The Town of Estes Park — known as the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park — contracted EHI to design and plan a complete wayfinding system for its downtown. The challenge was balance: enough signage to create clear, legible routes to the town’s amenities, businesses, and assets, without overwhelming the streetscape that makes Estes Park worth visiting in the first place.

EHI built on what came before, reviewing and incorporating the Town’s previous efforts including the 2018 Downtown Plan, the 2019 Preliminary Downtown Wayfinding Plan, and the 2021 Parking Pilot Project. From that foundation, the team conducted two rounds of public engagement; public meetings, online surveys, and input gathering at local events, and synthesized community feedback into final design options presented to the Town’s Transportation Advisory Board and Town Board.

The final design family includes pedestrian directional signage, pedestrian kiosks, destination signage, and auto directional signage — a cohesive system that incorporates the Town’s brand colors and materials like locally sourced sandstone and wood features, designed to feel at home at the doorstep of Rocky Mountain National Park. The complete plan delivers sign designs, final location plans, messaging, a construction and bid package, and phased implementation plans.

The results earned first place in the Best Outside Design/Shop Fabrication, Non-Illuminated category for 2023 from Signs of the Times — recognition that the system works as well as it looks.

Great wayfinding disappears into the experience: visitors simply find what they’re looking for, and the town gets the credit. That’s the system EHI designed for Estes Park — award-winning signage that serves millions of visitors while honoring the place itself.