Rocky Mountain Nat Park
Going to Colorado for two weeks this summer and wondering if we should hit Rocky Mountain Nat park or just stay in the national forest around Vail and explore that area. We will be continuing on to A...
Forum Discussion
RMNP offers a LOT of things to do for folks who want to get off the beaten path, and want to do more than about 90% of the folks going there do
What I'm referring to here is that, the majority of tourists stay on Trail Ridge Road, Fall River Road, or Bear Lake Road and don't stray more than the length of a football field from these roads. This is especially true if there's wildlife to be viewed from the roadway...the elk and deer, the bighorn sheep, the occasional moose, and the vast array of marmots, squirrels, birds, etc. This is one of the biggest reasons for traffic jams on the roads, folks just stopping in the travel lane to get a picture, instead of looking for a place to pull off safely and actually walk back for that photo op.
This is a reality of a visit to RMNP.
Yes, there are a goodly number of hikers in the park, especially the various trails off Bear Lake Road, but unfortunately I've seen a lot of "hikers" who will walk the 1/4 mile from the parking lot to Bear Lake, perhaps take the stroll around the lake, get some photo ops and then leave.
If one takes the time to hike some of the trails off the Bear Lake Road and really get back into the wilderness area, the pressures on the park are less obvious and the beauty comes out. Some hikes are easy, some are moderate, and some will challenge you, and some of the trails are a combo of all of this.
And this holds true for other areas of the park. The west side has been mentioned, and it has a very different look than the Estes side. Yes, the sad reality of the beetle kill is very evident, but there are still wonderful views, and great hikes. Don't forget, there's the headwaters of the Colorado River there, and one can hike along the river, either up- or down-stream, and get a completely different perspective of the river. There are fewer and longer hikes on the west side, but they are just as rewarding. In Grand Lake itself, on the east end of town, there's access to some hiking trails to get you in to that part of Rocky. And all around Grand Lake, Lake Granby and Shadow Mountain Lake, there are additional hiking trails and views of the park.
And as I mentioned previously, there's the Wild Basin entrance to the park and the hikes that are available from this area. This will get you in to some of the more pristine areas of the park, as well as a different perspective of Longs Peak, if one is up to the challenge. One doesn't have to actually climb Longs Peak to appreciate the beauty and majesty of the mountain from closer up.
All this to say...if one looks, there is more beauty to Rocky than just the vistas from Trail Ridge. One has to get out of the car/truck/RV and actually explore...on foot! This is my goal this year, after 35+ years of going up to Rocky. See more from different perspectives. Yes, I've hiked a goodly amount. There's still a LOT more to see, sometimes by doing it over again.
What I'm referring to here is that, the majority of tourists stay on Trail Ridge Road, Fall River Road, or Bear Lake Road and don't stray more than the length of a football field from these roads. This is especially true if there's wildlife to be viewed from the roadway...the elk and deer, the bighorn sheep, the occasional moose, and the vast array of marmots, squirrels, birds, etc. This is one of the biggest reasons for traffic jams on the roads, folks just stopping in the travel lane to get a picture, instead of looking for a place to pull off safely and actually walk back for that photo op.
This is a reality of a visit to RMNP.
Yes, there are a goodly number of hikers in the park, especially the various trails off Bear Lake Road, but unfortunately I've seen a lot of "hikers" who will walk the 1/4 mile from the parking lot to Bear Lake, perhaps take the stroll around the lake, get some photo ops and then leave.
If one takes the time to hike some of the trails off the Bear Lake Road and really get back into the wilderness area, the pressures on the park are less obvious and the beauty comes out. Some hikes are easy, some are moderate, and some will challenge you, and some of the trails are a combo of all of this.
And this holds true for other areas of the park. The west side has been mentioned, and it has a very different look than the Estes side. Yes, the sad reality of the beetle kill is very evident, but there are still wonderful views, and great hikes. Don't forget, there's the headwaters of the Colorado River there, and one can hike along the river, either up- or down-stream, and get a completely different perspective of the river. There are fewer and longer hikes on the west side, but they are just as rewarding. In Grand Lake itself, on the east end of town, there's access to some hiking trails to get you in to that part of Rocky. And all around Grand Lake, Lake Granby and Shadow Mountain Lake, there are additional hiking trails and views of the park.
And as I mentioned previously, there's the Wild Basin entrance to the park and the hikes that are available from this area. This will get you in to some of the more pristine areas of the park, as well as a different perspective of Longs Peak, if one is up to the challenge. One doesn't have to actually climb Longs Peak to appreciate the beauty and majesty of the mountain from closer up.
All this to say...if one looks, there is more beauty to Rocky than just the vistas from Trail Ridge. One has to get out of the car/truck/RV and actually explore...on foot! This is my goal this year, after 35+ years of going up to Rocky. See more from different perspectives. Yes, I've hiked a goodly amount. There's still a LOT more to see, sometimes by doing it over again.
