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the Fall River, and all feature private river-front decks and full or partial kitchens. The spa suites have two-person spas, fireplaces, sitting rooms with cathedral ceilings, and king-size beds. One-bedroom suites offer king-size beds, window seats, two TVs, and bathrooms with whirlpool tub and shower combinations. There's also a year-round outdoor hot tub. DVD/VCR combos, in-room movies and a large free video library, and fax service are available, and special-occasion packages can be arranged year-round.

Colorado Mountain School

351 Moraine Ave. (P.O. Box 1846), Estes Park, CO 80517. ☎ 888/267-7783 or 970/586-5758 (office open 8am–5pm.). www.cm school.com. 16 dormitory beds. $25 per bed. AE, DISC, MC, V.

This is lodging at its simplest: coed dormitory-style rooms furnished in light woods, clean and well maintained, with bunk beds, private bathrooms with showers, and lockable private storage. Colorado Mountain School also offers a year-round guide service and rock-climbing and mountaineering school (see "Climbing & Mountaineering," earlier in this chapter).

Estes Park Center/ YMCA of the Rockies

2515 Tunnel Rd., Estes Park, CO 80511-2550. ☎ 970/586-3341, or 303/448-1616 (local call from Denver). Fax 970/586-6088. www.ymcarockies.org. 510 lodge rooms (450 with bathroom), 205 cabins. Lodge room summer $75–$110, winter $56–$79; cabin year-round $91–$300. YMCA membership required (available at a nominal charge). No credit cards. Pets accepted in cabins but not lodge rooms.

This extremely popular family resort is an ideal place to get away from it all. It makes a great home base while exploring the Estes Park area. Lodge units are simply decorated and perfectly adequate, but we prefer the spacious mountain cabins. They have two to four bedrooms (accommodating up to 10) and complete kitchens, and some have fireplaces. The center, which occupies 860 wooded acres, offers hiking, horseback riding, miniature golf, an indoor heated swimming pool and children's pool, fishing, bicycle rentals, three tennis courts, and cross-country skiing. Other facilities include a self-serve laundry.

Lake Shore Lodge

1700 Big Thompson Ave., Estes Park, CO 80517. ☎ 800/332-6867 or 970/577-6400. Fax 970/577-6420. www.lakeshorelodge.com. 54 units. June–Aug $149–$209 double, $269–$369 suite; Sept–May $99–$159 double, $179–$309 suite; Rates include full breakfast. AE, DISC, MC, V.

This handsome hotel produces a dilemma: Which to choose, a room looking out on the lake or one with a view of the mountains? Decorated in Western Victorian style, with oak furnishings and rich colors, rooms here are slightly larger than average; third-floor units with vaulted ceilings feel especially spacious. All units have either two queen-size beds or a king and sofa sleeper, desks, refrigerators, coffeemakers, irons and ironing boards, safes, hair dryers, two phones, and dataports. Second- and third-floor units have decks. The six suites have fireplaces, and two also have whirlpool tubs.

There's a small indoor swimming pool and a hot tub, two saunas, an exercise room, a game room with video games and a pool table, and a coin-op laundry. An adjacent marina offers boat rentals, and fishing is available from a boat or the lakeshore. The Silverado restaurant (see "Where to Dine," below) serves three meals daily. All rooms are nonsmoking. Now, about that dilemma. The first-floor units have only limited views, so avoid those. For standard rooms, the best views are from the third-floor rooms facing the lake. And if you can afford them, the third-floor corner suites offer views of both the lake and the mountains.

Romantic RiverSong Inn

1765 Lower Broadview Rd. (P.O. Box 1910), Estes Park, CO 80517. ☎ 970/586-4666. Fax 970/577-0699. www.romanticriversong.com. 10 units. $150–$295 double. Rates include full breakfast. DISC, MC, V. Not suitable for small children.

Couples looking for some quiet romance while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park will enjoy this 1920 Craftsman mansion on the Big Thompson River. The elegant