From Lyons To Estes Park on Highway 36 or Route 7

Lyons is located about 15 minutes north of Boulder taking Highway 36 and directly west of Longmont if you take Highway 66. Lyons is a small town with red canyons and mesas surrounding it. The landscape is absolutely breath-taking and if you want to stop for lunch, I highly recommend Oskar Blues. From Lyons, you have a couple different routes to choose from in order to reach Estes Park, which is the gateway mountain town to the Rocky Mountain National Park. I would suggest taking one route on the way there and the other on the way back, as they both offer great views. If you decide to take Route 7, your drive will be a little bit longer, but the views will be grander. You will pass by Long's Peak, which stands over 14,000 feet above sea level, as well as numerous parks and hiking trails. Once in Estes Park, you could walk around the town and do some shopping, or take a drive into the Rocky Mountain National Park (there is a fee to enter) for some of the best views you will ever see. Heading back towards Lyons, drive on Highway 36, which offers more great views and is a bit shorter of a drive.