Estes Park Shopping

The Twisted Pine is full of local items of interest....suede and leather clothing, fur coats and rugs, jewelry, etc.

They've got a good selection, and the prices are pretty decent, especially over on the sale table.

The help is very, very friendly and accomodating. Basically, you'd enjoy stopping in.

What to buy: Suede and leather,
Taxidermy items,
Fur coats and rugs,
Jewelry,
Nick-nack gifts, etc.

What to pay: Varies. Some of the Moose Heads are well over $1000, but you can also find cheap native-American styled jewelry for under $20.

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Since 1935, the Taffy Shop has been a staple of the Estes Park retail scene. Kids love watching the rotating arms of the taffy machine in the window. Its been there a long time and still makes great taffy.

What to buy: There are many different flavors. You can just ask for a mixed box or you can specify certain flavors.

What to pay: I think the largest box is about $20.

Estes Park is well supplied with a good range of shopping options and the main drag through the town is Elkhorn Avenue. Here you'll find all sorts of independent stores selling pretty much everything you could want souvenir wise - Native American and other crafts especially.

And you couldn't ask for a better backdrop!

What to pay: It is quite upscale though and so be prepared to pay $$$!

The Warming House is a great place to stock up on any last minute camping or backpacking necessities. They also offer rental equipment if you aren't interesting in buying certain items like packs, sleeping bags and pads, tents, snowshoes, and bear caches. Prices are available on their website.

The store features many well-known name brands of outdoor equipment like Kelty, Northface, Sierra Designs, Jack Wolfskin, Mountain Hardwear, etc.

One great feature of the store, which we used, is that you are able to purchase gas for your cooking stove in quanities that you need. We didn't have to buy a whole can of gas when we realized that we were going to run out soon, we just refilled our canister at the store for $1.50! What a deal!

If you are looking for hiking suggestions or stories, ask the sales people. They have most likely hiked most, if not all the trails in and around the park. And they are happy to help you!

What to buy: High quality backpacking and camping supplies.

What to pay: Average to high prices for all gear, accessories and apparel.

...from the description on the official "Dick's Rock Museum" postcard....

"One of the world's largest rock shops located on Highway 36. The sparkling Big Thompson River runs in back. We carry domestic and foreign cutting materials, garden rock, crystals, minerals, fossils, mountings and jewelry."

Well, that about sums it up, folks. Actually a pretty interesting place. With all the rock laying around, I kind of expected to see Fred Flintstone out back mining rocks with a dinosaur.

I'm not really into rocks, but if you have a closet geologist hiding somewhere in your personal makeup, you'd love Dick's.

What to buy: The description above tells you what they have. Basically, I found the various and lovely chunks of granite, quartz and the like to be very pretty.

Prices seem pretty reasonable, although I haven't shopped for rocks a lot in my life.

What to pay: Anywhere from $1 or so for lots of little things, to upwards of $100 or so for larger specimens and imported rock.