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Rocky Mountain National Park [1] is a United States National Park that is located in the state of Colorado.

[edit] Understand

[edit] History

Rocky Mountain National Park was established on January 26, 1915.

[edit] Landscape

Lush valleys and snow-covered peaks cover this area.

[edit] Flora and fauna

Fauna: Elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, black bears, coyotes, cougars, eagles, hawks

[edit] Climate

[edit] Get in

Driving entrances with fee booths:

• From Estes Park on the east into Moraine Park area, and over Trail Ridge Road
• From Grand Lake on the west, the west end of Trail Ridge Road
• Wild Basin entrance (dead ends in Wild Basin area)

No-fee driving entrances (east side):

• Long's Peak trailhead road (dead ends at the Long's Peak trailhead and campground)
• Cow Creek / McGraw Ranch road (dead ends at McGraw Ranch and Cow Creek trailhead)
• Lily Lake Visitors Center parking lot
• McGregor Ranch/Gem Lake parking lots near Lumpy Ridge

Other entrance points:

• The park doesn't have a fence around it. You can generally just hike in from anywhere. To camp overnight requires a backcountry permit.

[edit] Fees/Permits

Entrance fees are $20 per private vehicle or $10 for individuals on foot or on bicycle, valid for seven days. Holders of the National Park Pass ($50, allows entry to all national park areas for one year) do not need to pay an entrance fee. In addition, there is a $35 pass available that allows entry into Rocky Mountain National Park for one year.

If you drive in early in the morning or late at night the fee booth will probably be unmanned. It is rumored that local Larimer County and Grand County residents can pass through the park without paying a fee if they mention that intention to the entrance guards.

[edit] Get around

Shuttle Bus, this is an excellent service which runs during the summer months when there is almost no parking at the trailheads in the Bear Lake area.

[edit][add listing] See

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Hiking

• The park offers 359 miles of trail to hikers, backpackers and horseback riders. Difficulty levels range from the half mile wheelchair accessable jaunt around Bear Lake to the backbreaking 'Mummy Kill', recommended only for those with years of mountaineering experience or a death wish. A few of the most memerable hikes are listed below. Many of the trails in the Eastern Part of the Park can be reached via Shuttle Buses, those are deliniated below with a * after the hike name.

[edit] Easy Hikes

• "Bierstadt Lake*" A beautiful morning hike, this Lake is situated on top of Bierstadt Moraine giving brilliant views of Longs and the Front Range. As three seperate routes converge on this lake, all of which lead to Shuttle Bus serviced trailheads, this hike can be done many different ways or even tacked onto a bigger venture. Arguably the best route is from the Bear Lake Trailhead to the Shuttle Parking Lot as this 4.5 mile stroll is mostly downhill. Walk down, take the bus back up.

• "Lily Mountain" This short hike leads to the top of a foothill near the edge of the park that gives a great view of the front range. A 3 mile hike, the trail is really close to the edge of the park which spoils some of the wilderness feeling you can get far inside the park, however the view from the top is more than worth it. The Lily Mountain Trailhead can be found a little ways south of Estes Park along Route 7.

• "Emerald Lake*" A beautiful tarn in the shadow of Hallets and Flattop, the hike up with take you past three other lakes (Bear, Nymph, and Dream) on route from the Bear Lake Trailhead. Although this trail can get crowded, an early morning start can give you relative solitude on what many people conclude is the best short hike (under four miles) in the park.

[edit] Intermediate Hikes

• "Sky Pond*" is definitely the most crowded hike given its difficulty in the entire park with good reason. The vast number of features along this hike make it a favorite of many with two waterfalls and three lakes surounded by increasingly shear and spectacular mountains. If there seems to be alot of people, do not be discouraged. Beyond Timberline Falls the number of hikers reduce, as many are turned away by the short scramble up the side of falls. The Hike leaves from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead and is nine miles in length.

• "Fern Odessa Loop*" This 7 mile trail consists of hiking from the Bear Lake Trailhead down to the Fern Lake Trailhead and taking the shuttle buses back. Not only will you not need to backtrack on this trail, it has several optional side hikes such as Spruce Lake that you can take if you are feeling better than expected. Look forward to hiking across some snowfields as the northern flank of Flattop seems to gather a lot of them.

• "Flattop and Hallets*" The easiest peak in the park is Flattop Mountain, a 9 miler round trip up from the Bear Lake Trailhead. Although the route up is spectacular, the summit itself is less so though making the half mile walk to Hallets Peak more than worth it. However, even though it is the easiest of the main summits in the park, even Flattop must be respected. People have died on this hike, mostly because they summitted too late and the weather closed in.

[edit] Difficult Hikes

• "Bluebird Lake" is one of those destinations which is absolutely assured to make you gasp in amazement the first time you see it. Not only is the Lake itself magnificent the hike up is fantastic as well passing by three major waterfalls and magnificent views. The only question is if you can foot the 12 miles round trip distance from Wild Basin Trailhead and back.

• "The CCY", or 'Chapin, Chaquita, Ypsilon' takes in three peaks in less than 9 miles, rising to 13514 ft. Rising from Chapin Pass Trailhead on Fall River Road this hike is a local favorite with spectacular views of the entire park. Be wary of the volatile weather of the Mummy Range and do not be afraid to turn back with dark clouds approaching. Getting stuck up here in a storm is no picnic.

• "Shelf and Solitude Lakes*" is considered by many the best alpine lake hike in the book, and for good reason. This hanging valley off Glacier Gorge is truly a magical place, but the approach is dfficult at best. A nine mile round trip jaunt from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead on Bear Lake Road the last mile to the lakes leaves the main trail at an easily missed turnoff before climbing an extremely steep slope. If you are unable to find the turn off do not feel bad about continuing on the main trail to Black Lake, a spectacular lake in its own right.

• "Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route" is a classic 16 mile route allowing you to conquer this 14259 footer, the roof of Rocky Mountain National Park. This hike requires an early start from the Longs Peak Trailhead (head south on Route 7 from Estes Park), early as in 4 am. The last portion of the ascent crosses high above glacier gorge and will either permanently cure, or reinforce, your fear of hights. However, this section is not as dangerous as it seems. The largest danger manifests itself through the non prepared hikers who throng to this trail and have no buisness being on the mountain.

[edit] Insane Hikes

• "Continental Traverse" This hike begins at the Milner Pass Trailhead and continues from their along the continental divide before descending via the Flattop Mountain Trailhead to Bear Lake Trailhead 20 MILES LATER. You must be in prime physical condition, be completely acclimated, start at an absurdly early hour, and have extremely good luck as far as weather goes in order to make this work. If you can make this work you will see some areas of the park which very few people get to see, but if weather forces you off the ridge get ready for a long slog to the Kewaunchee Valley to get out.

• "McHenrys Peak*" Climb up past Black Lake in Glacier Gorge and past where the trail ends. Go higher and even higher past Frozen Lake. Climb over Stone Man's Pass, which except for a few weeks in late August requires crampons. Then continue up the mountain over extremely exposed class three climbing. That is McHenrys Peak. This 13327 footer is the most difficult non technical (and that's pushing it) peak in the park. However, this 16 mile hike is considered a gem to those with the wherewithal to complete it, unlocking some of the most spectacular views in the Front Range.

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Lodging

• Castle Mountain Lodge, [2].

• McGregor Mountain Lodge, [3].

• Machin's Cottages in the Pines, [4].

• Best Western Silver Saddle, [5].

[edit] Camping

• Moraine Park Campground is well located for exploring the eastern part of the park, is very clean, and very full in the summer so make sure to reserve your site ahead of time. As there are no showers at the campground you have to go in to Estes Park - find them at laundromat in the same shopping centre as the Safeways.

[edit] Backcountry

[edit] Stay safe

[edit] Get out