Location and Driving Directions

 

Rocky Ridge Music Center
465 Longs Peak Road
Estes Park, CO 80517

 

Rocky Ridge Music Center is located near the base of Long’s Peak, which is in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is just off Highway 7, about 4 miles south of Estes Park and 6 miles north of Allenspark.

From Highway 7
Turn west onto Longs Peak Road, which is at mile marker 9. There is a sign that says,”Longs Peak Area."  Drive about 1/3 mile to our entrance on the right.

Driving from Denver
Take I-25 North. Exit onto Highway 66 West. At Lyons, take Highway 7 to Allenspark (left). Total drive time from DIA to RRMC is about 1½ hours.

Driving from Northern Colorado
Driving west on Highway 34, you’ll drive through the Big Thompson Canyon and into Estes Park.  At the large intersection, take Highway 7 South.

Estes Park Shuttle
There is regular shuttle service to and from Rocky Ridge from the airport. Reservations for the shuttle need to be made in advance by calling them or by using their website. Plan on a 2 hour ride on the shuttle between RRMC and the Denver International Airport.

Nearby Lodging
The nearby resort town of Estes Park offers a variety of family recreational activities. There is something for everyone to enjoy in this gorgeous mountain setting while your son or daughter is at Rocky Ridge.  There are also a variety of mountain lodges near Rocky Ridge.  Check our sponsor listings for some ideas.

 

Rocky Ridge Environment

There is a love of nature and appreciation of the Center’s majestic mountain setting at Rocky Ridge. Music is heard along the mountainside as students practice in the woods or beside a nearby stream.

The facilities at Rocky Ridge consist of over 50 buildings. These include a main lodge, dining hall, office, and series of cabins and practice rooms. Shared student lodging will be in historic log and clapboard cabins nestled in the woods of this National Historic District. The cabins range in size and facilities. Some have separate bathrooms with toilets and showers. Some are near the girls or boys bathhouse facilities.  Buffet style meals, with vegetarian options at every meal, are served in the dining hall—a multi-purpose hall which is used during non-meal times for performances, and can accommodate a chamber orchestra and audience of about 100 people.
In keeping with the community spirit established by the environmentalists who homesteaded this historic property, students participate in daily work crews, an essential part of the operation of Rocky Ridge. Group activities offered may include hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, swimming, horseback riding, and visits to the nearby resort town of Estes Park. These activities foster friendships and a remarkable sense of community spirit for which Rocky Ridge has become known.

 

Weather:
Rocky Ridge is high in the mountains near 9,700 feet.  Humidity is generally low making it an extremely pleasant location.  Expect warm summer days with temperatures reaching into the upper 80^o Fahrenheit, but cool evenings with temperatures down to the 40^o and 50^o F.    A fleece jacket is always useful in the evening. Rain showers are possible.   For those planning to hike and climb into the alpine regions in the Rocky Mountain National Park, be prepared for even more extreme weather as you climb toward 14,000 feet (Longs Peak).

 

View a larger version of the campus map.

 

 

Rocky Ridge History

Kirkwood Lodge, Rocky Ridge Music Center.

Founded in 1942 by pianist Beth Miller Harrod, Rocky Ridge Music Center has a uniquely rich history, being one of the oldest music centers of its kind in the nation.

Situated at the foot of Longs Peak, the beautiful Hewes-Kirkwood Lodge, Dining Hall, and many of the surrounding log cabins, were built by novelist and poet Charles Edwin Hewes near the turn of the century. So great was his love for nature that all of the buildings were constructed using only logs of "fire-killed" trees. Not a single living tree fell in establishing the Hewes-Kirkwood Inn.

This love of nature and appreciation of the Center's majestic mountain setting are still carried on at Rocky Ridge. Music is heard along the mountainside as students practice in the woods or beside a nearby stream.

In the course of 70 seasons Rocky Ridge has produced a large alumni. View the alumni photo gallery and read the Rhythms magazine about what's been happening to those past students. If you have news or recognize anyone in the photo gallery, contact the webmaster or any one at the RRMC office and pass it along so we can add it to the site. We'll try to do updates and add new information as it is discovered.