Sprague Lake Elopement Guide & Packages 2025
Sprague Lake sunset ceremony with stunning glacial peaks.
Published 12/16/20. Updated 1/25/25.
Everything You Need To Know For 2025 - And Packages Too!
A Stunning Alpine Lake In Rocky Mountain National Park
All photos by partner company Colorado Photographer Squad
At 8,000 feet elevation, Sprague Lake is the quintessential alpine experience - a beautiful pristine lake with a rugged mountain peak backdrop, plus so much wildlife - ducks, geese, deer and every once in a blue moon if you're lucky... a big 'ole moose.
Walk the flat trail to get to the dock or lakeside for your ceremony, then continue on the trail to play in the forest and on the rocks. There's even a small aspen stand for stunning photos next to the lake if you want to have fall colors.
I’m Lisa Hunter - wedding officiant, elopement expert and mountain girl at heart - and my team has been taking couples to elope at Sprague Lake for more than a decade now. We love guiding these gorgeous and heartfelt mini adventures, and if you want to know all about Sprague Lake, you’ll find every detail below!
With Love,
Officiant Lisa
Table Of Contents
Best time to elope at Sprague Lake
Laws, Rules, Permits & Fees
All the details about the location itself
Spotlight: Our March ‘25 trail notes from Sprague
A Sprague Lake elopement photo story
Local tips and tricks for Sprague Lake
Our Sprague Lake elopement packages
Sprague Lake Elopement Guide & Packages For 2025: Everything You Need To Know
Let’s Start With The Best Time To Elope At Sprague Lake
Best Time Of Day
As always, the two hours after sunrise and the two hours before sunset are the golden hour for photos with light that is the most soft, dreamy and romantic. The two hours before sunset is our default best time. At sunset, most visitors are headed out of the park to get dinner, so that’s handy too. If you want the added perk of very few people around, and you’re fine with getting up several hours before sunrise, you can go for sunrise lighting!
Best Time Of Year
I recommend mid-June through mid-October as the best time to elope at Sprague simply because that is when the weather is most stable with warm temperatures and really nothing to consider but afternoon thunderstorms that move quickly through. Come late October and all the way through early June, the weather can be quite variable with anything from sunny and warm to rain to snowstorms and everything in between.
At the same time, it’s no surprise that the above time frame is also the busiest in the park! So if you highly value the chance of feeling like you have the place all to yourself, then consider an off-season date.
Also, here are the perks and challenges that each specific season brings at Sprague…
Spring
Typically March through end of May to mid-June. There may still be snow on the ground, especially in earlier spring. If the snow has melted, some lush greens will be starting to kick in. Temperatures are wildly variable at this time, so be prepared for anything from warm to crazy cold. You may also see baby ducklings this time of year!
Summer
Typically Mid-June through mid to end of August. In early summer, the peaks are still snow-covered while the snow has usually melted out at Sprague itself. A nice combo with lush greens since there’s so much water in play. By late summer, the peaks are in all their rocky glory because they’ve melted out.
Fall
Typically early September through mid November. Sprague is surrounded mostly by evergreen trees, but there is a little stand of aspens just off the trail in one spot which gives the opportunity for beautiful fall color shots. There are also some low foliage and bushes that turn colors around the lake too.
Winter
Typically mid November through end of February. Sprague Lake is at 8688 feet elevation so it’s highly likely in the winter months that there will be at least a dusting of snow on the ground if not a ton of it. Because of the high elevation you also want to prepare for cold temps. If the sun is out, it can provide much warmth, but still the air itself will be cold.
Laws, Rules, Permits & Fees For Sprague Lake
Legal and Permit Requirements For Sprague Lake & Rocky Mountain National Park
RMNP Wedding Permit: You need this permit to have a wedding ceremony in the park. I am an official RMNP vendor, so I’m able to get and issue your permit for you, plus it’s $300 when you apply yourself, but is included in your elopement package with us for a much lower fee. You can apply for an RMNP permit here or I’ll do it for you!
RMNP Photography Permit: Make sure you work with a photographer who has an RMNP photography permit. For my packages, all of the photographers from the photography company I’m partnered with already have their permits in place.
RMNP Timed Entry Permit: You need this permit to get through the entrance station. RMNP has timed entry to assure that a steady flow of visitors enters the park throughout the day, rather than a big glob all at once. This minimizes lines at the entrance station. You can learn all about timed entry here, or if you work with my team, we have a wonderful step-by-step document with all the tips to ensure you acquire your timed entry permit in a timely fashion because it can be a little bit like trying to get popular rock concert tickets ;)
RMNP Entrance Fees: You’ll pay a small amount to get your Timed Entry Permit, plus know that you’ll still also need to pay the entrance fee itself at the entrance station. A one-day pass for each vehicle is $30 and a 7-day pass for each vehicle is $35. We always have our couples do a practice drive the day before their elopement, so we recommend getting the 7-day pass when you do your practice drive, then use that same pass on your elopement day.
Marriage License: If you want to sign your license with an officiant or self-solemnize on your day, you’ll need to obtain and bring your Colorado marriage license. You can read highly detailed Colorado marriage license guide here, plus download a PDF with the step-by-step to get and sign your license.
All The Deets About The Location Itself
Sprague Lake just married kiss.
All The Deets
Availability: Sprague Lake is accessible year-round.
Group Size: The park allows a group of up to 15 at this spot. We do packages with just the two of you, or bring up to 10 guests with you. After years of elopements at Sprague, we find these are perfect size elopements for Sprague.
The Drive: A 15-minute to hour-long drive from downtown Estes Park to the park entrance, depending on traffic, then another 20 minutes to an hour to Sprague depending on traffic.
The Walk: It’s a 15-minute walk on a wide dirt trail that is graded so it’s flat. You’ll want hiking shoes or sneakers for this, then you can switch to fancy wedding shoes at the site. Plus remember, even though the walk is flat, it's at 8,000 feet elevation, so limit invites to those who will do fine at that elevation.
The Ceremony Spot: The obvious spot is the dock which most love, but every once in a while a couple doesn’t like the look of the dock in which case we do the ceremony on a tiny little beach next to the lake or even next to a forested area.
Nature & Trails
The path takes you around the entire lake edge as you pass pine, fir and aspen forests.
Plus, there is so much wildlife! You will almost certainly see elk on the drive up to Sprague Lake, then at the lake itself there are all kinds of sweet critters like you see in the pics below.
Lately it’s not uncommon to see moose too - particularly in spring, summer and fall. Last year a moose decided to take a swim during a ceremony, and we all watched with our mouths open as this ginormous animal submersed itself with just its antlers above water as it moved about the lake. I’ve also had baby ducklings or tiny chipmunks decide to scamper by our feet right in the middle of ceremonies!
March 2025 Spotlight: Lizzy & Phillip’s Sunset Adventure
Pro Tip: Get some sweet elopement bride sneakers like Lizzy has for those granite rock moments.
Our Latest Trail Notes From Sprague Lake
It’s winter and it’s cold, and as I’m updating posts, all I want to do is look at galleries from our warm, sunny elopements last summer! This beautiful moment is Lizzy & Phillip at one of my favorite off-the-beaten-path spots at Sprague. I love that we get the lake in the photo, while also at the same time such an amazing shot of Hallet Peak - one of Rocky Mountain National Park’s most prominent peaks - and the mini glacier next to it.
Lizzy and Phillip brought a small group of loved ones with them, and had the ceremony on the dock. As they made their way around the lake for after-ceremony photos, they had not only an elk sighting, but tons of photos with a ginormous moose in the lake behind them. I’m saving those amazing shots for another post, so stay tuned ;)
I created a ceremony for them that included a Letter Box because they wanted to create a tradition with love letters. After sharing vows, they placed hand-written love letters into a special wooden box, then we sealed the box. Now on every anniversary, they’ll go back to the box, unseal it, read the love letters and place new letters in the box for the next year. Beautiful!
Did You Know?
Sunset lighting is big in the world of elopements, and the two hours before sunset is always the most soft, dreamy and romantic for lighting - that’s what you’re seeing here in this photo of Lizzy and Phillip. We always do our elopements on a timeline so that your ceremony and photos afterward are all happening in the light of the setting sun.
More Sprague Lake Photo Stories:
Sunset Ceremony At The Dock
Walking the trail that circles the entire lake.
Deer!
Ducklings!
Lakeside kiss just after the ceremony.
Sprague Lake forest ceremony spot.
Playing on the lake edge.
The ginormous majestic Ponderosa Pine which must be hundreds of years old.
More Beautiful Photo Spots After The Ceremony
In addition to the photos above, there are even more spots for epic shots.
You can walk around the lake, stop on the many wooden bridges, stand under a huge and ancient Ponderosa Pine, run through a meadow next to a stand of aspens, and that’s just to name a few…
I saved the dock for last because we’ve noticed that some couples love the dock and some don’t like the look of it at all, so just know that you don’t have to have the dock in any of your photos if you don’t want it lol :)
Or if you love it, then you can have your ceremony there. Because the lake is surrounded by forest, it’s often so calm that it’s like glass, and the clouds and trees reflect a mirror image of themselves onto the lake as you stand on the dock. Pretty magical. It’s also a great place to sign your license.
Local Tips & Tricks For A Sprague Lake Elopement
Parking Trick
Sprague Lake has a pretty big parking lot, but on busy days it can fill up as early as 8:00 or 9:00 am, and if that happens, you have to take a shuttle to the lake. Lol, can you imagine having to take a shuttle on your wedding day?
Luckily, the park wedding permit allows three cars to park at the lake, so even if they’ve got it blocked off as full, they should let you in. Keep this in mind if you have guests plus wedding vendors. You’ll have the smoothest arrival experience if you have three cars max.
Cell Service Tip
It’s good to know that once you drive about 5 minutes into the park from the Beaver Meadows entrance, you may lose cell signal, then it’s another 20 minutes to Sprague where there is mostly no cell service.
A nice benefit is that you won’t have your cell phone to distract you from all the fab nature, but make sure that you take care of all your communications with officiant, photographer and guests before you enter the park, plus make sure that everyone has great driving directions because if they get lost they won’t be able to call you.
2025 Update: We noticed that cell service was much less spotty in 2024, depending on your carrier, but still plan on doing all your communications before your enter the park just to be safe ;)
Park Wedding Permit Tip
Due to high volumes of visitors to the park each year, the park allows a limited number of wedding permits each year, and only so many weddings can happen at each spot on any given day.
So you want to apply for your park permit sooner than later. Honestly, they seem to go faster every season. This year in 2025, permits for the popular months of May through October were gone by mid February. A permit costs $300 if you apply for it yourself, or I can secure your permit for you because I’m a vendor with the park. Plus the permit is included in your package with me for much cheaper than $300 which is a nice bonus for you :)
Photos by partner company Colorado Photographer Squad
To see other elopements at this location: Jess & Zach, Megan & Terin
Meet the officiants and photographers who I’m partnered with Here
Sprague Lake Elopement Packages
You can read all about our Colorado Elopement Packages at this link here where you’ll find detailed information about how we support you every step of the way in the months and weeks before your elopement, plus guide you for the smoothest, easiest and most beautiful experience on the day-of.
Our Sprague Lake packages not only include all of our typical elopement package services, they also include all our local intel for lodging and dining in Estes Park, plus step-by-step how-to’s for worry-free entry into Rocky Mountain National Park and your RMNP wedding permit is included since I’m a vendor with the park. Or, if you’ve already got your RMNP wedding permit, that works as well!
Let’s make it happen!
Hey it’s Lisa :) I’m an officiant, elopement expert and mountain girl at heart. I can’t wait to tell you all about these sweet mini adventures and how it all works.
Reach out using this handy form and I’ll send practical and inspiring info to make your elopement day real, see if we’re a fit and hop on a call to lay out your dream day and package quote. Can’t wait to get to know you!
