Spectacular views, alien tundra landscapes, a plethora of wildlife and the rocky mountain high are what make Rocky Mountain National Park worthy of such status. One hundred years ago, a group of locals from neighboring Estes Park, Colorado, gathered on September 4 for the formal dedication of America’s newest national park. It wasn’t for nearly 20 more years that the park was easily traversable by vehicle with the creation of the Trail Ridge Road. Today, the park encompasses more than 260,000 acres, most of which is designated wilderness, with 72 peaks over 12,000 feet high and the most preserved alpine tundra in the nation.
This amazing place was my second pit stop between Salt Lake City and Dallas after Dinosaur National Monument. I wish I had planned for another day or two since this place is absolutely amazing. I saw moose, elk, marmots and more. I was around 12,000 feet above sea level for a couple of hours. I saw the head waters of the mighty Colorado River that although a calm stream in the Rocky Mountains eventually carves the Grand Canyon. And, I crossed the imaginary line that designates which ocean will eventually get the water flowing down the slopes known as the Continental Divide.
Trail Ridge Road
As I didn’t have much time scheduled for RMNP, I asked a ranger at the visitor center near the western entrance what the must-sees were driving up and over to my campground for the night near the eastern entrance. She marked many spots on the map for lookouts and due to the stormy weather recommended I stay in the vehicle once I crossed the tree line if I saw lightning or heard thunder. Thankfully, I only got a little wet and had some gusty wind to contend with but encountered no lightning or thunder meaning I could get out and explore the fascinating tundra ecosystem.
This drive winds up one side of the mountains, runs along the ridge through the tundra and then back down the other side. It offers scenery hardly accessible anywhere else besides the Arctic, and the views up there are second to none. The road is only accessible four months of the year because of snow, so if you want this experience you have to plan it just right.
After stopping at a few lookouts going up, I crossed the timber line into the desolate looking tundra. After closer inspection this landscape is full of life but on a more minute level. I arrived at the Alpine Visitor Center after it closed. However, I was still able to hike up the Alpine Ridge Trail, a short trail to the peak next to the visitor center.
After a quick stop at Lava Cliffs where I saw a bull moose grazing in the valley below, I stopped at Rock Cut and hiked the Tundra Communities Trail learning about this hardy yet fragile landscape. With only a 40-day growing season each year, it is amazing to see hundreds of varieties of plants growing in the rocky terrain, many in full bloom. This is also where I could watch the antics of the yellow-bellied marmot as several foraged and scampered around the trail.
From there it was all literally downhill. However, the experience was just as amazing with views of alpine lakes and snow packs at the Forest Canyon Overlook and impressive panoramic vistas at Rainbow Curve. Surprisingly, the east side of the park is more arid than the west side providing a different but still beautiful landscape to discover with lush meadows surrounded by forests climbing up towering mountains. After a night at Moraine Park Campground, I drove a little way down into the meadow and was treated to a resting herd of elk.
On my way out, I stopped at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to get a patch and was treated to another surprise—a National Historic Landmark building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s apprentices at Taliesin West. I saw the building and knew it was somehow connected to the great architect.
Suffice it to say, I just got a quick beginners course in Rocky Mountain National Park enough to wet the taste buds and have me hungry for more. I could have easily spent many more days hiking and exploring, and I definitely could have planned at least one more day there.
