Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado

 "Our national parks system is a national museum. Its purpose is to preserve forever ... certain areas of extraordinary scenic magnificence in a condition of primitive nature. Its recreational value is also very great, but recreation is not distinctive of the system. The function which alone distinguishes the national parks ... is the museum function made possibly only by the parks' complete conservation." - Robert Sterling Yard, 1923

Entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park

We took a road trip in July of this year.  Our ultimate goal was to get to our cabin in Washington, but we decided to detour through Colorado with a stop at the Rocky Mountain National Park.  From there our plan was to go on to the Badlands National Park, and the other things in that area.  I admit it was a roundabout way to get to Washington State, but our goal is to see more of this country, and this took us into new territory.

View from porch of the
 Inn at Grand Lake

We entered the Rocky Mountain National Park from the southwest entrance, near Grand Lake.  Before going into the park, we stopped at the  Inn at Grand Lake Lodge, just to look around.  The lodge has some beautiful views of the lake below, and I loved the lodge, with wood swings on the porch, flower boxes full of flowers, and a huge metal fireplace in the lobby.  I found out that they have pet-friendly cabins available at very reasonable prices, and the lodge is just outside the park and near the town of Grand Lake.  It would certainly be a nice place to stay while exploring the area.

Inside the park

We then entered the park, using our National Parks Senior Pass, which we purchased several years ago.  It cost us $10 and is a lifetime pass, which gets us into all the National Parks in the USA.  You have to be over 62 and a US citizen to get this pass.  If we hadn’t had that pass, the charge is $20 per vehicle and is good for 7 days.  There are other types of passes available and to see the list please read my intro posting on National Parks.
 http://havelistwilltravel.blogspot.com/2012/10/americas-national-parks.html

Our first stop was at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center, where I stopped to ask a ranger about things to see and do in the park.  He gave me some good advice, and we took off.  We had our 2 dogs with us, and they are allowed in the park, but they can not go onto any of the hiking trails, so we knew we were going to be seeing most of the park from the car and the lookout points, which was fine. 

Driving at a high elevation, snow on
hillside and above treeline

This park has some spectacular views, and most the sights can be seen from the car and the lookout points.  It is a park that can be done in one day, unless you are hikers and plan to hike the trails, then you will need longer.  Remember that most of the park is at a very high elevation, and not everyone can handle this.  Every year a large number of visitors report problems, which include headaches, dizziness and even loss of consciousness.  So hiking will be harder at these elevations.  The Alpine Visitor Center is at an elevation of 11,796 feet, and at one point the main road is at 12,183 feet. 

Taken at the Alpine Visitor Center - elevation 11,796 feet

Also, weather conditions vary throughout the park. While at the Alpine Visitor Center we encountered severe weather conditions.  We had started out with sunny skies and warm weather, typical for July, but by the time we reached the Alpine Center, the skies had darkened and rain came pouring down, then icy hail.  As we got farther down the mountains to lower elevations, the weather improved.  So be prepared for anything.  There was still snow on the ground in places at the higher elevations.

For the next 2 years there will be construction on the Bear Lake Road, so expect delays.  While we were there we were told that the only way to go on that road was by shuttle bus, and of course, the dogs are not allowed on the bus.  We did miss seeing that part of the park, but I felt we got some wonderful views on the road we took.  The shuttle bus is free, and a good way to get around the park for those without dogs.



One of the Moose we saw

We saw quite a bit of wildlife in the park.  Our first sighting was a mother and baby moose, which was by a river in a field.  We saw quite a few elk, including one that came down the hillside and was just across the road from our car.  He stood there, looking quite noble.  We also saw a group of mule deer, and of course chipmunks and birds.  There are bears in the park, but are not often spotted.  However, if you are camping make sure you take precaution with food storage, because the bears will go after food that is left out.

Elk in the park

While in the Rocky Mountain National Park you feel like you are at “the top of the world.”  The highest major highway in North America is here, at an elevation of 12,183 feet above sea level.  Nearly one third of the park is above treeline, the limit above which conditions are too harsh for trees to grow.  There are 72 named peaks above 12,000 feet of elevation.  It became a national park in 1915. 



Machin's Cabins inside the park and The Inn at Grand Lake at the northern entrance to the park

Besides The Inn at Grand Lake which I mentioned at the beginning of the article, there are other lodging options.  The Rocky Mountain Park Inn is near the entrance to the park and also near the downtown Estes Park.  The Wildwood Inn, the River Song, and Aspen Winds on Fall River are also very near the park and near the town of Estes Park.  Machin’s Cottages in the Pines are actually inside the park at the end of a road where a hiking rail begins.  The Gateway Inn is located in the town of Grand Lake and is on the same side of the park as the Inn at Grand Lake.  There are many other hotel options in or near the town of Estes Park.

 

Camping is also an option.  There are five drive-in campgrounds and one drive-in group camping area in the park. Three campgrounds, Moraine Park, Glacier Basin, and Aspenglen, take reservations, as does the group-camping area. Other park campgrounds are first-come, first-served, and fill on most summer days. There are no electric, water or sewer hookups at any campsites.

The town of Estes Park

Just outside of the park is the town of Estes Park, which is a beautiful little town with Falls River running through it.  There is a riverside park area and some really nice shops and restaurants.  Estes Park is definitely worth stopping and having a look around.

 My next posting will be about our next stop, which was the Badlands National Park, and the other attractions near that area.