"The Roof of the World (North American version)" Top 5 Page for this destination Rocky Mountain National Park by mrclay2000

Rocky Mountain National Park Travel Guide: 268 reviews and 627 photos

entrance sign near Estes Park - Rocky Mountain National Park

Great beauty, diverty and wildlife await you

Among all national parks, Rocky enjoys the highest elevation in the park system, and of those parks within the lower 48 states, ranks to my mind second only to Glacier NP in Montana for scenic beauty and diversity. At its lowest point it is 8,000 feet above sea level. Dozens of peaks rise over 12,000 feet, and Longs Peak, the crown jewel of the summits in the park, boasts 14,255 feet and dominates the park's eastern landscapes.

The park is a theater of great contrasts. Coming from either the west or east entrance you enter quickly into a forest, which characterizes the zones from 8,000 to 11,000 feet. After thirty minutes or so from your start you will enter the roof of the park at the top of Trail Ridge Road, which itself is over 12,000 feet at its highest point, the highest continuously paved road in North America. While the Kawuneeche Visitor Center on the west side and the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center on the east side nestle amid wooded thickets, the Alpine Visitor Center at the crest of the road sits on a windswept tundra, where life is reduced to the hardiest flowers and grasses. The nearest tree is 1,000 vertical feet below you, and likely a few miles away. The views from here will embrace dozens of barren mountaintops, and at times actually look across and above the cottony clouds which sometimes swirl into the Forest Canyon not far from the center. Only in the mountains, and often in a place such as Rocky, can you drive up from below and actually surface above the clouds.

See For Yourself

toward top of Trail Ridge Road

Come to the place that's above the clouds!

Pros and Cons

Pros:Rich scenery, diverse and abundant wildlife, great vistas
Cons:Too windy at times
In a nutshell:Almost everything on your wilderness checklist!

Last visit to Rocky Mountain National Park: Sep 2002
Intro Updated Jan 17, 2003
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (35)

MSR Miniworks EX water filter - Rocky Mountain National Park

Water - Gotta Have It What to Pack (3)

If you're hiking for more than 5 miles altogether, or you're expecting to spend the night in a backcountry campground,... more travel advice

backpack (green), one-man tent (red) - Rocky Mountain National Park

Camp Overnight in the Wilderness What to Pack (3)

Rocky is an outdoorsman's paradise. Backcountry camping is allowed is a large handful of alpine sites, many of them at... more travel advice

Fall River overlapping ridges - Rocky Mountain National Park

Glacial Valley Things to Do (12)

The Fall River Valley on the eastern side of the park shows an excellent example of the glaciation that carved this park... more travel advice

amphitheater, Timbercreek campground - Rocky Mountain National Park

Ranger/Campfire Programs Local Customs (2)

Most of the national parks offer a campfire presentation by a ranger or other knowledgeable authority, especially in the... more travel advice

Travelogues (1)

Written Dec 30, 2002

2 photos

The Best of Rocky Close Up

1 - 1 of 1

Comments (30)

Reply
- Report abuse
blue_sky04 Jun 29, 2007 at 6:11 PM

Great page on Rocky Mountain NP! I love mountain and plan to visit this place. Thank you for sharing your tips!
Reply
- Report abuse
chewy3326 Feb 5, 2006 at 3:46 PM

I hope to visit Rocky Mountain NP in 2007 or so, thanks for a great page and beautiful pics
Reply
- Report abuse
Callavetta Dec 28, 2004 at 2:00 PM

Something in common.... a love for the Rockies. Beyond that YOUR pages are a ton better than mine! I get bored fast. :-) But check out my Keystone pages when you can. Happy New Year!
Reply
- Report abuse
annk Oct 25, 2004 at 4:57 PM

Shame on me for missing this National Parks page. Excellent animal sitings esp. the moose.
Reply
- Report abuse
roamer61 Oct 6, 2004 at 6:21 PM

Great page on RMNP. It is one of my favorite National Parks.
Reply
- Report abuse
caffeine_induced78 Apr 23, 2004 at 8:36 PM

Next time you come up here I am going to have to take you to the Wild Basin area of Rocky. Nice waterfalls, lakes, and less crowds. Big snow just passed - Summer is coming.
Reply
- Report abuse
iandsmith Apr 9, 2004 at 1:43 AM

Quality pages, looking forward to Mills Lake. Love the elk.
Reply
- Report abuse
andal13 Feb 18, 2004 at 7:07 AM

I owed a visit to this page... a big sin, indeed! Your pictures come from a dream... The colours of the mountains and the vegetation are just oneiric...
Reply
- Report abuse
Teledude Jan 27, 2004 at 7:23 AM

Nice page, I used to live about an hour a way and went there almost every other day...I miss my park!
Reply
- Report abuse
MATIM Dec 12, 2003 at 1:57 AM

unbelievable what a beauty