ESTES PARK, Colo. — As the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park draws crowds year-round for the scenery, the local shops, and even the elk that wander through town. Beyond the visitors, it's the people who live here that give Estes Park its heart. Denver7 | Your Voice set out to meet the locals and businesses who call this mountain town home and to hear what matters most to them.
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Sarah Leonard, CEO of Visit Estes Park, is a new resident to the area but already has felt welcomed into the community. She knows visitors travel from near and far to be surrounded by Mother Nature and experience the mountains.
"I love Estes Park. I love being in [the] community. There's so many local business members and people that are welcoming to me as a new resident. I know to our visitors as well, but it's so amazing to be able to live in a mountain town that has that sense of nostalgia and history. But also, there's really exciting things happening here with the developments at the Stanley, the creative community," Leonard said.
As exciting as it is to welcome visitors to the area, Leonard explained Visit Estes Park works to make sure that growth benefits the people who live there too. The organization highlights local businesses and meets with residents to ensure the visitors economy supports the whole community. For Leonard, it's a responsibility she takes seriously as more and more people discover the area.
"I think Estes Park, the visitor industry, is integral to the economy and the community which can...—which brings benefits and opportunities for residents and for visitors," Leonard said.
The heart of downtown is lined with businesses selling everything from souvenirs to jewelry, along with local restaurants serving up a bite to eat. Kind Coffee lives up to its name, recently celebrating 24 years of business. The owner, Kimi Nash, grew up in California before finding her way to Estes Park and landing a job as a barista.
"We started in 2002. We've been at this location ever since. I started working for the company as a barista in 2019, fell in love with Estes, fell in love with Kind Coffee," said Nash. "Wanted to figure out how I can get roots here. Then the opportunity presented itself for me to purchase the business and we closed in April 2023."
This business is more than a coffee shop. Along with its house-made drinks, it shares its shelves with retail products from women-owned businesses, offering local makers a place to be seen. The shop also gives back to nonprofits and organizations in the community through its coffee bean sales.
"We have so many organizations and groups, and the nonprofit community up here is super strong. Being a part of that and being a board member from the Estes nonprofit network really opened up my eyes to how people can cross over and really help each other and support each other, whether it's for emergency services, arts and culture, children, things like that," Nash said.
Over the years, Nash has watched visitors pour in to support her business, especially during the busy summer months. But she says the line between peak and off-peak season is fading, as the crowds keep coming later and later into the year.
"We were seeing an influx of visitors coming in April, which is kind of a quieter month for us here. Then they they didn't stop and it has been a wild season. The fact that that season is extending into like, Halloween weekend, I'm sure I'm not alone," Nash said.
While visitors may drive much of the business, locals are no strangers to the coffee shop. Nash knows where her regulars like to sit and which drinks pique their interest. While there, Denver7 met Patty Shafer and Rich Perch, who were once rangers at Rocky Mountain National Park.
"Well, there's all different kinds of rangers and we were law enforcement and search and rescue mostly, and medical, so our jobs were very intense, I would say, sometimes," said Shafer. "Then in the winter, it would be much quieter, but not anymore. It's much more busy now, people think we just are out there looking at the trees and the wildlife. It's not true. We had very, very intense jobs."
There's no doubt the two loved what they did, and carry immense pride in having served Rocky Mountain National Park. For them, the job gave them something money never could.
"There's a saying in the service that the pay isn't particularly great, but we get paid in sunsets, which was true," Perch said.
As rewarding as it is to share the national park with visitors from all over the world, the two agreed that growing crowds means more rescues and more calls for help on the trails they know so well.
"I've seen a change over the years. I've seen people recently that, you know, snowshoeing became popular. I remember seeing people leaving the trailhead dressed like they would be in Denver carrying their purses up the trail. It's like, they don't quite understand what can happen up here," Perch said.
While growth has reshaped this mountain town, some things have stayed exactly the same. One of them is The Taffy Shop, which first opened its doors in 1935. Mark Igel and his family bought the business in 2014, and they've worked to keep it just as generations remember it.
"I definitely feel like a caretaker," said Igel. "I feel like there's a great amount of responsibility to keep it the same, to maintain the memories that people have coming here, to keep the quality of the candy the same and that seems like a moving target."
As challenging as it is to run a longtime, beloved local business, Igel understands the power of consistency, keeping the flavors and the recipe exactly the same. While visitors may peak during the summer months, he says the business keeps carrying on in the winter thanks to mail orders.
"We are developing strong mail order sales over the holidays and when it's off season. So there could be three people at the counter on a slow winter day, and there are five or seven people working here trying to fill mail order and get things out for the holidays. We're in a unique position that the history and the reputation of the store really helped carry us through the whole year," Igel said.
The pride in Estes Park radiates throughout the community, and no matter how much the town grows or changes, that spirit stays the same. There are several events coming up including Estes Park Restaurant Week and the Catch The Glow Parade.
In these Denver7 | Your Voice stories, we want to hear from you about what matters most in your community. We hope to hear what makes our communities special, the challenges facing them, and everything in between. Have an idea or want to share your thoughts? Fill out the contact form below.
