Gluten Free Eats Near Rocky Mountain National Park (Estes, Colorado)

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that my boyfriend and I took a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park (around Estes, Colorado) last month. I'd never visited a national park before, and the nature blew me away...but so did the food! So I wanted to share some of my favorite gluten free eats and gluten free restaurant options at Rocky Mountain National Forest.

I brought a decent amount of food with me in a Yeti cooler and we bought some food from the local Safeway for plainer eats. (And if you don't feel safe eating at non-gluten-free-only restaurants, that Safeway is an awesome way to buy foods that you cook in your own room or cabin). But here are three restaurants/eateries I felt safe eating at and enjoyed!

And now that I've been living in Colorado for over six months now, I have lots more travel planned - in and out of the state! So stay tuned for even more gluten free restaurant reviews and gluten free eats in Colorado and beyond. :)  

Gluten Free Eats at Rocky Mountain National Park, Place #1: The Sugar Shack 

At downtown Estes, Colorado, I found that there were TONS of fudge and ice cream shops. But at the last one we checked out, I majorly scored with dairy free (and gluten free) ice cream, plus FUDGE!

Sugar Shack sells ice cream / sorbet, fudge, candy, popcorn and more and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that almost all their fudge is gluten free! It is made in a shared space with the non-gluten-free flavors, but I felt comfortable eating it and didn't get sick. (As always trust your gut and go with your own comfort levels. My boyfriend and I sampled several, but we ended up going with the M&Ms flavor: sweet, chocolatey and not overly rich. Honestly I could’ve eaten the whole block in one sitting. 

I also got some orange sorbet that was super creamy and flavorful. Compared to the other ice cream shops we stopped by, Sugar Shack clearly labeled which flavors of ice cream were gluten free - plus they had several dairy free options. I will definitely be dreaming of the Sugar Shack - especially that fudge!

Gluten Free Eats at Rocky Mountain National Park, Place #2: Boss Burgers and Gyros

There were several burger joints in Estes Park, but we decided to hit Boss Burgers and Gyros. It was a small, local joint, but I saw that they had Udi's gluten free buns on the menu and had good reviews on Find Me Gluten Free. I told the cashier that I needed it to be gluten free and that I had celiac disease, and they were careful about preparing my order: a BBQ Chicken burger. 

Overall, the bun was fluffy (and held together surprisingly well), the chicken was juicy and my boyfriend loved the gyro he ordered. The BBQ was a bit too sweet for me, but otherwise, 10/10! I did not order fries, so I don't know if they have a dedicated fryer - but if you're interested in eating here and want fries, be sure to ask!

Gluten Free Eats at Rocky Mountain National Park, Place #3: Ed's Cantina

This was our least favorite gluten free restaurant stop of the trip, but it was still pretty tasty. I loved that Ed's Cantina had gluten free options clearly indicated on the menu, and they had a variety of choices. I went with the vegetable enchiladas (which were also vegan) and ate around the corn tortillas since I can’t eat corn. 

The sauces were super flavorful, though the plate was a little small and not totally worth the price. My boyfriend loved the nachos and queso dip (one of the best he's ever tried - and he's a nacho connaisseur, lol) but his buffalo enchiladas were only OK. But if you LOVE Mexican food, this may be your fave joint in Estes, Colorado.

Gluten Free Eats at Rocky Mountain National Park - and the Bottom Line of Traveling with Celiac Disease

Since my celiac diagnosis, I’ve gotten a lot more chill about traveling. I still do some research beforehand and bring back-up food but I go with the flow more, and this trip was a prime example of that strategy working well! 

If you want even more in-depth tips about traveling with celiac disease, check out some of my previous posts here and here.

And let me know in the comments - what bite from this trip would you want first??