alt image

Colorado

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

ESTABLISHED 1915


The best of the Rockies is on display as you cross the Continental Divide on the highest continuously paved road in North America: lakes and forests, glaciers and tundra, and a wealth of wildlife lie before you.

Stretching from the Canadian border into northern New Mexico, the Rocky Mountains form one of the country’s most dramatic landscapes. At the national park, you’re surrounded by the best of their scenic wonders. More than 60 peaks soar over 12,000 ft (3,658 m)—nowhere else will you find such a magnificent concentration of towering summits in such a compact area. The region’s glacier-carved past is showcased throughout: rugged faces of granite cliffs, deep emerald-green valleys, sparkling alpine lakes, and rocky moraines.

To see all this and more, drive the high-winding Trail Ridge Road, which follows a path used by American Indians for centuries. Thrilling milestones along the way include crossing the Continental Divide and catching a glimpse of the Colorado River. This mighty river begins in the park as a shallow stream, steadily gathering force as it thunders south to carve out the Grand Canyon.

Nature at the top

Rocky Mountain is the highest national park in the country, with one-third of its land above the tree line. At the Alpine Visitor Center, pick up a trail that leads you across stark, sweeping tundra. This fragile terrain, dotted with weather-hardy mosses and tiny alpine flowers, is the only such ecosystem below the Arctic Circle. Walking through it, you feel like you’re on top of the world.

The park has several entrance points, but Trail Ridge Road (US Highway 34) is the only road that will take you across the entire park. Covering 48 miles (77 km) from the historic pioneer town of Estes Park in the east to Grand Lake in the west, it’s an exhilarating drive that climbs sharply up the switchbacks and around hairpin curves. There are pull-offs all along the way, perfect places to drink in the spectacular views and capture timeless photographs of valleys ringed by snowcapped peaks.

Among the best stops is Many Parks Curve, situated on the edge of a hairpin turn. From the bowed wooden boardwalk, gaze onto a 180-degree view of key eastern sections of the park, such as Mummy Range, Beaver Meadows, and Moraine Park. At Forest Canyon Overlook, peer into a 2,000-ft (600-m) chasm that was carved by a glacier and is one of the wildest places in the park. On the greener, western side, Farview Curve looks out on magnificent vistas of the Colorado River and the aspen-filled Kawuneeche Valley, which glows in radiant color in fall.

alt image

From the highest paved road in the US, Trail Ridge Road, the views are showstoppers

BEST FOR

Accessible Adventures

The park has trails for nearly every ability. The 1-mile (1.6-km) Coyote Valley follows the Colorado River and features moose-spotting. The half-mile (1-km) Sprague Lake Trail has a backdrop of mountain peaks, a fishing pier, and a picnic area. Lily Lake Trail loops 1 mile (1.6 km) around the lake, with a fishing pier and grand views of Longs Peak.

Trail Ridge hiking

No matter where you stop, the bracing, pine-scented air and high-altitude sunshine make it hard to get back in the car. The park has numerous hiking trails, from easy half-day hikes to challenging backcountry treks that take you to hidden sapphire lakes and plunging waterfalls, or deep into rugged canyons and verdant valleys. If you just want to stretch your legs and explore the scenery, several trailheads lie along Trail Ridge Road. The popular Rock Cut Overlook is the starting point for the half-mile (1-km) Tundra Communities Trail, which has interpretive signs highlighting the plant life of this delicate alpine landscape.

South of Trail Ridge Road, Bear Lake Road winds through one of the most stunning regions of the park. Rocky ridges, called moraines, were deposited here by moving glaciers. Dozens of glacier-carved lakes dot the southern half of the land, their icy-blue waters sparkling in the sun. Many can only be reached along hiking trails, but Bear Lake is easily accessible. Glistening beneath the towering Hallett Peak, its lovely wooded shoreline is a natural viewing platform for several other park giants, including Longs Peak, at 14,259 ft (4,346 m) the highest in the park.

In Wild Basin, tucked in the southeast corner, are more lakes, winding creeks, and waterfalls. On the Wild Basin Trail, you’ll pass several waterfalls and cascades in less than 2 miles (3 km) while hiking through pristine mountains and forests. The area is off the main roads, so crowds are sparse—perfect for a Rocky Mountain adventure.

alt image

Sunrise and sunset are the best times to see wildlife, and the park will be peaceful.

alt image

Spring clouds gather over a narrow section of the popular Trail Ridge Road

Three Hikes

alt image

Popular ▷ Bear Lake Loop Trail, half mile (1 km) round trip. Walk along the shoreline of a pretty glacial lake on this easy hike. Relax on a bench and enjoy fabulous views of the surrounding summits.

Peaceful Bridal Veil Falls Trail, 6.4 miles (10 km) round trip. This moderately difficult trail passes a trickling stream, meanders through a serene wooded valley and aspen forest, and ends at a lovely waterfall.

alt image

Solitary ▷ Long Lake Trail, 12.4 miles (20 km) round trip. This strenuous hike offers sublime wilderness solitude as it follows the Roaring River and climbs to a big subalpine lake in the Mummy Range.

alt image

Trails in the park vary in level of difficulty, with plenty of boardwalks for easy hikes

Wildlife watching

As magnificent as the scenery is in Rocky Mountain National Park, the most thrilling thing about a visit here is the chance to see wildlife—big wildlife—in its natural home. You may not see elusive creatures like the black bear or cougar unless you venture into remote areas, but other large mammals are commonly spotted.

Elk are among the park’s most famous residents. During the summer, large herds graze on the alpine tundra along Trail Ridge Road, particularly near the Rock Cut Overlook. In this open country, the up-close sight of a bull elk, its enormous antlers raised against the bright blue sky like a majestic crown, is unforgettable.

In the fall, the elk move to the lower meadows for the breeding season. Then, the park resounds with their bizarre mating calls, known as “bugling,” which sound like high-pitched shrieks. You’re most likely to hear the calls in the early morning or evening. Moraine Park is one of the best places to observe the rutting ritual.

Although they are lone creatures, moose are often seen in the park, especially at lower elevations, where there are wetlands, willows, and lush vegetation around lakes and rivers. Good viewing spots are Lily Lake and Kawuneeche Valley.

It can be tricky to see Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, the largest wild sheep on the continent, as they blend so perfectly into the rock ridges where they live. But in late spring and summer, they come down from the Mummy Range to graze at Sheep Lakes in Horseshoe Park. If you’re lucky, you’ll hit the “Bighorn Crossing Zone” at the same time they do.

Throughout the park, you’ll see lots of birds, raptors, and small mammals, such as hamsterlike picas. Forest Canyon Overlook is full of pudgy yellow-bellied marmots, who whistle, trill, and chuck when alarmed.

Human history

Rocky Mountain National Park has had human residents, too, and some 150 historic structures are still standing. One of the easiest to visit is the Holzwarth Historic Site, where German immigrant John Holzwarth and his family homesteaded in the early 1900s and later built a popular dude ranch. During the summer months, you can take a tour of the rustic log cabins and buildings.

Farther north in the Kawuneeche Valley, follow the Colorado River Trail to the site of Lulu City. It sprang up after silver was discovered here in 1879, but mining costs were high, the ore quality was low, and within five years the town was abandoned. The remaining ruins are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Through the Seasons

Spring Spot moose, elk, and other animals with their newborn young feeding in the lower valleys in the spring. Bighorn sheep and mule deer migrate to green grasslands.

alt image

Summer ▷ The park’s meadows and valleys are bursting with colorful wildflowers in the summer months. Look for mountain iris, red and yellow Indian paintbrush, and Colorado blue columbine, the state flower.

Fall Glorious fall colors paint the landscape, as the leaves of the aspen trees turn bright yellow. Listen for the strange, high-pitched mating calls of bull elks echoing through the park.

alt image

Winter ▷ Activities such as snowshoeing, sledding, and cross-country skiing reveal sparkling new views of the park’s landscape. The seasonal lack of vegetation makes it easier to see coyotes, moose, and other big mammals.

dk

This big bull elk is at the peak of his powers in fall rutting season; in winter, he’ll shed his antlers

PARK PIONEERS

Imogene Green MacPherson

Imogene Green MacPherson began homesteading in the Moraine Park area in 1903. In a few years, she built a main lodge, dining room, stables, and cabins, later opening the Moraine Park Lodge in 1910. After she married, she continued to run the resort and other area businesses herself. In 1931, three years after her death, the National Park Service purchased the property. The historic log-and-stone lodge remains and now houses the Moraine Park Discovery Center.

FOCUS ON

The Continental Divide

The Rocky Mountains straddle the Continental Divide, a geologic watershed that runs from the Bering Strait in Alaska down to the tip of South America. It creates a fascinating phenomenon: rivers and streams on the eastern slopes run toward the Atlantic Ocean; on the western slopes, they run to the Pacific. This creates a vortex at the equator.

alt image

Surrounded by mountain scenery, Estes Park has long been seen as the gateway to the park

..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset
52.54.111.228