Hermit Park Open Space
Hermit Park Open Space
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
30 reviews
Excellent
21
Very good
3
Average
3
Poor
3
Terrible
0
David D
10 contributions
Aug 2020
We stayed here for camping. It's near the National Park, which makes it a great location.
The bathroom facilities are well maintained.
The view from our campsite wasn't that great, but it was quite.
There is a $9-10 per vehicle access fee besides the campsite fee.
The water facilities are by where you check in, and not close to the campsite. Be sure to bring containers for your water.
The bathroom facilities are well maintained.
The view from our campsite wasn't that great, but it was quite.
There is a $9-10 per vehicle access fee besides the campsite fee.
The water facilities are by where you check in, and not close to the campsite. Be sure to bring containers for your water.
Written 15 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Phillip N
60 contributions
Jun 2021
Great state park, easy to access. Hiked up Krugers Rock trail. RMNP was booked solid due to Covid restrictions and we had no problem getting in here. Felt like we had the entire place to ourselves.
Written 24 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MommaWaller
7 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
This campsite is amazing!!! Enjoyed three nights with my sister and three kids. Vault bathrooms are very clean and not as smelly as anticipated. I'd suggest the bobcat camp area, sites 20 and above. They are pretty darn secluded.
Staff is so very helpful and friendly. Park ranger came by and pointed out a few "violations" on our site, we corrected them and he offered to help us fix a air mattress that had a hole in it!
On-site trail offers amazing views.
Staff is so very helpful and friendly. Park ranger came by and pointed out a few "violations" on our site, we corrected them and he offered to help us fix a air mattress that had a hole in it!
On-site trail offers amazing views.
Written 24 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Monty1989
Manchester, UK7 contributions
Aug 2018 • Friends
Stayed here with a friend whilst we were over in the states. We had been to Denver before but couldn’t make it up to the mountains last time so we made a point of going up. Looking for places to camp in the mountains and found Hermit Park. We decided to go for the cabins and we ended up reserving Elkhorn which Was the last one available. It cost around $80 per night which was not bad! The cabin itself could fit 8 people inside and was very spacious with beds, table, storage areas, gas lamps and a wood stove. Outside there is a picnic bench and a fire pit (you can buy firewood from the main office at the entrance). Had some great nights sitting out by the fire and cooking some food. Saw quite a few deer (and possible a bear but it was dark). There is a toilet a few yards away from the cabin which was very clean!
Hermit park is very close to estes park if you need supplies / wifi and the national park for hikes. Rangers would drive past every now and then but weren’t too invasive. One day we did come back to a note saying they had to put out our fire with 3 gallons of water because we left it unattended (it was pretty much out when we left and definitely would not need that much water, but I can see where they are coming from, don’t leave fire unattended!).
All in all if you are looking to experience the outdoors without the discomfort of camping in a tent then I would definitely reccommend these cabins. Very relaxing and gives you a sense of being away from the city. And the views from the hikes in RMNP are amazing!
Hermit park is very close to estes park if you need supplies / wifi and the national park for hikes. Rangers would drive past every now and then but weren’t too invasive. One day we did come back to a note saying they had to put out our fire with 3 gallons of water because we left it unattended (it was pretty much out when we left and definitely would not need that much water, but I can see where they are coming from, don’t leave fire unattended!).
All in all if you are looking to experience the outdoors without the discomfort of camping in a tent then I would definitely reccommend these cabins. Very relaxing and gives you a sense of being away from the city. And the views from the hikes in RMNP are amazing!
Written 31 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colo-Mtn-Hiker
Broomfield, CO490 contributions
May 2018 • Solo
This is the best maintained open space I have visited. Here are some basics:
1. $6 24 entrance fee - self-serve payment takes credit/debit cards
2. $24 for a campsite, $80 for a cabin ($60 off-season)
3. Some campsites have stalls for horses
4. Dogs allowed
5. Bikes allowed on most trails (not to Kruger Rock)
6. The restrooms are clean and smell fresh
There are several hikes in the open space.
The obvious one is the hike to Kruger Rock (see a separate Trip Advisor review for that). The parking lot is on the east side of the road while the trailhead is on the west side (I missed it the first time).It is 2 miles each way, though on the way back, you can take the cutoff to Limber Pine Trail and then the trail to the Horse campground. It is all downhill and a very nice stroll. This made my round trip 5.1 miles.
Another hike is to a bunch of homesteads. The normal trail to these homesteads is via the Lion Gulch Trail (also on a separate Trip Advisor review), but this open space has its own trail to the homesteads. Take the road to the end of the open space. Since this trail starts at 8400 feet and the highest you will go is to 8700 feet, this trail is very easy (it does goes up and down a few times within that range). The trail is well constructed. If you want to do some high altitude running, this trail would be excellent for that - most of the trail is compacted dirt or small gravel.
I did about 6.5 miles on this trail and went to one of the homesteads (Brown) and close to others that I have visited before.
1. $6 24 entrance fee - self-serve payment takes credit/debit cards
2. $24 for a campsite, $80 for a cabin ($60 off-season)
3. Some campsites have stalls for horses
4. Dogs allowed
5. Bikes allowed on most trails (not to Kruger Rock)
6. The restrooms are clean and smell fresh
There are several hikes in the open space.
The obvious one is the hike to Kruger Rock (see a separate Trip Advisor review for that). The parking lot is on the east side of the road while the trailhead is on the west side (I missed it the first time).It is 2 miles each way, though on the way back, you can take the cutoff to Limber Pine Trail and then the trail to the Horse campground. It is all downhill and a very nice stroll. This made my round trip 5.1 miles.
Another hike is to a bunch of homesteads. The normal trail to these homesteads is via the Lion Gulch Trail (also on a separate Trip Advisor review), but this open space has its own trail to the homesteads. Take the road to the end of the open space. Since this trail starts at 8400 feet and the highest you will go is to 8700 feet, this trail is very easy (it does goes up and down a few times within that range). The trail is well constructed. If you want to do some high altitude running, this trail would be excellent for that - most of the trail is compacted dirt or small gravel.
I did about 6.5 miles on this trail and went to one of the homesteads (Brown) and close to others that I have visited before.
Written 18 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eric B
Plainview, NE74 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
Staff was friendly. Campground is cheap but no water and hard to find a good place to put the tent. Mostly rocks, trees, and a slope. We also had a bear come into the campground on September 2nd. We were in H18 and the bear came through and got into the car in H17. Keep your food put away and doors locked.
Written 6 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LittleAppleRed
Kansas408 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
Just about 5miles east of Estes Park on Hwy 36 is Hermit Park. Day use fee is $6 for 24hrs (so you could always go back next day). Dog allowed on trails ON LEASH. We hiked up the 2mi (one way) trail to Krueger Rocks Peak. We maintained trail. it is mostly uphill, in and out of douglas fir and aspen groves. Pretty wildflowers along the way. The last 200 ft to peak is a bit of a scramble. Loved it. Amazing views of Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Longs Peak. Bring water and snacks...nothing available along the way. Accomplished hike in about 2.5 hours rountrip (with snacks on the peak) with an 8 year old and 2 adults...and a german shepherd!
Written 1 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angela B
1 contribution
Jun 2017 • Couples
We stayed in Hermit Hollows Campground this past weekend and it was amazing! The sites are all very clean and the vault toilets are kept clean and stocked. Most of the sites give you some privacy from other campers - some more than others. Yes, the Rangers come through the campground frequently but if you're not doing anything against regulations you're not going to have a problem.
We would definitely recommend doing the hike to Kruger Rock. It's 2 miles and a bit on the steep side sometimes but WELL worth it!
If you're looking for an awesome camping destination - you won't be disappointed.
We would definitely recommend doing the hike to Kruger Rock. It's 2 miles and a bit on the steep side sometimes but WELL worth it!
If you're looking for an awesome camping destination - you won't be disappointed.
Written 5 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hjmartin24
40 contributions
Jul 2016 • Family
We camped at Hermit Park Open Space for three nights over 4th of July weekend. We were in Bobcat campground #B27.
We weren't able to get a tent site in RMNP over the holiday weekend, so went here as a second resort. We are very glad we did - it was much less crowded than RMNP and most of the campsites are more spread out.
Our site was one of the biggest tent sites we've had - we had plenty of space for the full-size SUV, tent, table, chairs, kids' toys, etc. Like most of the sites here, ours had lots of trees separating us from our neighbors. It was close enough to bathrooms that we could walk there and back at night, but far enough that we couldn't hear/smell. We even saw deer and chipmunks, and the ranger told us a moose had visited our site the week before.
The campground is beautiful - tucked into the trees and winding around the mountain. When you enter, there's a ranger cabin for maps, questions and firewood. There are also dump stations and water. A well-kept dirt road with a few switchbacks goes through the trees and drops you off at either the cabins, pavilions or campgrounds.
Overall, it was nice, quiet, and easy to get in and out of (only 3 minutes from Estes and 10 from RMNP). We would definitely stay again.
We weren't able to get a tent site in RMNP over the holiday weekend, so went here as a second resort. We are very glad we did - it was much less crowded than RMNP and most of the campsites are more spread out.
Our site was one of the biggest tent sites we've had - we had plenty of space for the full-size SUV, tent, table, chairs, kids' toys, etc. Like most of the sites here, ours had lots of trees separating us from our neighbors. It was close enough to bathrooms that we could walk there and back at night, but far enough that we couldn't hear/smell. We even saw deer and chipmunks, and the ranger told us a moose had visited our site the week before.
The campground is beautiful - tucked into the trees and winding around the mountain. When you enter, there's a ranger cabin for maps, questions and firewood. There are also dump stations and water. A well-kept dirt road with a few switchbacks goes through the trees and drops you off at either the cabins, pavilions or campgrounds.
Overall, it was nice, quiet, and easy to get in and out of (only 3 minutes from Estes and 10 from RMNP). We would definitely stay again.
Written 21 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lightingnut
26 contributions
Jul 2016 • Family
We stopped here to visit relatives that were in town while we were in town. Never had been up there to see Hermit Park. They have cabins you can rent as well as tent camping. The cabins are very very basic. The bathrooms are outside the cabin and are pit toilets, clean, but who wants to go outside at night to use the restroom LOL. There are nice views and the cabins are not close together so you do have some privacy. Having to use pit toilets are a no go item for us.
Written 9 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are there any paved walks at all? I use a 4 wheel walker.
Written 18 August 2020
The camping sites are basic with a place to park and pitch your tent. You can get a good idea of what they look like on the Hermit Park website by clicking on the campsite icons. There are no food storage locations, unless you rent one of the cabins (or you are in an RV, of course).
Written 25 June 2018
angieroman828
Tampa, Florida
There are no grills at the campsites or cabins but there are fire pits with grates.
Written 30 August 2017
Does this park only have pit toilets? Any shower houses?
Written 31 October 2016
A Tripadvisor member
Bennington, Nebraska
Only pit toilets. They keep them fairly clean. No showers. There are nice showers in Estes Park at Dad's Laundry (by Safeway). I think we paid $4 there
Written 1 November 2016
Are there bathroom facilities and showers on site at Hermit Park Open Space campgrounds near Estes Park?
-Bruce 06/20/2016
Written 20 June 2016
There are bathrooms at the parking for the hike to Kruger Rock, but I do not know about the campgrounds.
Written 20 June 2016
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