12 Affordable Summer Vacation Spots In The Rockies

Boasting a vast and varied terrain, the Rockies, also called the Rocky Mountains region, plays host to an amazing cornucopia of vacation hot spots a summer adventurer will want to explore. But that said, the region is expansive and stretches all the way from Canada's Alberta and British Columbia provinces all the way south to New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains — on a stretch that covers up to seven states. A vacationer will stand in awe of a landscape defined by impossibly narrow ridgelines, cascading mountain ranges, and practically every feature in a standard Geography textbook. While you can spend a fortune exploring this wild and whimsical region of the country, there is a way to ace it on a budget. And that is why we reveal to you the 12 affordable summer vacation spots that will leave your wallet almost unscathed.

YMCA Of The Rockies, Colorado

At rates that start at $92 per night, you will have a cozy room to sleep in at the YMCA of the Rockies— and in a location that provides convenient access to the Rocky Mountain National Park. But guests and would-be guests will have two options to choose from: either the Estes Park YMCA center, situated in the picturesque mountain town that lends the facility its name, or the Snow Mountain Ranch YMCA center in Granby, Colorado. The Estes Park Center boasts 214 private cabins and nine hotel-style lodges. On the flip side, the Snow Mountain Ranch, which is the larger of the two YMCA centers, boasts up to 50 private ranch cabins, 3 hotel-style lodges, 24 seasonal yurts, and perhaps the most exciting part for a budget traveler — 41 RV and tent sites. 

Cody, Wyoming

Cody sits at the western edge of the Bighorn Basin, about 52 miles from the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It was founded by Colonel William F. Cody, otherwise popularly known as Buffalo Bill, who dramatized the attraction of the American West through fiction and melodrama. Today, the town is a summer vacationer's playground and boasts an amazing array of adventure options. These include nightly summer rodeos where you can enjoy a combination of adrenaline-inducing bull riding, incredible roping, and daring barrel racing every night from June 1st to August 31st. Then again, aside from being the only place in the country that stages a summer rodeo performance nightly, Cody can be an amazing base from which to access Yellowstone National Park. 

Of course, you can also visit the Cody Firearms Museum which boasts the largest assembly of American firearms on Earth — and one of the 5 museums housed in the town is the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the tickets for which can go up to $23 for adults. Besides, Old Train Town, located minutes away, is a collection of ghost-town relics you can explore at only $12. But here is the sweetest part: Hotels in Cody, such as Skyline Motor Inn, often charge as low as $110 per night.

Zion National Park, Utah

While you can be tempted to avoid it, perhaps fearing the cost of the trip, there is a way you can experience Zion National Park, one of the most iconic places on the planet, without breaking the bank. It will be an anticlimax if you come to explore the Rockies — and return without hiking the trails around the world-famous Zion Canyon, a heart-sinking geological wonder that goes down an average of 2,000 feet. For starters, hiking at Zion National Park is completely free of charge. Luckily, this happens to be the best way to inhale the park's surreal beauty. Then again, while the park's $35 entrance fee may not excite you, remember this single ticket guarantees an uninterrupted seven-day feast of one of the most sought-after parks in the country. As to how to get to Zion National Park, the most budget-friendly approach, if you don't have a car, is to find your way to Las Vegas and then rent and drive over. Finally, to save on hotel charges, you will want to camp for free at several BLM (Bureau of Land Management) campsites within and around the park.

Quarter Circle Ranch, Colorado

Who said a summer vacation must include hiking, swimming, and kindred experiences? You can choose to have an off-the-beaten-path kind of experience by visiting Quarter Circle Ranch and experiencing, first-hand, the practical definition of cowboy life. But be warned. Quarter Circle Ranch is ideal if you don't mind roughing it out in settings that are almost off-the-grid. However, at the end of it, this will be an experience of a lifetime. Quarter Circle Ranch sprawls on a massive 800 acres about 45 miles south of Gunnison, Colorado, a bottom-of-the-valley town that is itself a perfect base for summer adventures in the Rockies. In this rustic property, you will live inside cabins made from hand-hewn logs, draw water from a spring located a walking distance away, and cook your food in wood-heated stoves. For as little as $72 per day, you can experience what cowboy life in the Wild West exactly means.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Another affordable summer vacation adventure in the Rockies you can mull over is a one or two-day experience at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. With only a $20 paper note, you will gasp at the highest sand dunes — not just in Colorado — but in North America. This park is in the San Luis Valley which, at 122 miles long and 74 miles wide, is the largest alpine valley in the world. Make no mistake. Despite its name, this under-the-radar attraction sprawls on a diverse landscape, including grasslands, alpine lakes, and tundra. Therefore, while you will enjoy sledding down the dunes, two of which are the tallest in North America, there are wooded trails you will love wandering through, stargazing (yes, you can visit this park at night), and camping at rates that start at $20 per night.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

You probably think we have made a mistake because you don't believe Santa Fe is actually part of the Rockies. This may also come as a surprise because your idea of a summer vacation in the Rockies is about roughing it out in a wild and picturesque landscape far away from any city, let alone a state capital. Well, Santa Fe sits in the foothills of the Rockies and is set in the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. 

So how about spending your summer vacation in a city reputed to be not only the highest capital city in the United States but also the country's oldest capital? Once here, you will not need to open your wallet to see one of the town's most celebrated landmarks, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, admire some amazing art along Canyon Road, immerse yourself in the rhythmic bustle of Santa Fe Plaza, or give your legs some workout at the picturesque Dale Ball Trails.

Glacier National Park, Montana

A slice of the Rockies lies across the 49th Parallel in Canada. Many people swear that the Canadian portion of the Rockies is the most spectacular. If you have been entertaining this perception, there is a chance you have not visited Glacier National Park in Montana. This is because Glacier National Park is the perfect rebuttal to that belief. You can book a room at Travelodge by Wyndham Kalispell at rates that start at $152 per night, then launch out to Glacier National Park for a life-defining experience. The entrance to Glacier National Park is $35, and this gives you a seven-day free access. While there will be sights to die for at Glacier National Park, you will want to also explore the heart-churning Going-to-the-Sun Road which is best experienced in summer.

Grand Junction, Colorado

While the name of this Colorado charmer may pique your interest, what it has to offer will leave you impressed. Whether you want to give your taste buds some farm-to-table dining experience or give your eyes a delicious meal of red-rock scenery, Grand Junction will be on point. Grand Junction is located in the heart of Colorado's Wine Country and as you may have observed, nature often smiles more broadly on places wine is produced. Grand Junction also plays host to several orchards, including the Fruit Basket Orchards, where you can handpick tree-ripe peaches and apples at reasonable prices. At the free-to-visit Escalante Canyon, located less than 30 miles from town, you will come face-to-face with a landscape that is among the most wild and colorful in the area.

Antelope Island, Utah

To enjoy your summer experience at Antelope Island, you will first have to wend your way to Salt Lake City, a storybook town widely known for its Mormon heritage. From Salt Lake City, drive on Interstate 15 then take Exit 332 for the scenic Antelope Drive which eventually leads to the island. The reason this vacation destination is affordable is because you will only need to pay $15 as a park entrance fee, which is inclusive of a $2 Davis County Causeway fee, to access the island. Once inside, you may either choose to continue driving and checking out the park's many attractions, including the impressive herd of bison — or jump off and stroll through the park's picturesque trails. Among the activities that can steal a day or two in this park include swimming, biking, camping, birding, and horseback riding.

Laramie, Wyoming

While a Rocky Mountain summer vacation often involves walking on the necks of precipitous mountains, sledding down cascading sand dunes, taking refreshing baths, and other kindred activities, it can also include a visit to a vibrant college town nestled on the windswept plains of the Laramie River Valley about an hour's drive west of Cheyenne. Once in Laramie, a visitors' favorite pastime is an hour-long drive along the Snowy Range Scenic Byway — through the Medicine Bow Mountain Range — where you will be tempted to pull over after every minute to enjoy the spellbinding scenery that encircles the area. After this dizzying trip, the rotating exhibits at the free-to-enter University of Wyoming Art Museum will come in handy. And because it is a small town, accommodation options at Laramie will not make you pity your wallet.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

If you believe there is order in the universe, perhaps because the sun and moon are always on time, and the Earth never deviates from its orbit, take a trip over to Canyonlands National Park, where nature has carved out huge and wild rock sculptures on a desert terrain that is as disorderly as it is dramatic. There are many features that will pique your interest here. There is Island in the Sky, for instance, vast, flat-topped mesas dotted with several overlooks that open to views no words can do justice. Since Canyonlands offers an experience that should not be rushed, you will want to consider camping, so you can meaningfully savor what the largest national park in Utah has to offer. If sold out on the idea, camping at Island in the Sky, for instance, will set you back a paltry $15. But don't forget to set aside $30 the facility maintains as private vehicle park entry fees.

Dubois, Wyoming

As a heads-up, do not pronounce this as "deh-bwah," which is the correct French pronunciation. Instead, pronounce it just as it is written (Dew-boys). That said, this quaint Wyoming charmer is curled up approximately an hour's drive from Jackson, Wyoming — along the Big Wind River. It sits at the foothills of the Wind River Range and though home to only about 700 residents, is a popular Rocky Mountain getaway. You can first grab some delicious pizza at Taylor Creek Deli before checking out the area's many free or affordable summer outdoor attractions. For instance, you will need to part with only $6 to touch bighorn sheep fur and skulls at the National Bighorn Sheep Center. Of course, hiking and other outdoor adventure options also abound in the area.

The Takeaway

Many may know that the Rocky Mountain Region is vast, incredibly beautiful, and a popular summer vacation destination. Few, however, know that this expansive slice of beauty can be enjoyed at costs that will not make one break the bank — or save for a year. If you want to taste the Rockies on a budget, you should consider options such as Dubois, Wyoming; Grand Junction, Colorado, and Cody, Wyoming. Other options highlighted here will also leave your net worth nearly intact.