Picnic area · Rocky Mountain National Park
A quiet creekside picnic, reached by steps from the road.
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 area
Seeds Sealed for Years“Some lodgepole pine cones stay sealed for years, holding seeds behind a layer of sticky resin. Heat from a fire melts that seal, allowing the cones to open and release their seeds.”
Plays on the road 0.2 mi from Tuxedo Park 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
Tuxedo Park is a small roadside picnic area beside a shady stream. It suits a simple lunch or a brief rest by the water; it is a modest stop, not a place that needs a long visit. The creekside tables sit below the parking area, so expect a stepped descent.
There are two tables by the road and five or six beside the stream. The upper tables avoid the descent; the lower ones put you in the shade next to the water. There are no bathrooms, trash cans, or accessible paths here, so take your trash with you and choose the roadside tables if steps are a problem.
A short trail can also be accessed here. Fishing is permitted with the required permits and in keeping with park regulations.
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
EasyMoraine Park Loop4.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.6 mi awayRiver bends, meadow elk, and high peaks line this mellow loop.
EasyMoraine Park Discovery Center Nature Trail0.5 mi · 30 min · 0.9 mi awayA quick hillside loop for wide meadow and mountain views.
ModerateMill Creek Basin Loop3.7 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.1 mi awayA creekside Hollowell Park loop with a meadow start and aspen return.ChallengingHollowell Park Loop10.2 mi · 6 hr · 1.1 mi awayA long loop through Moraine Park, Cub Lake, and Mill Creek Basin.
ModerateSprague Lake via East Portal4.6 mi · 3 hr · 1.3 mi awayRocky switchbacks and aspen open onto Sprague Lake’s mountain reflections.
ModerateEast Portal Loop5.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayA forest loop starts beside an unusual mountain tunnel outlet.
ModerateCub Lake Trail4.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.8 mi awayA meadow crossing and aspen climb lead to a lily-pad lake.
EasySprague Lake Nature Trail0.8 mi · 30 min · 2.2 mi awayA nearly level loop with lake and Continental Divide views.
Visitor center · 0.9 mi awayMoraine Park Discovery CenterA former lodge with hands-on exhibits above Moraine Park.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayMoraine ParkAn open glacial meadow with elk beneath Longs Peak and the Divide.
Picnic area · 1.1 mi awayHollowell ParkA meadow picnic with Longs Peak across the basin.
Campground · 1.3 mi awayGlacier Basin CampgroundA handy base for Bear Lake corridor starts.
Entrance station · 1.4 mi awayBeaver Meadows EntranceClosest entrance from Estes Park, with passes sold at the gate.
Sight · 1.4 mi awayPark & Ride Transit HubPark once for free shuttles to Bear Lake Road stops.
Campground · 1.5 mi awayMoraine Park CampgroundElk bugles sometimes carry across camp on autumn nights.
Visitor center · 1.9 mi awayBeaver Meadows Visitor CenterA National Historic Landmark that helps you plan the day.Parkwolf’s Rocky Mountain ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
