Detailed review by 1krispy1
1krispy1(62)
Broomfield, USA98%
Rocky Mountain National Park has been one of my favorite places to visit for the better part of my life. Living in Denver it is only about an hour's drive to the entrance of the park.
The park provides a great opportunity to get about and enjoy the back country. I particularly enjoy hiking. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most visited areas in the State of Colorado; there are thousands of people in it at a time. Yet after about a 2km hike most of them are left behind. Once again full enjoyment of the wilderness is there to be had.
This was fully realized in June. I went up for a hike with a friend. We thought we would go to the Loch; a small lake about 8km from the trail head. The trail runs through a variety of country side with a running stream for most of the trip. There are waterfalls and steep spots along the trail. One can get to working pretty hard getting up these patches. It is important to bring plenty of water to keep hydrated. It is also a good idea to bring insect repellent along as the mosquitoes also seem to enjoy the high country as much as people do. Turning around one can view the Never Summer Range across the valley.
The Loch sits just at tree line. Winds have twisted and misshaped many of the trees around the lake. It is an amazingly beautiful lake that has more trails leading to other parts of the national park.
Horseshoe Park is another fascinating part of the park. Horseshoe is a crossroads for much of the wildlife. It is a scene of many parking jams as visitors stop to watch Elk or Bighorn Sheep that utilize this part of the park extensively. Due the protection the national park provides there are many trophy quality Elk living in the national park. They often show up in easy photographic range and provide a great chance to get the picture of a lifetime.
Bear Lake is a very popular site for visitors. It has a parking lot and buses bring in people for a hike around the lake. For the more adventurous trails lead away to different parts of the Park. Again once one gets about 2km away from the start of the trail the crowds seem to melt away.
In winter there is an opportunity for cross country skiing or snowshoeing. Using some of the same trails will allow the user to enjoy the park without the crowds. The quiet is amazing. The beauty is astounding. There is something special about white snow on pine, spruce and fir trees.
Rocky Mountain National Park is well worth a visit and should be on any must see list.
Rocky Mountain National Park10
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Rocky Mountain National park sits just outside the town of Estes Park. There are two entrances to Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park, one via the business district and one via the business by pass. There are three major US highways into the town of Estes Park, US 34 from Loveland, US 36 from Boulder and US 7 which also pass through Boulder. A separate part of the Rocky Mountain National Park is accessed from Glen Haven. This way requires a hike to the park boundary then on to Lost Lake. This is about a 21 km hike through the back country.
Rocky Mountain National Park was the site of Grizzly Bear research and observation by Enos Mills. That was back in the mid 1800's. The Grizzly is long gone from Rocky Mountain National Park but the country they lived in is preserved and as wild as it was ever was. The park offers a large variety of other wildlife that can be viewed such as bighorn sheep, rocky mountain goats, mule deer, black bear, coyote and elk. In fact the elk heard has grown to the point they have become problematic. It does however provide a good opportunity to view the second largest member of the deer family. There is also a large variety of smaller mammals and birds.
The park was once covered with large glaciers. These helped form many of the moraine valleys; huge U shaped valleys. Getting to the rims of these valleys one can really see how the glaciers reacted with the rock to form these valleys. These areas are filled with hiking paths to the back country and a whole cornucopia of views and creatures to experience and enjoy.
Viewing of this National Park as with most in the National Park system charges about 5£ for entrance. This will give the user a receipt that can be used to regain admittance to the park for up to a week. This allows one to go to Estes Park or Denver for shopping or other amenities then still have the ability to return to the Park for continued utilization and enjoyment.
Rocky Mountain National Park has great recreational value. It is honeycombed with hiking trails. It is loaded with streams and lakes in a variety of sizes most with trout and other fish that can be fished for. There are special restrictions like the use of barb less hooks and for the most part is catch and release. A state of Colorado fishing license is required. Longs Peak is one example of world class mounting climbing that is available. There is also camping and picnicking. Recreational opportunities abound.
Rocky Mountain National Park is unique in its variety of things to see and do in the park. It is very close to the major metropolitan areas of Denver and Boulder. It is unique in that it contains one of the highest continuous roads in the world in Trail Ridge road that crests at 3183 meters (it is closed in the winter due to snow) that connects the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake, Colorado. The park varies from wooded forests to tundra and contains the continental divide in which the watersheds will either go to the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. About a quarter of the National Park is above tree line.
