November in Rocky Mountain National Park is a shoulder month: highs around 46°F, lows around 22°F. Crowds: quiet — #7 busiest of the park's 12 months. Wind and first big snows; quiet trails. The editorial best window here is June & September. You get about 9h 56m of daylight. To finish Sky Pond via Glacier Gorge (4h 10m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 12:35 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Shoulder Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 46° high / 22° low |
| Crowds | quiet · #7 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What November is like | Wind and first big snows; quiet trails |
| Best window (whole year) | June & September |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | Jun–Aug |
CROWDS: RELATIVE SEASONALITY FROM NPS VISITATION STATISTICS · TEMPS: APPROXIMATE NOAA NORMALS AT MAIN VISITOR ELEVATION — HIGH COUNTRY RUNS 10–20°F COLDER
DAYLIGHT ON NOVEMBER 15 · LOCAL PARK TIME (MST)COMPUTED FROM THE PARK'S OWN COORDINATES FOR THE 15TH — THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH STANDS FOR IT, AS IT DOES FOR CLIMATE NORMALS. WITHIN A MONTH THESE TIMES SHIFT BY UP TO AN HOUR
LEAVE THE TRAILHEAD BY — TO FINISH BEFORE DARK ON NOVEMBER 15WALKING TIMES ESTIMATED FROM EACH TRAIL'S MEASURED DISTANCE AND ELEVATION GAIN — A PLANNING FIGURE, NOT A PACE. ADD YOUR OWN MARGIN FOR PHOTOS, REST AND CROWDS. WATER AT THE COOL-WEATHER RATE, BECAUSE THIS MONTH AVERAGES 46°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT NOVEMBER ASKS OF YOU HERERocky Mountain National Park in December — Shoulder, highs around 39°F, crowds: quiet (snowshoeing; holiday crowds stay in estes park).
Our verdict for November is "Shoulder". Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. Expect highs around 46°F and lows around 22°F, with crowds at the "quiet" level. Temperatures are approximate NOAA normals at the main visitor elevation; crowd levels follow published NPS visitation statistics.
Across the full 12-month review, the best window is June & September, and the peak-crowd months are Jun–Aug. November itself we rate "Shoulder".
About 9h 56m on November 15: the sun rises around 6:49 AM and sets around 4:45 PM local park time (MST). Computed from the park's own coordinates, so it is the light you actually get at the trailhead, not the nearest city's.
Sky Pond via Glacier Gorge takes about 4h 10m of walking, so on November 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 12:35 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 4:45 PM local park time (MST). Walking times are estimated from each trail's measured distance and elevation gain, so treat them as a planning figure and add your own margin for photos, rest and crowds.
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