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House, hot tub, playground, dog friendly + option of 2nd building!

Family-friendly holiday home in Estes Park with a hot tub

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The Happy Elk Cabin. Spread out on .8 acres and 2 buildings of living space.
Outdoor spa tub
The Happy Elk Cabin is located in ideal location. (Aerial view above the cabin)
Aerial view of the valley.
3 buildings: 1) house 2) studio 3) two car garage

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional
4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 8151.1 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Hot tub
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Fireplace

Explore the area

View map
  • Place, Beaver Meadows Visitor Center
  • Place, Historic Estes Park
  • Place, The Stanley Hotel
  • Airport, Fort Collins, CO (FNL-Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal)

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Main house: Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Main house: Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bunk Bed

Studio option: Bedroom 3

1 Double Murphy Bed

Studio option: Bedroom 4

2 Single Beds

2 bathrooms

Main house: Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Optional studio: Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Kitchenette
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

House, hot tub, playground, dog friendly + option of 2nd building!

Come escape the stress and enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains in Estes Park at licensed vacation rental property 20-NCD0374! Large lot and 2 buildings to spread out. Breathe the fresh mountain air and go for secluded hikes come back to enjoy a soak in the hot tub! Fast (1 gig) internet for working remote.

PLEASE NOTE: We do not advertise on Craigslist. Please communicate with us through VRBO only.

We are located in a PERFECT location! Close to everything, yet plenty of space. 2 miles from the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, 2 miles away from downtown Estes Park and 2 miles from the YMCA on Highway 66. The free Estes Park shuttle bus stops near the property on Highway 66. So park your car and enjoy the mountains. We are on the Brown Route. Note: Town shuttles operate daily from June 24 through September 10.

Enjoy being together on vacation yet spread out with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths in 2 buildings. The main house is a ranch style home with 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, and open living, dining, and kitchen area. It sleeps 6 people and has 2 smart TVs with cable. The studio building is 10 feet from the home with 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, and a microwave, small refrigerator, coffee maker, and a smart TV connected to cable. Families on different schedules... no worries. Get a wonderful night sleep without distractions of others in your party but enjoy time together in the large living area, outside on the covered deck, or in the 7 person hot tub.

Have young kids? We created a safe enclosed private toddler playground behind the studio building with a climbing wall, wagon, sandbox, slide, seesaw, and little tykes cars sure to entertain the youngsters while you sit on the bench, sip a beverage, relax and enjoy the mountain air.

Having a big family reunion? Check out the Paradise RV Park nearby. Some can camp while others stay at the Happy Elk!

Have well behaved fur babies (dogs) you want to bring along? This is the perfect property with a brand new 6 foot fence to let your dogs enjoy the open space as well. Please inform the owner if you are bringing any pets along there is a small fee. (No cats please. I love them too... but some guests are often allergic.)

Basic price is listed for main house ONLY which sleeps 6. Studio which sleeps 4 is additional. No more than 8 can rent the property at any one time. House and studio will never be booked to different parties on same dates.

The property is in on nearly an acre with a hammock, grill, hot tub and yard games. Our landscaping is similar to most mountain properties in that it constantly changes based on nature. We keep it natural for our guests' benefit as it gives a welcoming habitat for animals to come and better wildlife viewing opportunities from the comfort of the home. The deer graze and recharge in the yard while the hummingbirds enjoy the wildflowers. Enjoy the mountain views while relaxing on the deck watching elk graze and take a rest under a tree. Please note the pictures were taken in May. Landscaping changes continually and the lawn is not able to be maintained with a lawnmower due to the large natural rock formations on the property.

Home has been completely updated. All new cozy mattresses, soft linens, thick warm duvets, and comfy towels! Kitchen updated with new stainless appliances. Fully licensed as a vacation rental in Estes Park.

Enjoy the warmth of the remote controlled gas fireplace while watching TV, catching up with family or friends, and playing games.

Washer and dryer are available for guest use.

Please note: check fire current fire restrictions at  https://www.estesvalleyfire.org/fire-restrictions-bans. At this time, no short term rentals or bed and breakfasts are allowed to have outdoor wood burning fires.

We use security cameras on the drive way only.

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Hot tub
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
Private toddler playground on site
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed
No cats allowed.
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
Property Registration Number 20-NCD0374

We should mention

A car is not required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Estes Park

Located in Estes Park, this holiday home is in the city centre. Historic Estes Park and The Stanley Hotel are notable landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Rocky Mountain National Park. Consider Performance Park for a night out or Tiny Town Miniature Golf if you're travelling with kids. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Estes Park, CO

What's nearby

  • Beaver Meadows Visitor Center - 11 min walk - 1.0 km
  • Estes Park Aerial Tramway - 4 min drive - 3.3 km
  • Historic Estes Park - 4 min drive - 3.3 km
  • Beaver Meadows Entrance Station - 5 min drive - 3.0 km
  • The Stanley Hotel - 6 min drive - 4.8 km

Getting around

  • Fort Collins, CO (FNL-Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal) - 65 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Coffee on the Rocks - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪YMCA: Aspen Dining Hall - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Full Throttle Distillery - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Penelope's Old Time Burgers - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Smokin' Dave's BBQ & Brew - ‬2 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is House, hot tub, playground, dog friendly + option of 2nd building! pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at House, hot tub, playground, dog friendly + option of 2nd building!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at House, hot tub, playground, dog friendly + option of 2nd building!?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is House, hot tub, playground, dog friendly + option of 2nd building! located?

This family-friendly holiday home is located in the city centre, within 1 mi (2 km) of Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, Tiny Town Miniature Golf and Backbone Adventures. Moraine Park Museum and Wild Basin Area are also within 3 miles (5 km).

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

9.4/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy
Rating 10 - Excellent. 232 out of 266 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 26 out of 266 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 7 out of 266 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 266 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 266 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Jaime E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The home was in a great spot! Super close to the main shopping/tourist area of Estes Park and had amazing views. The owner was extremely responsive before and during our stay. Beds were super comfy too! I definitely recommend this home for a family or group of friends as you can rent the bungalow as well for extra room. Very affordable for both homes to rent for your stay.
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2025

8/10 Good

Cory Lynne C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful property close to Rocky Mountain National Park and a great place for those with fur family. :)
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Andy S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Place!

Love staying at this property - close to town but not too close, and the hot tub was hit! Highly recommend!
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jenn O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Winter get away

The cabin was conveniently located, comfortable and communication was great with the host. We would definitely come back!!
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Glenda W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Colorado vacation

Conveniently close to town and park
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Ralph P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome cabin

So many things to love about this cabin. Location is great, the yard is a beautiful place to hang out, beds are comfortable, kitchen is roomy and had everything we needed. Soaking in the hot tub under the stars was a bonus.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

William K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent property

This was such a great experience for us. The property was spacious and allowed our family of 8 plenty of room to relax. Great location and saw lots of wildlife from the porches. Would 100% stay here again.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Maggie S., St. Paul, Minnesota

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect stay for RMNP Elopement

Property was a comfortable stay with an awesome location for access to the town and the National park. Highly recommend
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Daphne N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fabulous home and location!!!

We had a wonderful stay at The Happy Elk. Location, location, location…. just minutes from downtown Estes Park and The Rocky Mountain National Park entrance, but you still have plenty of privacy. The home is cozy and has everything you need. Plus, the fenced yard was a major bonus for us as well. I loved sipping my coffee outside while taking in spectacular mountain views.I cannot recommend this rental home enough for your vacation needs. We will definitely be back!
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kate N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A great location

It was very family and dog friendly. My dogs loved the fenced in yard and seeing lots of mule deer. The house has everything you need to cook and plenty of storage. First time utilizing Verbo so definitely a great first experience
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2023

6/10 Okay

Paul C.

Liked: Check-in
Disliked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy
The hot tub was the saving grace of this property. We booked this cabin in a last minute plan to just get away for a weekend, we are regular child-free travelers. Maybe this place is more suited to large families that don't travel very often. We are shocked by the positive reviews. The listing did not look like the photos. There is no Air Conditioning, so we were cooking inside. The porch in the shade is the coolest spot on the property. The backyard has no shade. The hammock was flimsy and in the bright sun. The house had sticky, grimy dust in the crevices and on random surfaces. The bathroom smelled like stale talcum powder. The shower was comically small. For reference, I am 6'0" and 225 lbs and had to duck to get into the shower. It was so small that I wasn't comfortable using it. My 5'4" fiance kept bumping the shower walls and dropping things during her shower lol. The kitchen floor was filthy. The beds were so uncomfortable that my fiance and I didn't sleep the first night, then the second night, tried separate beds and still couldn't sleep because the cheap mattresses were so uncomfortable. The window in one of the bedrooms was broken and unable to be locked which felt unsafe next to a trailer park. The second/last night, our heat turned on and set itself to 80 degrees and kept running until it ended up displaying that it was 100 degrees in the house. We left two nights early because we were so uncomfortable. When we let the host know, they responded with AI messages.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Joel P., Englewood, CO

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

50th wedding anniversary

Such a perfect weekend. All necessities provided and we rented out both the house and studio for the 7 of us and a dog. Will definitely rent again!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Melissa H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Property

We had a wonderful time it and it ended up being just my husband and I along with two of our kids so plenty of room in the main house. Easy access to downtown Estes so we would definitely stay again!! 😊
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kim B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Loved this house!

We had such a great time staying in this home. Everything was clean and orderly. It was amazing and our favorite part was the deck with a view. Elk grazed right up on the fence line. We look forward to visiting again. I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful home!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jessica C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful location and communication!

This property was in the PERFECT location to everything we needed and was just adorable. It was furnished comfortably and even had a pet bed, baby gate, pet bowls...she thought of everything! Communication was wonderful throughout. We will definitely be back!

10/10 Excellent

John D., Vancouver, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Convenient Location

We stayed at this property in June 2022. My friend lives in Sydney Australia, and I live in Vancouver Canada. It was just the two of us staying in Estes Park for five nights. We booked the studio for the additional bathroom for convenience. It was our first time in Estes Park and we were surprised how much there is to do there. We each logged under 80 kms hiking in these five days in Rocky Mountain National Park and throughout the village. Had we knew that there was so much to do here, we would have booked it for longer. I will be back with my family in the future. The unit had everything we needed. The beds were very comfortable and the towels and linens very clean. We also loved how much outdoor space the property had to explore. The evenings were quiet and the stars were amazing. It was a good choice for us to stay here.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2022

6/10 Okay

Diane M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Good news, things to consider

Good: Good location, private, clean, kitchen is well stocked with equipment, nice fireplace in front rooms, back yard is enclosed with fence. Clearly made efforts to improve the cabin. Things to consider: If going in the winter, the bedrooms are cold since the back rooms do not seem to be insulated, or the furnace is not large enough Bed linens are not great. No top sheet and the pillow are old and flat, no booster to them. I also wish they bleached the linens between tenants. Since we are asked to put them in the washer and start the load I know they do not bleach the sheets. The back yard does not have a usable playground and in the summer there would be no place for dogs to stay in shade. Would be nice if front porch were gated for dogs and to prevent small children from falling down the stairs. Finally, little picky. I wish the cleaners did not do a dump of everything in the refrigerator. By that I mean condiments like mustard and ketchup. It would be nice if there were foil as well as plastic wrap I always hope a place will have tissues, as I usually forget to bring them and it is pain to have to go to the market to pick up tissues.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021

8/10 Good

Becky C.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great location, close to the national park. Hot tub was a nice retreat after a long day of hiking.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Miles C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Property was great, beautiful location, hot tub was a highlight.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ashley S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Host was responsive. Location was ideal for all of our RMNP activities. Hot tub was a highlight for relaxing after adventures. The house was clean and well equipped with everything we could have possibly needed. Will definitely return
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Eric I.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had an excellent stay here with extended family, so we book both the main house and guest house. Loved the proximity to RMNP and Estes Park. The front porch was amazing and where we probably spent most of the time when we were at the house. The views from anywhere on the grounds were spectacular.The hosts were very responsive to questions leading up to the stay and checked in with us a few times during the stay too, great communication with them.The only knocks I would give the place is that the cleaning just didn't seem as thorough as other places we've stayed across the country. I wouldn't say it was unclean, just more like the clean you would keep your own house and not "professional clean" The guest house a tad more than the main house and grounds.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

David H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Everything was great except the weather was a little cool for July/August. The hot tub needs a little better step for entry. Check in and check out were fine.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Brendan O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun summer vacation!

Everything about the stay was perfect, from the house to the communication to the proximity to town and the park. Our small family with little kids had everything we needed to enjoy our summer vacation. Highly recommend!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Amy L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful cabins close to RMNP

My family and i really enjoyed our stay. It was great to have my teenagers in one cabin and adults in the other. The cabins are clean, well stocked and just iutside RMNP. Great communication. Hope to stay again!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Paul A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cozy Cabin right next to RMNP

Our family of 6 stayed here for the week with 4 kids ranging from 3-7. This cabin was the perfect home base for us during our stay. The kids loved exploring the spacious backyard. We were minutes from RMNP and an easy drive into town, we loved it!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2025

About the host

Hosted by Joan Weiss

Host profile image
I am a retired globetrotting grandmother who knows the value of time spent with family and friends in the majestic mountain scenery of Estes Park.

Why they chose this property

Estes Park has always been close to my heart. Close enough to escape the hustle of Denver for the day yet provides the complete wilderness experience. It is the best of both worlds!

What makes this property unique

While traveling with my kids and grandchildren, I realized the value of being together yet giving everyone their own space. This property allows the unique opportunity with having 2 separate buildings for sleeping yet large living space to play games and make memories that will last a lifetime. Icing on the cake: I created a private enclosed playground for the kids to play safely while the adults relax on the bench and catch up.

I also realize how nice it is to be with my dog when traveling and wanted to provide this for my guests. I created 2 fenced in areas (other than the kids playground area) that dogs can feel free to roam and enjoy their time in the mountains.

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests