YMCA of the Rockies

It’s a 4.5/5 from me for this place. It is one of the best places to stay if you wanna visit the Rocky Mountain National park. Without traffic the beaver meadows entrance is like a 7-8 minute drive. The facilities on the YMCA are amazing. They have great pool, tennis and pickle ball courts, an 18 hole mini golf, amazing activities thought out the day, an amazing field area to play base ball, football etc The staff is so amazing that they make sure you have the right resources and have an amazing experience. The food at the dining hall is a buffet and for the price you pay (which is between 16-20$), it’s all you can eat and an amazing spread. The rooms are good enough. The only reason it’s not a 5 but a 4.5 is because the rooms have no air conditioning. They do give you a fan but if it’s 4 people staying, it will get stuff in the summer. For reference I stayed in the Twin Sisters Lodge. You also get great views of the wildlife, like the elks and deers roam around freely in the area which is so cool. Overall a must stay play for a relaxing and an amazing time here at the Rockies.

This is a family favorite. I have been coming here since 1991. The cabins and lodge rooms are well appointed. They have incredible kid’s day camps for kids 3-16. The young adult day camps were the favorite of all my four kids. My favorite restaurant is the Buckboard. Good simple fare at reasonable prices. X-country skiing trails are beautiful and plentiful for all skill levels. This is world class. If you like downhill skiing, WinterPark/Mary Jane is up the road just a few miles. Hiking enthusiasts the west entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park is about 25 minutes away. Aside from Florence, Italy, this is my favorite place in the world. You need to make reservations in March to get good accommodations during the peak summer season. Also Christmas and Spring Break get booked early.

Born in Colorado and lived here most of my life. Did not even know about the YMCA until last year. Was October then, however came out a month earlier this time and was a bit warm. Stayed in the Alpen lodge which has an awesome view of the mountains. On the top floor it was about 10° warmer than the lower floor, so kind of uncomfortable. Just have to prop the patio door and have the box fan running. The horse riding on the intermediate/ advanced trails is an awesome experience and not something anyone would readily forget. The few included activities are swimming, roller skating, mini golf and yoga/pilates classes. Pool has way too much chlorine so I couldn't do it this time.

Really enjoyed our time here last year despite our cabin being pretty old and dingy compared to our friends’ cabin. I assumed it was because we booked a pet-friendly unit and they didn’t. Fast-forward to just checking in this evening to find that our cabin is not only once again dark and dingy and theirs is renovated (despite being pet-friendly this year), but the larger cabin size we paid for is smaller than the one we had last year. We asked to move, but they wanted to charge us a cleaning fee since we’d already used the toilet. They explained the cabins aren’t uniform, yet the photos on the website show a much larger living space, bathroom, and kitchen as the example of what we booked… so it’s definitely misleading. They said some cabins have been renovated and some haven’t (clearly), but it seems to be luck of the draw with zero price differentiation (and actually ours somehow cost more). Super disappointing to pay more and get less. Happy our friends lucked out. As of now, not interested in gambling again in the future.

First time staying at the YMCA. I did not know what to expect. Such a great place to bring your family, so much to do on site to keep the kids entertained. Stayed at what was described as a "hotel style" lodge. Had beds and a bathroom, common areas on the first floor and basement. Would love to stay in a cabin next time.