The Warming House

We rented sleds and even though the snow was great they wouldn’t budge. Other people had sleds which worked great. We sadly watched from the side and gave up sledding. We told the staff about the quality of their sleds and they responded «oh they had tried them last week and they worked and then he said «we aren’t going to rent sleds then.» All this without an offer to give us our money back.

Great deal on snowshoes, friendly and warm staff. They also provided us with an alternate winter hike. :) :)

My husband was hiking Pawnee Pass and one of his boots (purchased a few years ago) at the Warming House suffered some damage — Warming House sent us to Komito Boots for a repair as they were out of warranty. The boots were mailed back to us this week repaired and looking like new — and Warming House picked up the tab. Hats (or boots) off to both places!

My wife needed a new pair of boots and the owner took great care of us. She was patient and knowledgable and really made the extra effort to get the right fit for my wife.
I highly recommend going there!

We booked a 2 person snowshoeing trip that included a guided tour through Estes Park with a lunch. But we got so much more.
Instead of a pre-​planned tour, our guide (Andrew) was incredibly accommodating to our needs as well as to our whims of what we were interested in. We loaded up in our car to drive to the destination for the hike. During the drive over, to the multitude of rests we needed during the hike, and even on the drive back, Andrew was flexible and maintained an enthusiastic demeanor throughout. He was extremely knowledgeable and was able to answer just about every question we had about the park, the plant life, as well as the wildlife, land and sea. We learned so much!!!
Andrew was able to determine our capabilities and even what we may enjoy from our first snowshoeing trip. We hiked through all sorts of back trails and even led us to some «slides» on our way down the mountain. Though a short tour was available, Andrew encouraged us to do the longer one to really get the most out of our experience. Mind you, the tour pricing is not by the hour but a flat rate.
I can only imagine the other guides at the Warming House are just as good, but I may go as far as recommending anyone planning to do a guided snowshoeing trip to request Andrew by name.

This is a great shop outside of the main street madness. They have a great selection of hiking, camping, and outdoor gear and apparel. The staff is really nice. They are always around to help out with a purchase, making a decision and they also have a lot of knowledge on hiking in the park. I like this store a lot and often stop in just to browse. These are the types of places that make me dream of being rich, so I could buy it all and have time to use it! Maybe someday… hah!

While visiting RMNP from NH I was looking to pick up a pair of serious hiking boots. Having trashed my ankles during my youth I needed a supportive, but comfortable pair of boots that would carry me on long hikes in the Rockies and White Mountains. John & Phebe spent close to an hour with me; measuring my feet and trying on numerous styles and sizes of boots before we found the perfect match. I couldn’t break them in while on the trip, but brought the boots (Lowa’s) back to NH and over a series in increasingly longer hikes got them to the point where they are perfect. Now a 12 mile climb is like a walk in the park! If you’re serious about finding just the right boots that fit your needs skip the tourist-​oriented stores on the main street and go to the Warming Hut.
Besides boots they sell and rent a variety of summer/​winter hiking & camping equipment and are a wealth of information about RMNP.

We’ve made two visits to the Warming House. Our first stop was last August (2010). John was very helpful in finding the right hiking boots for my husband. He also talked to us about hikes and went over locations on maps with us. We never felt rushed and enjoyed visiting with Reesta (I probably spelled it wrong) — their Australian Shepherd.
Our second visit was just the other day and it was my turn for new boots. Once again, John was great help. And Mate (our Aussie) got to meet Reesta too.
All of the staff is very friendly and helpful.
Of course they have all kinds of goodies for us outdoor junkies, not just boots. If you are in the area and need gear, this IS the place to go!