I'm not surprised at all. July is their busiest time of year. Two pieces of information to consider. On the west side of the Park, about five miles into the park, there is a road on the left that goes OUT of the Park and into Arapahoe National Forest. It ends (1/2 mile) at the trailhead for Bowen Gulch (Trail 117). One POSSIBILITY, is to park there and hike in a little bit. There are a couple of other roads around there that do the same sort of thing.
You could spend the next day fighting the traffic in the Park. At the end of the day, drive south from Estes Park to Allenspark (Route 7). There are a couple of dirt roads to the southwest that lead to trailheads in the Roosevelt National Forest where you can do the same thing. Don't be surprised if there are other people doing the same thing you are. If they are from Colorado, they will probably offer you a toke. FYI, it's considered an insult to refuse -- Western hospitality, you know.
The following day you could visit Wild Basin -- close by.
Finally, memorize this map:
http://www.subclub.org/coloradomap.JPG
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