Take a ride with Wildside 4×4 Tours By Daniel Sewell Trail-Gazette
xploring the natural wonder of the Rocky Mountains is usually what draws people to Estes Park, so it’s no wonder that taking a tour with Wildside 4×4 Tours has been ranked as the number one thing to do in Estes Park by TripAdvisor for the past 10 years straight! Wildside 4×4 Tours range from rugged thrilling offroad tours, to relaxing National Park tours for amazing photo opportunities on all. Their gentle tours can be experienced on their Rocky Mountain National Park tours, which roll through the Park at a leisurely pace with many stop breaks in-between to allow passengers to get out and walk closer to the roaring waterfalls, still mountain lakes and on some tours massive cliffs, if you dare! For a more adrenaline-racing ride, Wildside 4×4 Tours will take you up steep hills, over massive boulders, and through rolling terrain that might lift you right out of your seat! All of Wildside 4×4’s Tour vehicles have been fabricated to sit extra passengers, which can hold 7 to 14 Passengers per vehicle. While the dirt roads may be rugged the 4×4 suspension makes these rides feel like a
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Wildside 4x4 Tours / Courtesy photo
Wildside 4×4 Tours range from rugged thrilling off-road tours, to relaxing National Park tours for amazing photo opportunities on all.
breeze! Comfort is something that sets Wildside 4×4 Tours apart, their complimentary blankets, gloves, hats, jackets, snacks, water, and pop ensures that everyone will have a good time while they tour the back country. Their informative guides can help fill-in details about the natural surroundings, and they know just the right spots to go faster for an exhilarating experience. However, safety is paramount, so children under the age of four are not permitted to take the off-road tours. And this year, due to the worldwide pandemic they are taking extra precautions from sanitation to group siz-
es per truck to maintain safe practices. Evening tours are available for Wild and Mild tours! These tours begin in the early evening and allow you to enjoy a sunset and for off-road tours they come back in the dark. The pinnacle of the Not So Mellow Marshmallow Tour culminates at Wildside 4×4’s private Pavilion, which boasts of 360-views of the entire Estes Valley, even views of downtown Denver. Here at the newly-renovated Pavilion passengers get to roast marshmallows and hot dogs over an open fire as the sky slowly changes from blue to orange and every color in-between! One of their most
popular gentle rides is the Top of the World Tour through RMNP. Walk to waterfalls then Climb over 12,000 feet in elevation to the top of the Continental Divide, where snow stays yearround! It is common to see lots of different animal sighting and learn some interesting facts about the park while being driven in style.Their custom trucks with convertible tops allow for amazing tours that are open year-round, so no matter the weather, you can take an adventure! Tours can be booked at www.wildside4x4tours.com or call 970-586-8687 to talk to one of their friendly staff.
You can find Ann and her family at their Allenspark business, Eagle Plume’s, ten miles south of Estes Park on Colo. 7. Located in a high mountain valley near a grove of lodge pole pines where her ancestors gathered tipi poles in the summer. Colorado has been their home for many
decades. She and her family carry on a century long legacy at their small shop, supporting indigenous artists and featuring a collection of historic native arts and crafts. For more on the life of Ann StrangeOwl find her memoir at Macdonald Bookshop or Eagle Plume’s.
History from page 21 broke out and ran into the January night. Her son survived. When Ann’s grandson Dah’som was an infant the tribe officially laid claim to this brutal history and began the healing process through the Sand Creek Healing Run. Each November on the anniversary of the massacre,
Cheyennes gather on the hallowed ground to pray and sing. Young runners stretch and prepare for the long journey to the steps of the state capital, where they cry out and sing in honor of their ancestors and the simple fact that we Cheyenne are still here.
22 • 2020 Estes Park Trail-Gazette Vacation Edition
