On The Road to Rocky Mountain National Park
/Rocky Mountain National Park is the third most visited national park, with 4.7 million visitors in 2019, according to the National Park Service. I’ve visited Colorado many times, but never explored Rocky Mountain. As we emerge on the other side of the pandemic, this parcel of paradise was our first stop on our current road trip!
There are more than 300 trails that wind through the various ecosystems of this popular park. We chose to start our journey driving along Trail Ridge Road, a highly recommended byway not to be missed.
I knew the scenery would be stunning, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see. On this beautiful almost-summer day, there were still snow-capped mountains, appearing above the trees.
We made many stops along this nearly 50 mile trek from Estes Park to Grand Lake. I climbed on the rocks at Many Parks Curve, and had to take a selfie, as no one else cared to join me!
We drove through many winding roads and hair-pin turns through the mountains, watching streams of melting snow make their way to highway curbs.
Rainbow Curve sits on the tree line, as you pass from alpine to sub-alpine ecosystems. Sara and I traded taking pictures of each other taking pictures!
At Forest Canyon the erosive force of glacial ice is clearly visible. I think more visitors (us included) we more interested in the yellow-bellied marmots resting among the rocks.
Lava Cliffs showed us a rare section of volcanic rock in Rocky Mountain National Park!
Milner Pass has an altitude of 10,759 feet and is located on the continental divide.
As we continued south, we came upon unexpected historic site. It was a great opportunity to explore - I’m so glad we did!
Approaching the end of the trail we saw the ravaged remains of last year’s wild fires. I know it’s part of nature, but it still saddened me to see the charred remains of the statuesque trees.
Our last stop at the end of Trail Ridge Road was a short hike to Adams Falls. The trail passes through a mixed forest of pine and aspens. This impressive waterfall drops roughly 55 feet in a series of steps through a narrow rock gorge. Nature’s beauty at work.
After that day-long journey, we were in desperate need of something cool and refreshing - lucky for us the town of Grand Lake had a wonderful home-made ice cream shop! That really hit the spot before making our way back!
By now, it was getting close to dinner time - also a great time to spot wildlife! We came across several elk, but the best animal sighting (especially for Glenn) was moose - not just the bull, but the cow as well. A perfect ending to a perfect day.