Rocky Mountain National Park
Lush Valleys and Craggy Peaks of Rocky Mountain
National Park - From lush valleys to craggy peaks This living
showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, with
elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the wet, grassy valleys
to 14,259 feet at the weather-ravaged top of Longs Peak,
provides visitors with opportunities for countless breathtaking
experiences and adventures.
Things to do in Rocky Mountain National Park - Things to
do in the park include visiting museums, Scenic Drives,
Fishing, Campgrounds, Climbing and Mountaineering, Biking,
Picnicking, Hiking Winter Activities, Kids Activities,
Backcountry Camping, Wildlife Viewing, Horseback Riding
and Ranger-led Programs.
Rocky Mountain National Park Roads - The careful
relationship of the park roads to the landscape results in a
road system that generally harmonizes with the environment.
Roadway alignments were chosen to highlight natural
features, and scenic vistas and overlooks were provided to
allow visitors to take in the magnificent terrain. The stone
parapet walls and road-related structures, constructed in the
National Park Service's distinctive rustic style of architecture,
relate well to their natural surroundings and help evoke a
distinctive experience. Not surprisingly, the park roads are the
principal attraction for most of the nearly three million visitors
who flock to Rocky Mountain National Park each year.
Trail Ridge Road - The road system of Rocky Mountain
National Park offers visitors access to diverse ecosystems
characterizing the higher regions of the central Rocky
Mountains. The roads take visitors through lowland meadows
and aspen groves, along swift-flowing rivers and up through
subalpine forests to more than 12,000 feet in elevation. No
other national park roads offer the dramatic experience of a
long drive across alpine tundra region, and few offer such a
wide variety of experiences.
Climbing and Mountaineering - Climbing has been a
popular activity in and around the area known today as Rocky
Mountain National Park since the 1800's. The wide variety of
peaks and granite rock formations in the Park provide
excellent opportunities for a wide spectrum of climbing
including rock, big wall, snow and ice, bouldering and
mountaineering. It is a mecca for local climbers, as well as
those from around the world. Opportunities for climbing exist
in many areas of the park including Lumpy Ridge and Longs
Peak. Whichever activity you select, it is your responsibility to
respect the areas you visit, minimize your impacts, and know
and obey all park regulations.
Wildlife Viewing - This living showcase of the grandeur of
the Rocky Mountains, with elevations ranging from 8,000 feet
in the wet, grassy valleys to 14,259 feet at the
weather-ravaged top of Longs Peak, provides visitors with
opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and
adventures. Elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, black
bears, coyotes, cougars, eagles, hawks and scores of smaller
animals delight wildlife-watchers of all ages. Wildflower-lovers
are never disappointed in June and July when the meadows
and hillsides are splashed with botanical color. Autumn
visitors can relax among the golden aspens or enjoy the
rowdier antics of the elk rut (mating season). Click below for
more things to do at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park - 359 miles of trail
offer endless opportunities to hikers, backpackers and
horseback riders. Anglers, bird-watchers and photographers
discover the splendor that they traveled so far to find. During
the winter, snowshoers and cross-country skiers revel in the
white-blanketed tranquility of meadows and forests.
Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park - With five
drive-in campgrounds Rocky Mountain National Park provides
a variety of camping experiences. Two campgrounds,
Moraine Park and Glacier Basin, are on the reservation
system. Aspenglen, Longs Peak and Timber Creek
campgrounds are on a first-come first-served basis.
Backpackers may choose from over 200 backcountry
campsites when they apply for their backcountry camping
permits.
Park Hours: Rocky Mountain National Park is open 24 hours a
day, 12 months of the year.
Directions to Rocky Mountain National Park - From
Denver and the east, take U.S. routes 34 or 36 through Estes
Park, Colorado. From west or south, take I-70 to U.S. Rt. 40.,
then to U.S. Rt.34 through Granby and Grand Lake.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK WEATHER
Climate of Rocky National National Park - The Continental
Divide runs northwest to southeast through the center of the
park atop the high peaks. This accounts for two distinct
climate patterns - one arid on the east side near Estes Park
and the other more precipitous in the Grand Lake area on the
park's west side.
WHERE IS ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Rocky Mountain National Park
1000 Highway 36
Estes Park, Colorado 80517
Phone (970) 586-1206
Make a day trip up Trail Ridge Road (12,183 feet), the
highest, continuous, paved road in the United States. Trail
Ridge Road will showcase the grandeur of the Rocky
Mountains. There are 359 miles of trails for hikers,
backpackers and horseback riding. Explore the high-
country dotted with colorful wildflowers. Drive the Peak-to-
Peak Scenic Byway. View the wildlife up close. In Estes
Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park, nature can
be enjoyed at its finest.
Old Fall River Road - The Old Fall River Road was the only
road to Fall River Pass until Trail Ridge Road was built in
the early 1930s. Today it is a one-way dirt road that runs
between Endovalley and the Pass. It is narrow and has
many switchbacks, but it is a beautiful and safe drive.
There are many interesting sites. One of these is Chasm
Falls. There is a parking area at the falls if you would like to
take the short walk to the bottom of the falls. Many varieties
and colors of wildflowers grow along the Old Fall River
Road. Also, be sure to watch for elk, deer, bighorn sheep
and marmots when you get above tree line.
Moraine Park Museum - Housed in one of the buildings of
the historic former Moraine Lodge, the museum also
serves as a visitor information center. Exhibits coordinated
by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science emphasize
the geology of the park, including information on the
glaciers that formed Moraine Park. Additional displays give
insight into the park's different ecosystems and some of
the characteristic wildlife. New interactive displays feature
five themes that describe "The Making of a Landscape".
The themes included geologic processes, glaciations,
weather and climate, ecosystems, and human impact. The
National Park Service and the Denver Museum of Natural
History produced the displays.
Longs Peak - You can't miss this mountain. At 14,259 feet,
Longs Peak towers above all other summits in the Rocky
Mountains. The flat-topped monarch is seen from almost
anywhere in the park. Different angles show the great
mountain's unique profiles. Changing weather reflects
Longs Peak's many moods. In the summertime - the
season when thousands hike or climb to Longs' summit -
those moods are fairly predictable. Early mornings break
calm, clear and blue. Clouds build in the afternoon sky,
often exploding in storms of brief, heavy rain, thunder and
dangerous lightning. Begin the trek early, way before dawn,
to be back in the car before the weather turns. Once
climbed, or even viewed at a distance from the safety of a
car, Longs Peak is not a mountain easily forgotten.
Kawuneeche Visitor Center - The park's only west-side
source of visitor information has exhibits on the plant and
animal life of the area, as well as a large three-
dimensional map of the park. OPEN: Mid-June-mid-Aug.,
daily 8-6; mid-Aug.-mid-June,
daily 8-4:30
More Interesting Attractions in the Rocky Mountain
National Park
Never Summer Ranch
Wild Basin Area
Lily Lake Visitor Center
Alluvial Fan
Alpine Visitor Center
Lush Valleys and Craggy Peaks of Rocky Mountain
National Park - From lush valleys to craggy peaks This living
showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, with
elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the wet, grassy valleys
to 14,259 feet at the weather-ravaged top of Longs Peak,
provides visitors with opportunities for countless breathtaking
experiences and adventures.
Things to do in Rocky Mountain National Park - Things to
do in the park include visiting museums, Scenic Drives,
Fishing, Campgrounds, Climbing and Mountaineering, Biking,
Picnicking, Hiking Winter Activities, Kids Activities,
Backcountry Camping, Wildlife Viewing, Horseback Riding
and Ranger-led Programs.
Rocky Mountain National Park Roads - The careful
relationship of the park roads to the landscape results in a
road system that generally harmonizes with the environment.
Roadway alignments were chosen to highlight natural
features, and scenic vistas and overlooks were provided to
allow visitors to take in the magnificent terrain. The stone
parapet walls and road-related structures, constructed in the
National Park Service's distinctive rustic style of architecture,
relate well to their natural surroundings and help evoke a
distinctive experience. Not surprisingly, the park roads are the
principal attraction for most of the nearly three million visitors
who flock to Rocky Mountain National Park each year.
Trail Ridge Road - The road system of Rocky Mountain
National Park offers visitors access to diverse ecosystems
characterizing the higher regions of the central Rocky
Mountains. The roads take visitors through lowland meadows
and aspen groves, along swift-flowing rivers and up through
subalpine forests to more than 12,000 feet in elevation. No
other national park roads offer the dramatic experience of a
long drive across alpine tundra region, and few offer such a
wide variety of experiences.
Climbing and Mountaineering - Climbing has been a
popular activity in and around the area known today as Rocky
Mountain National Park since the 1800's. The wide variety of
peaks and granite rock formations in the Park provide
excellent opportunities for a wide spectrum of climbing
including rock, big wall, snow and ice, bouldering and
mountaineering. It is a mecca for local climbers, as well as
those from around the world. Opportunities for climbing exist
in many areas of the park including Lumpy Ridge and Longs
Peak. Whichever activity you select, it is your responsibility to
respect the areas you visit, minimize your impacts, and know
and obey all park regulations.
Wildlife Viewing - This living showcase of the grandeur of
the Rocky Mountains, with elevations ranging from 8,000 feet
in the wet, grassy valleys to 14,259 feet at the
weather-ravaged top of Longs Peak, provides visitors with
opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and
adventures. Elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, black
bears, coyotes, cougars, eagles, hawks and scores of smaller
animals delight wildlife-watchers of all ages. Wildflower-lovers
are never disappointed in June and July when the meadows
and hillsides are splashed with botanical color. Autumn
visitors can relax among the golden aspens or enjoy the
rowdier antics of the elk rut (mating season). Click below for
more things to do at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park - 359 miles of trail
offer endless opportunities to hikers, backpackers and
horseback riders. Anglers, bird-watchers and photographers
discover the splendor that they traveled so far to find. During
the winter, snowshoers and cross-country skiers revel in the
white-blanketed tranquility of meadows and forests.
Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park - With five
drive-in campgrounds Rocky Mountain National Park provides
a variety of camping experiences. Two campgrounds,
Moraine Park and Glacier Basin, are on the reservation
system. Aspenglen, Longs Peak and Timber Creek
campgrounds are on a first-come first-served basis.
Backpackers may choose from over 200 backcountry
campsites when they apply for their backcountry camping
permits.
Park Hours: Rocky Mountain National Park is open 24 hours a
day, 12 months of the year.
Directions to Rocky Mountain National Park - From
Denver and the east, take U.S. routes 34 or 36 through Estes
Park, Colorado. From west or south, take I-70 to U.S. Rt. 40.,
then to U.S. Rt.34 through Granby and Grand Lake.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK WEATHER
Climate of Rocky National National Park - The Continental
Divide runs northwest to southeast through the center of the
park atop the high peaks. This accounts for two distinct
climate patterns - one arid on the east side near Estes Park
and the other more precipitous in the Grand Lake area on the
park's west side.
WHERE IS ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Rocky Mountain National Park
1000 Highway 36
Estes Park, Colorado 80517
Phone (970) 586-1206
Make a day trip up Trail Ridge Road (12,183 feet), the
highest, continuous, paved road in the United States. Trail
Ridge Road will showcase the grandeur of the Rocky
Mountains. There are 359 miles of trails for hikers,
backpackers and horseback riding. Explore the high-
country dotted with colorful wildflowers. Drive the Peak-to-
Peak Scenic Byway. View the wildlife up close. In Estes
Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park, nature can
be enjoyed at its finest.
Old Fall River Road - The Old Fall River Road was the only
road to Fall River Pass until Trail Ridge Road was built in
the early 1930s. Today it is a one-way dirt road that runs
between Endovalley and the Pass. It is narrow and has
many switchbacks, but it is a beautiful and safe drive.
There are many interesting sites. One of these is Chasm
Falls. There is a parking area at the falls if you would like to
take the short walk to the bottom of the falls. Many varieties
and colors of wildflowers grow along the Old Fall River
Road. Also, be sure to watch for elk, deer, bighorn sheep
and marmots when you get above tree line.
Moraine Park Museum - Housed in one of the buildings of
the historic former Moraine Lodge, the museum also
serves as a visitor information center. Exhibits coordinated
by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science emphasize
the geology of the park, including information on the
glaciers that formed Moraine Park. Additional displays give
insight into the park's different ecosystems and some of
the characteristic wildlife. New interactive displays feature
five themes that describe "The Making of a Landscape".
The themes included geologic processes, glaciations,
weather and climate, ecosystems, and human impact. The
National Park Service and the Denver Museum of Natural
History produced the displays.
Longs Peak - You can't miss this mountain. At 14,259 feet,
Longs Peak towers above all other summits in the Rocky
Mountains. The flat-topped monarch is seen from almost
anywhere in the park. Different angles show the great
mountain's unique profiles. Changing weather reflects
Longs Peak's many moods. In the summertime - the
season when thousands hike or climb to Longs' summit -
those moods are fairly predictable. Early mornings break
calm, clear and blue. Clouds build in the afternoon sky,
often exploding in storms of brief, heavy rain, thunder and
dangerous lightning. Begin the trek early, way before dawn,
to be back in the car before the weather turns. Once
climbed, or even viewed at a distance from the safety of a
car, Longs Peak is not a mountain easily forgotten.
Kawuneeche Visitor Center - The park's only west-side
source of visitor information has exhibits on the plant and
animal life of the area, as well as a large three-
dimensional map of the park. OPEN: Mid-June-mid-Aug.,
daily 8-6; mid-Aug.-mid-June,
daily 8-4:30
More Interesting Attractions in the Rocky Mountain
National Park
Never Summer Ranch
Wild Basin Area
Lily Lake Visitor Center
Alluvial Fan
Alpine Visitor Center
UNITED STATES NATIONAL PARK.COM
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