Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado isn’t the sort of place you’d normally expect to have trails all to yourself, in part to its close proximity to the sprawling metropolis of Denver. The park has to limit guest entrances for a reason: RMNP, as a whole, requires timed-entry reservations between late May to mid-October, including a separate reservation for popular Bear Lake Road, and the park’s east entrance near Estes Park often sees hours-long wait times at the entrance gate.

But on the park’s west entrance in Grand County, you’re guaranteed to find shorter lines at park entrance gates, more parking spots, and plenty of stunning trails with fewer crowds. Sure, this drive to the west entrance is a bit more of a commitment if you’re coming from Denver (add 45 minutes to your drive one-way), but there’s plenty of adventure along the way to make the extra drive time more than worth it. These 5 trails on the west side of the park and just outside its boundaries are waiting.

Adams Falls, East Inlet Trailhead

Easily accessible from the town of Grand Lake, this quick lollipop hike is only 0.8 miles round-trip to the falls, but you can extend your hike as long as you want, including all the way up to Fifth Lake about 8.5 miles farther down the trail, 17 overall. Even if you only go as far as the falls, you’ll get expansive views of the Rocky Mountains along the packed dirt, pine-lined trail. There’s a bit of elevation gain, complete with a few sections of stone steps, but the picturesque falls are worth the mild effort. The best part: While a park pass (such as an America the Beautiful annual pass) is still required to be displayed on your car’s dashboard at the trailhead parking lot, the trailhead is outside the main entrance gate, so no timed-entry reservations are required.

Timber Lake Trail, Timber Lake Trailhead

For a more challenging hike with a stunning payoff (an alpine lake surrounded by the peaks of the Rockies), look no further than the 10.2-mile Timber Lake Trail. The path itself alternately weaves through shaded forest with stick-straight pines, open fields peppered with wildflowers, and alongside chipper creeks for a delightfully varied ascent. There’s a fair bit of elevation gain (2,365 feet), but most of it is gradual enough to not feel as if your knees are taking a beating. And once you reach Timber Lake, don’t be surprised if you can’t resist the urge to jump in for a chilly—but refreshing—dip.

Coyote Valley Trail, Coyote Valley Trailhead

If you’re looking for an easier, family-friendly, accessible stroll, head to Coyote Valley Trail for a mostly flat and wide-open wander near the easy-flowing Colorado River. This straightforward out-and-back is located in the Kawuneeche Valley and surrounded by pines, meadows, and mountains. The entire trail is packed dirt or crushed gravel, making for a stress-free wander that also offers opportunities to spot wildlife like moose.

Second Creek Trail to Broome Hut, Second Creek Trailhead

Located along Route 40 just south of RMNP in Arapaho National Forest is this gem of a hike. At 2.3 miles total and about 800 feet of ascent the first mile, it’s a quick burn of a hike, but once you reach the top, the climb will be worth it. In addition to Broome Hut, which is available for overnight reservations but is most commonly used as a warming hut in the winter, the dramatic landscape sings in glorious 360-degree views. An expansive overlook at the top makes for an excellent place to rest and have a snack, though a few minutes onward is Second Creek if you need a place to soak your feet. Bonus: Dogs are allowed on this trail.

Jim Creek Trail, Winter Park Resort

While there are plenty of hiking trails scattered around Winter Park Resort just under an hour’s drive from the west entrance of RMNP, Jim Creek Trail is a good place to start. The aspen-flanked path ends at a waterfall in Arapaho National Forest. When you’re done, head to the resort base area for pizza and beer at Pizza Pedal’r, buy an Unlimited Activities Day Ticket (which gets you access to the gondola, climbing wall, putt-putt and more), or enjoy mountaintop happy hour at the mid-mountain lodge.

Stay and Play

When you’re tuckered out for the day, in need of a good meal, low on energy bars or a new water filter, head to the town of Grand Lake (grab dinner at Firefly Pizzeria and rest up in a Jupe at Grand Lake Lodge) or Winter Park (we recommend The Perk for coffee and gear and Winter Park Resort for luxe lodging). Chances are, thanks to the lack of crowds, you won’t even have to fight anybody off for a free table come dinnertime.