Road Trip - Rocky Mountain National Park

Lone cloud above Longs Peak at Rocky Mountain National Park

It was past time for a road trip to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).  Neither my wife nor I could remember the last time we were there over a dozen years ago.  RMNP was one of our favorite places to take our children when we lived here.
On our first Colorado visit in 1989, RMNP was were we tent camped two nights, receiving snow the second night.  That inch of snow at our campsite made it impossible to climb Long's Peak, and drove us to drive across the mountains of the state to spend the rest of our vacation time at Mesa Verde National Park.  That was a fantastic vacation, and led me to apply for jobs in the west which eventually resulted in us moving to Colorado 3 years later.
It was a 2 hour drive for us today and we arrived in the park well before lunch.  At the Rocky Mountain National Park entrance, we bought an annual pass for only twice the price of the daily admission (we only need to visit twice in a year to get our money's worth).  Our plan is to return to RMNP many times during the year, camp, hike and enjoy the area.

Across from Forest Canyon Overlook

As we had done several times in the past, we just drove up Trail Ridge Road, stopping at the Forest Canyon Overlook first.  Here the overlook clearly shows glaciation with signs showing what the area used to look like under all the ice. That was 10,000 years ago.  All that time has done well to heal the wounds of the incredible weight of the ice.  Some micro glaciers still occur in the park, but mostly what you see are snowfields only with no movement of the ice.  You cannot see it, but the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail runs just behind the peaks across from you here along its route from Canada to Mexico. Those peaks are also the actual continental divide, which you can cross at Milner Pass on the way down the west side of the mountain towards Grand Lake.

View of Never Summer Mountains from Gore Range overlook

The roads were crowded with high summer attendance today.  The partly cloudy skies held back the rain for some time, but soon the wipers were on.  We stopped again at the Gore Range overlook, where the Ride The Rockies crew had setup the first official stop in the tundra some 15 years ago.  I'll never forget bicycling up the mountain all morning, and the openness of the area as I bicycled along the sharp edge of the road.  It was cool that day, but not raining like it was today.  I snapped some photos and we got back into the car.

Cirque at Alpine Visitors Center

Next, we headed to the Alpine Welcome Center, where we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the car before touring the store and native American items for sale there.  The gravel Fall River Road comes out here behind the building, but it was closed for maintenance today.  Thunder and lightning prevented us from hiking the Alpine Ridge Trail where you overlook mountain upon mountain, across the Mummy Range, Comanche Peak, Neota, Rawah and Indian Peak Wilderness areas to as far as you can see in any direction.  The Alpine Welcome Center sits atop a cirque where a glacier used to run 8 miles east to end at Horseshoe Park.  Just west of us, the Kawuneeche Glacier used to reach south over 20 miles to Grand Lake.
We drove back down Trail Ridge Road to the Many Peaks Curve where we got out and walked the trail along the roadside to see the parks below us.  It was so very green, with all the rain we had experienced this year.  The rain had paused for a few minutes, then began again.

Sprague Lake Trail

We drove on to Bear Lake Road, where we drove up to the trailhead and stopped for views along the way.  The road had been thoroughly reconstructed during our absence.  Longs Peak had a cloud around it's top all day.  Sprague Lake was a beautiful stop and a quick walk in the rain around the lake.  There was too much thunder and lightning to hike in Glacier Gorge or Bear Lake and the rangers were warning everyone away.  It was sprinkling there too.
With nowhere else to hike, we the went north to Horseshoe Park and drove out the Fall River entrance back into Estes Park, passing the historic Stanley Hotel.
Next we drove south of Estes Park on CO 7 and toured the Longs Peak campsite, our first visit back there since 1989.  This is due west from the Twin Sisters Peaks.  Hiking a short way up the trail brought back many good memories. The rain was holding off on this side of the mountain and we tarried a bit while reminiscing.  Our drive back down the mountain took us through Allenspark and Lyons.  We had a great time visiting here, even during the rain!
To find Rocky Mountain National Park, drive west from Denver along US 36 to Boulder.  Continue north on US 36 to Lyons, turning left on US 36 to Estes Park.  Follow the signs through town to reach RMNP.  TrailRidge Road becomes US 34 and it ends on the west side of the park in Grandby, at US 40 (another way into the park).

Hike Planning for Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park in Winter

Of all the wild and beautiful places in Colorado, one of my favorites is Rocky Mountain National Park.  Covering over 265,000 acres (415 square miles), the park hosts 350 miles of hiking trails.  The park is surrounded on 3 sides by National Forests.  While the "official" summer season is over 90 days away, and the high country is still under several feet of snow, I like to look at the areas of the park to visit and plan a few backpacking trips.

RMNP Lawn Lake

I have day hiked in Rocky Mountain National Park many times over the years but have not yet backpacked there.  Bicycling Trail Ridge Road in 2001 as part of Ride The Rockies was beyond incredible!  I remember the Long's Peak Trail hike being awesome up to Chasm Lake and the views of the Mummy Range from the Lawn Lake area really cannot be beaten.  Never Summer Mountains is also a place I plan to backpack, as is the North Boundary Trail. The Poudre River Trail and the Wild Basin areas are also calling my name.  There are lots of trails to waterfalls and lakes as well as peaks.  I'll start with an overnight trip or two and expand into a 2-3 day backpacking trip by summers end, scheduled around my work and family obligations.

RMNP Alpine Wildflowers

This hiking link contains the top 10 hikes in the park, many of which take you to areas which are backpack-ready.  Pack your ultralight pack, bring your down quilt, your Esbit stove and some food and water, and prepare to be wowed by the scenery and fantastic views.  Dress in layers, plan on it being near freezing during nights near mountain tops.  The streams are guaranteed to be cold where you filter your water.  Do bring a map and compass.  Remember to leave no trace.

RMNP Never Summer Mountains

For hiking with the family or taking your children for a day trip, here are the best easy day hikes in RMNP.  Don't forget to drive Trail Ridge Road over the top.  Beware of the elk jams.
Road bicycling in the park is good (if you are careful).  The surrounding National Forests provide miles of off-road riding and the Colorado mountains have excellent road bicycling.
Plan on lots of people visiting the park with you.  RMNP have averaged over 3 million park visitors each year, most arriving during the three summer months.
Even with all those visitors, you can still enjoy a peaceful trip in the park by backpacking a few miles in from the trail head.  This list of all 80 trails in the park will provide you with enough miles to hike most of the summer.
Do read about the trails that were damaged by the 2013 floods.  Most of the roads and trail access should be open by this summer, but there are a few areas that are not yet restored.  If you have questions about a trail, call the parks Information Office at 970-586-1206.

RMNP Alluvial Falls

To help with planning your trip, here is a zoom-able PDF map of the park with the trails shown.
You will need a bear-proof container to store your food as it is required for protection of the black bears in the park.  The one I am looking at is the Bare Box Contender for my short trips, and big thanks to Section Hiker for such a good product evaluation.
For permit-planning, here is a RMNP brochure that will answer all your questions.  There are also many trail guides, maps and other material available about the park.  Check out these pages from the Rocky Mountain Conservancy shop or search online for Rocky Mountain National Park at Amazon.

RMNP Trail to Longs Peak

These blog photos are copied from the RMNP website.  All the photos I have are of my family there, so I won't show you those.  I promise to photograph the alpine vistas myself for the rest of the stories I write.
For permits (required for backpacking) call the Backcountry Office at 970-586-1242.