Where to Stay in Colorado with Kids (Mountain Lodges vs Towns)

Choosing where to stay in Colorado can shape the entire experience of a family trip. Unlike many destinations where you base yourself in one major city, travel in Colorado usually revolves around small mountain towns located close to outdoor activities and national parks.

For families visiting with school-aged children, accommodation choices usually fall into two broad categories:

• Mountain towns, which offer convenient access to restaurants and activities

• Lodge-style accommodation, which provides a quieter nature-focused experience

During our own Colorado trip we actually stayed in two different mountain towns — Estes Park and Georgetown — because we planned our itinerary around specific activities like exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, rafting and zip lining.

If you're still deciding whether Colorado works well as a family destination overall, our guide Colorado with Kids: Why It’s One of the Best States for Family Adventures explains why the state is so well suited to outdoor family travel.

This guide shares what we learned from our accommodation planning. To make planning easier, I’ve included links to all the exact hotels we booked or considered, plus the resources and tools we actually used along the way. Just to be upfront — some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We only ever share places, tours, and experiences we’ve personally used and genuinely enjoyed. If you’re planning your own family trip to Colorado, feel free to use these links as a starting point — they’re exactly what helped us shape a trip that felt exciting, manageable, and memorable rather than overwhelming.

Where We Stayed in Colorado

Rather than staying in large lodge-style accommodation, we chose simple inn-style properties that worked well for our route and budget.

Blue Door Inn, Estes Park

Our first base was Blue Door Inn in Estes Park, a small motel-style property located close to the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.

The room setup was simple:

• one family room

• no cooking facilities

• outdoor swimming pool

• easy parking

While the accommodation itself was fairly basic, the location worked very well. Estes Park sits right on the edge of the national park, which meant we could easily access hiking trails and scenic drives.

For families exploring the area, this location provides excellent access to Rocky Mountain National Park, which we cover in more detail in Rocky Mountain National Park with Kids: Practical Guide.

Georgetown Lodge, Georgetown

After exploring the Rockies, we moved to Georgetown, a historic mountain town located about an hour west of Denver. We chose this location very specifically because it gave us easy access to Idaho Springs, where we had booked our adventure activities.

Our accommodation here included:

• a single room with fridge and microwave

• shared laundry facilities

• hot tub

• easy access to the town centre and resturants

The key reason for staying here was proximity to AVA Rafting in Idaho Springs, which had excellent reviews for beginner rafting tours suitable for families.

You can read more about that experience in White Water Rafting in Colorado with Kids: Is It Safe & Worth It?, which was one of the highlights of the trip. We also returned to the same location later in the day for zip lining, making Georgetown a very practical base.

Lodge-Style Accommodation in Colorado

Although we didn’t stay in traditional lodge-style accommodation in Colorado, we did consider it while planning the trip.

Lodges often offer:

• cabin-style accommodation

• kitchens or BBQ areas

• outdoor space

• quieter surroundings in nature

For families who plan to spend more time relaxing at their accommodation, this type of setup can be very appealing. We actually experienced something similar during the South Dakota portion of our trip, where we stayed at Powder House Lodge in Keystone while visiting Mount Rushmore.

This was a small lodge-style property that included:

• kitchen facilities

• outdoor BBQ space

• woodland surroundings

• quiet location close to Mount Rushmore

It worked well for that part of the trip because we spent evenings relaxing outdoors. However, during our Colorado stay we were out exploring most of the day, so we didn’t feel the need for larger lodge accommodation. If you're combining Colorado with South Dakota, our guide Planning a Family Road Trip from Denver to Mount Rushmore to Colorado from the UK explains how that route works.

Lodge-Style Accommodation Families Could Consider

Although we chose simple motel-style accommodation to manage the budget on this trip, families wanting a more traditional Rockies lodge experience may want to consider properties like these which we did consider as part of our planning.

YMCA of the Rockies – Estes Park

One of the most popular family lodges in the Estes Park area is YMCA of the Rockies. This large lodge-style property sits just outside Rocky Mountain National Park and offers a huge range of family activities.

Families can access:

• indoor and outdoor pools

• climbing walls

• mini golf

• hiking trails directly from the property

• family cabins with kitchens

Because there are so many activities on site, it works particularly well for families staying several nights while exploring Rocky Mountain National Park.

Streamside on Fall River – Estes Park

For families looking for a quieter lodge setting, Streamside on Fall River is a beautiful property located just outside the park entrance.

It offers:

• riverside cabins

• kitchen facilities

• outdoor seating areas

• wildlife often visible nearby

This type of accommodation gives families a more traditional Rocky Mountain lodge experience, while still being only a short drive from Estes Park and the park entrance.

Choosing the Right Base for Your Itinerary

Because many activities in Colorado are spread across the mountains, accommodation should usually be chosen based on your planned activities rather than simply picking the most famous town.

For example:

• Estes Park works best for Rocky Mountain National Park

• Georgetown works well for Idaho Springs adventure activities

• Denver is often used as a gateway city for flights

For most families travelling from the UK, Colorado also works well as part of a wider American road trip. During our own journey we travelled from Denver to Mount Rushmore before returning to Colorado for adventure activities.

If you’re planning a wider Rockies itinerary, Exploring the Colorado Rockies with Kids: What Families Should Know explains how to structure the trip.

Practical Booking Tips for Families

A few simple decisions can make accommodation planning much easier.

Book early for summer

July and August are the busiest months in the Rockies.

Prioritise location over luxury

Being close to activities will save driving time.

Look for family-friendly features

Useful extras include:

• pools

• laundry facilities

• fridge or microwave

• easy parking

If you’re planning a wider road trip through the US, our guide What to Pack for a Family Road Trip in America (From a UK Perspective) explains what to bring for mountain travel.

Final Planning Insight for Parents

Where you stay in Colorado will largely depend on the type of trip you want to create. Mountain lodges offer peaceful surroundings and a strong connection to nature, while mountain towns provide convenience and easier access to activities. On our trip, staying in Estes Park and Georgetown worked perfectly because it kept us close to the things we wanted to experience — exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, rafting, zip lining and scenic drives through the Rockies. For families travelling with school-aged children, choosing accommodation close to your planned activities is usually the best way to make the trip both enjoyable and manageable.

Planning a Family Trip to the USA

If you’re planning a family trip to the United States, we’ve created a collection of practical guides based on our own experiences travelling there with a child. In our USA Travel Hub, you’ll find advice on everything from ESTA requirements and travel insurance to driving, healthcare and managing jet lag with kids, alongside destination guides for places we’ve explored including New York, Colorado, South Dakota and Florida. It’s a useful starting point for parents researching how to plan a smooth and enjoyable family trip to the USA.