Most people find that playing pickleball in winds over 10-12mph is problematic, as the ball is light enough the wind impacts its flight.  In Estes, it is not uncommon for the winds to increase mid-to-late morning.  The winds decrease later in the afternoon.  However, it is not uncommon for winds to hamper play during late morning and early afternoon hours.

Click on the “Weather” link (top of this page) to see the current weather conditions at the Estes Park Museum, which is located adjacent to the eight outdoor courts at Stanley Park.  To see the weather conditions at the YMCA of the Rockies, click here

Players are free to use whatever balls they want when playing pickleball.  Many players in the area use a bright yellow ball for outdoor play (i.e. Franklin X-40) and an orange ball for indoor play at the Rec Center (i.e. Onix).

The outdoor courts at Stanley Park are free to the public.

The indoor courts at the Rec Center require admission to the facility.  Click here for details.

The courts at the YMCA of the Rockies require at least one player be a member of the YMCA. 

Yes, the nets are designed to handle any weather and you are free to play whenever you wish.  Estes Valley Recreation and Park District (EVRPD), who maintains the courts, asks that you never use anything that might damage the court surface if cleaning a court prior to play (no hard brooms, no snow shovels, etc.)

Open play at Stanley Park is from 8:30am until 11am daily

The concept behind open play is everyone can play with everyone else.  If the courts are not full, just talk with others and find a foursome to play.  If the courts are full, or there are no other players waiting to play, simply put your paddle in the “paddle rack” for the court where you would like to play.  You can then play on that court after the current game finishes.

Note - if the courts are full during "open play" hours then singles pickleball is not allowed.

The paddle rack allows you to place your paddle on the fence outside a given court.  It is an indication that you would like to play on that court once the current game finishes.  Multiple players can place their paddle in a given paddle rack.  When the current game finishes:

• 1 paddle in the rack – one of the losing team members must exit (one new person enters)
• 2 paddles in the rack – the losing team must exit (two new people enter)
• 3 paddles in the rack – the losing team and one member of the winning team must exit (three new people enter)
• 4 paddles in the rack – all current players exit the court and four new players enter

YMCA rules require that at least one member of the foursome playing on a pickleball court be a member of the YMCA (or a guest staying at the YMCA of the Rockies).

There are only two indoor pickleball courts at the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District’s (EVRPD) Recreation Center (600 Community Drive, Estes).  This is simply not enough courts for all the players in the area.  As a result, the pickleball community is self-divided into three distinct blocks (beginner, intermediate, advanced).  You are allowed to determine which block fits you the best.  Each block of players has times that are dedicated to that group of players, helping to ensure you have an opportunity to play.  The play times for each group can be found on the Rec Center’s website, click here.  

Even with the division of pickleball players into three groups, courts are often congested at the Rec Center.  In an effort to speed up play (shorter games, more people rotating in regularly), “Estes Rally Scoring” says that every rally scores a point – whether you are serving or receiving.  You play to 11 or 15 with each rally resulting in a point for one team or the other.  Other than counting a point for every rally, all other pickleball rules (e.g. both players on a team get to serve) are the same.

The Estes Valley Park and Recreation Center (EVRPD) offers various clinics for individuals wishing to learn how to play the sport.  For information on these clinics, click here and look for Pickleball in Adult Sports.

Three suggestions for your consideration

• Show up at the courts and talk with players.  It's a small community, any of us should be able to give you information on finding other players
• The local community hosts a social event monthly.  Check the "Events" page for information on those events.  Everyone is welcome, show up to one of these events and engage with others.

• Several individuals use the TeamReach app to communicate with other players.  If interested, send us an email for the local group name and password.