When you’re planning your trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the things you’ll need to decide is where to fly into.
In this guide, we’ll look at the closest airport to each side of Rocky Mountain National Park.
It’s worth noting that although these are the closest airports to each side of Rocky Mountain National Park, they may not be the best for your trip. For more detailed information about other nearby airports, read my Guide to all the Airports Near Rocky Mountain National Park.
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What Airport Is Closest to Rocky Mountain National Park (east side)?
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Most people fly to Denver International Airport for their Rocky Mountain trip. This airport is actually the 3rd-busiest airport in the world, according to some counts. This means that you’ll have plenty of flights to choose from. There’s a good chance that your preferred airline flies here and there are decent connections and plenty of direct flights from destinations around the US and the world.
If you’re having a stopover in Denver before or after Rocky Mountain National Park, you can get around the metro Denver area on several public transportation services like A Line Commuter Train, charter buses, limousine services, shared-ride services, and taxis.
It takes approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes to either the Beaver Meadows Entrance or Fall River Entrance Stations, while you can also access the west side entrance in less than 3 hours.
Location
The airport is located 25 miles northeast of the downtown Denver area.
Distance from Denver to Rocky Mountain National Park
- Distance from Denver Rocky – Mountain National Park, Beaver Meadows Entrance Station: 79 miles
- Distance Denver airport to Rocky Mountain National Park, Fall River Entrance Station: 80 miles
- Distance to Grand Lake Entrance Station: 126 miles
Travel time Denver International Airport to Rocky Mountain National Park
- Travel Time Beaver Meadows Entrance Station, Rocky Mountain National Park to Denver: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Travel Time Fall River Entrance Station: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Travel Time Grand Lake Entrance Station: 2 hours and 45 minutes
What airlines fly out of Denver International Airport? Which airports connect to there?
- There are multiple direct flights both domestic and international serviced at this airport.
Rental car options
- Onsite: Alamo, AVIS, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt, Thrifty
Getting from Denver International Airport to Rocky Mountain National Park:
- Car rental
- Estes Park Shuttle
- Bustang Bus (from Union Station)
- Private taxi service to Estes Park area, then take shuttle service around the park
Pros
- International airport closest to the park’s east entrances
- Plenty of domestic and international flight options
- Several car rental services on site
- Budget flights are available here
Cons
- Can be overwhelming if you’re used to and prefer smaller airports
What Airport Is Closest to Rocky Mountain National Park (west side)?
Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE)
Eagle County Regional Airport is located in Gypsum just a few miles from Eagle and Vail. This regional air hub has daily commercial flights to Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver. Three major airlines, American Airlines, Delta, and United Airlines, fly here. During winter, they offer additional services to more cities including Atlanta, Miami, Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Newark, New York–JFK, San Francisco, and others.
There are several car rental agencies available both onsite and offsite. The Grand Lake Entrance Station is closer and will take you around two hours to drive there. From the airport, head east to Cooley Mesa Road toward Eldon Wilson Road. Drive to I-70 E until CO-9 N, then take US-40 E and US-34 E until you reach W Portal Road in Grand Lake. From there, you can drive to Grand Avenue and reach the park entrance from there.
Location
The airport is located in Gypsum, Colorado four miles from Eagle.
Distance to Rocky Mountain National Park
- Distance to Beaver Meadows Entrance Station: 137 miles
- Distance to Fall River Entrance Station: 139 miles
- Distance to Grand Lake Entrance Station: 97 miles
Travel time to Rocky Mountain National Park
- Travel Time Beaver Meadows Entrance Station: 3 hours and 25 minutes
- Travel Time Fall River Entrance Station: 3 hours and 30 minutes
- Travel Time Grand Lake Entrance Station: 2 hours and 10 minutes
What airlines fly out of Eagle County Regional Airport? Which airports connect to there?
- American Airlines: Dallas/ Fort Worth
- Delta
- United Airlines: Denver
Rental car options
- Onsite: Alamo, AVIS, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National
- Offsite: Go Rentals, Thrifty
Getting from Eagle County Regional Airport to Rocky Mountain National Park
- Car rental service
Pros
- Direct commercial flights to Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth
- There are enough car rental options available
Cons
- Flight options and airlines are limited
- Longer driving time to the east side of the park
Rocky Mountain Airports Map
Travel Insurance for Rocky Mountain National Park
When flying over the Rocky Mountains, consider getting travel insurance too. Make sure it includes trip cancellation, in case you need to cancel your flight before your travel, so that you can get a refund.
A great insurance option is Travelex. It has coverage for all you’ll need. You can swap this link for either choose the best travel insurance plan for your trip here or get a quote right now:
Have a great trip to Rocky Mountain! I hope this guide has helped you discover the closest airport to Rocky Mountain National Park.
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About the Author
James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.
He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and most of the national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks.
Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for most of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, comprehensive camping and hiking gear reviews and buying guides, and helpful packing lists and gift guides will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.
As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including USA Today, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.
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