area · Rocky Mountain National Park
A riverside picnic with views of the Never Summer Mountains.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Rocky Mountain Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Rocky Mountain National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Rocky Mountain audio tourRecorded for this place
Coyote Valley: A Riverside Picnic“Coyote Valley is ahead, a good stop for a picnic beside the Colorado River with the Never Summer Mountains beyond.”
Plays as you drive up to Coyote Valley Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Rocky Mountain Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…No cell service for majority of the day but had continuous access to the app - the maps, the tour guide as you drive is amazing. Highly recommend purchasing the subscription.”
Guide
Coyote Valley Picnic Area is a designated picnic site in Rocky Mountain National Park’s Kawuneeche Valley, beside the Colorado River. The open meadow looks toward the Never Summer Mountains, making this an easy place to pause while exploring the park’s west side.
There are seven accessible picnic tables, accessible parking and accessible vault toilets. Tables are first come, first served. There are no fire grates, and portable grills are not allowed, so plan your meal accordingly.
The separate Coyote Valley Trail is a flat, roughly mile-long interpretive walk with benches and exhibits along the river valley. Leashed pets can stay in the picnic area, but pets are not allowed on park trails.
Wildlife
3,124 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,601 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
19 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
19 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
30 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
270 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Rocky Mountain. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyCoyote Valley Nature Trail1 mi · 54 min · At the trailheadA level river walk with open valley views and grazing elk.
ChallengingBaker Pass Trail12.6 mi · 6.8 hr · 0.7 mi awayA high, quiet pass at the end of a long valley climb.
ChallengingBaker Gulch to Parika Lake11.1 mi · 6.5 hr · 0.7 mi awayA strenuous climb ends at an alpine lake in a deep cirque.
ChallengingBaker Pass–Parika Lake Loop13.5 mi · 9 hr · 0.7 mi awayA long, rugged circuit to Baker Pass and Parika Lake.
ChallengingBowen Gulch Trail16 mi · 9.5 hr · 0.7 mi awayClimb through old spruce forest to a high wilderness pass.
EasyHolzwarth Historic Site Trail0.9 mi · 1 hr · 2 mi awayA gentle meadow walk opens onto a century-old ranch complex.
ModerateOnahu Creek–Long Meadows Trail8.7 mi · 5 hr · 2.1 mi awayA long creek walk ends at a meadow on a faint trail.
ModerateBig Meadows via Green Mountain Trail3.6 mi · 2 hr · 2.7 mi awayA steady climb to a bouldered meadow beneath high peaks.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayHolzwarth Historic SiteA mile-long loop through a valley homestead and guest ranch.
Campground · 2.3 mi awayTimber Creek CampgroundWest-side camping at 8,900 feet, near Grand Lake.
Picnic area · 3 mi awayBeaver Ponds Picnic AreaA picnic beside two ponds, with a stairway down to the water.
Picnic area · 3.4 mi awayBeaver Creek Picnic AreaA quiet meadow picnic stop with autumn elk viewing.
Sight · 3.9 mi awayTimber LakeA steep climb to a lake beneath two high peaks.
Sight · 4 mi awayFarview Curve OverlookThe Grand Ditch cuts a pencil line across the Never Summer Range.
Picnic area · 4.5 mi awayHarbison Meadows Picnic AreaSheltered picnic tables, a meadow view, and a ranching story.
Sight · 4.9 mi awayGranite FallsA layered creek cascade, reached by a long west-side hike.Parkwolf’s Rocky Mountain ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
