Estes Park is a town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. A popular summer resort and the location of the headquarters for Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park lies along the Big Thompson River. Estes Park had a population of 5,413 at the 2000 census, and an estimated population of 6,006 in 2006. The town is named after Missouri native Joel Estes, who founded Estes Park in 1859. The town's outskirts include The Stanley Hotel. Once a fine example of Edwardian opulence, the 1909 building had Stephen King as a guest, inspiring him to change the locale for his novel The Shining from an amusement park to the Stanley's fictional stand-in, the Overlook Hotel. Estes Park was also the site of the organization of the Credit Union National Association, an important milestone in the history of American credit unions. Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous highway in the United States, runs from Estes Park westward through Rocky Mountain National Park, reaching Grand Lake over the continental divide. The town suffered severe damage in July 1982 from flooding caused by the failure of Lawn Lake Dam.