"Rocky Mountain National Park" Top 5 Page for this destination Rocky Mountain National Park by goingsolo

Rocky Mountain National Park Travel Guide: 269 reviews and 630 photos

Rocky Mountain National Park - Rocky Mountain National Park

High Altitude Highs

This is my favorite national park to date. The combination of high mountain peaks, pristine lakes and clear blue sky make it unbeatable in my estimation. 415 square miles of nirvana with enough hiking, climbing and wildlife watching to keep Rocky's 3 million annnual visitors in awe.

There are more than 110 peaks which soar above 10,000 feet. Some of these snowcapped towering magesties such as Long's Peak, are well known and their summits are coveted by amateur climbers and peak baggers. Others remain nameless features of Rocky's vast wilderness.

Rocky Mountain National Park

There are about 150 known lakes within the park boundaries, some accessible along Rocky's nearly 100 square miles of trail and other hidden in distant wilderness archives, perched high above the tundra in areas that remain frozen year round. Streams also cascade from high wilderness regions, forming waterfalls at lower elevation.

In the summer, while snow is still possible at the higher elevations, wildflowers bloom in lower altitiude meadows teeming with deer and elk. In the fall, elk mating season begins, and the bugling can be heard in nearby Estes Park.

And there's the High Road. Trail Ridge Road, the highest contiguous road in North America. Trail Ridge runs 48 miles from the tourist town of Estes Park to Grand Lake on the western boundary. Huge snowbanks flank the road during the few summer months it is open for travel. Like most of the park, the road is above treeline and offers stunning views along every hairpin turn.

I first visited the park in late spring. With summer just around the corner, elk roamed the wide open fields and tourists sped along Trail Ridge Road and hiked an masse along trails. Visit number 2 in January was a marked contrast to the nearly summer visit. Although the temperatures were unseasonably warm, the fields were snow covered and the elk nowhere to be found. Few people visited, and those who did brought snowshoes, now a necessity on any trail.

Rocky Mountain National Park

I think this quote by John Fayhee, backpacker and author of several books about Colorado's high country, pretty much sums it up:

"There's always a yin-yang cosmic mountain formula at play in the Rockies. When a storm clears, the alpine wilderness is at its most gorgeous, and it only achieves that degree and kind of gorgeousness after a storm. There is no other way you can interface with the sensory best that the High Country has to offer without dealing head on with Mother Nature at her most intense. Thing is, Mother Nature at her most intense is worth the visit in and of itself.
In a place like the Colorado high country, you can do more than just watch and appreciate the beauty and power of a passing storm from a distance: you can also sit inside a storm as it moves by. You can reach out and touch the inner workings of the machine that produces lightning, thunder rain and snow. "

John Fayee,
Along Colorado's Continental Divide Trail.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Incredible scenery and wildlife
Cons:Can't think of any
In a nutshell:You have to experience it

Last visit to Rocky Mountain National Park: Jan 2005
Intro Updated Jan 24, 2005
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Reviews (46)

Snow at any time Warnings and Dangers (3)

I've heard this many times, but never experienced it, and certainly not at a relatively low elevation. Flurries came... more travel advice

Rocky Mountain National Park logistics Favorites (10)

Rocky Mountain National Park is located 65 miles northwest of Denver and about 35 miles from Boulder. To get to the... more travel advice

High Alpine Meadows Off The Beaten Path (9)

The mountains are the big scenic draw in this park, but equally popular are the sprawling alpine meadows, teeming with... more travel advice

Old Fall River Road Transportation (4)

Old Fall River Road, not shown in the photo, was the original road across the mountains. Today, a gravel road leads from... more travel advice

Hotels (3)
See All Long's Peak Campround
What to Pack (1)
Be prepared for anything, including snow...
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Comments (15)

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ferdnbean Nov 9, 2008 at 3:18 PM

U R the best, my friend!
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blue_sky04 Oct 15, 2007 at 6:27 PM

Nice page! your photos on the intro page are great.
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dongix Aug 3, 2006 at 1:21 AM

Very nice pictures. You must be a pro. And helpful tips too. Thanks!:) We will be in RMNP this September. I;m excited
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GuthrieColin Jul 23, 2006 at 11:08 AM

This place looks pretty awesome. I'll have to put it on my list of places to go if I ever find myself in Colorado
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lou31 May 21, 2006 at 5:55 PM

Great tips and the pics were excellent! Enjoyed my little trip around your pages. Thanks.....
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scottishvisitor Mar 22, 2006 at 12:29 PM

You describe a lot of places as crowded = with this amazing scenery all around I'm not surprised. Good page I enjoyed my virtual tour - thanks
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btex Jan 28, 2006 at 9:04 AM

nice pics. looks like a hiking paradise. makes me want to head up there.
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wcph Aug 27, 2005 at 4:24 PM

Great page and photos.
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mrclay2000 Jun 15, 2005 at 7:17 AM

Trail Ridge Road is not one I'd like to drive in winter. . .on the other hand I couldn't imagine this park without the September aspen in bloom.
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keida84 Jan 23, 2005 at 4:38 PM

Your photography is excellent. I am just beginning to build pages. I like how you put the NPS link in. Kathleen