Being born in Northern California I had two wonderful national parks within easy reach, Yosemite National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park (now gutted by fire), but I had never heard of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. But being less than 2 hours away we finally made the trip, and what a gem. For me the pristine nature of the park and smaller crowds along with the incredible views everywhere you turn has made it my favorite so far. And driving Trail Ridge Rd which goes above 12,000 ft twice, above the tree layer to the alpine tundra was nothing short of spectacular. And the high elevation and cooler temperatures was a summer time treat as it got down to 48F at the Alpine Visitor Center just under 12,000 ft. And to top off the visit we got to see a bull elk and his harem cross the road pretty close to us. Earlier we had seen too many elk to count just down off the road removed from any turn outs unfortunately. And God always blesses us with seeing wildlife as we explore and enjoy His beautiful creation.
If you plan to visit the park they’ve implemented a reservation system where for $2 you reserve a time period for your entry with the Bear Lake Rd area a separate reservation and time window to be included. I reserved originally a few days out, but checking the morning of the trip all time periods were available as they hold some back for each new day leading up to your visit. And after 3pm the crowds die down at the observation stops. Consequently, we drove through the park and got some BBQ in Grand Lake returning after 3pm to stop at the observation areas.
My inexpensive cellular phone camera won’t do the views justice, but you can get a taste of what you’ll be treated with going through the park.
