When my dad was in college in Ohio, a group of students visited the park and climbed Long’s Peak. After retirement, my folks bought a cabin near the park. At 69, Dad asked my family to come from Washington DC and climb Long’s Peak with him before he was “over the hill” at 70. My husband and I and our 3 oldest children climbed with him starting early in the morning, returning in the evening. Our youngest climber, a fourth grader, got mountain sick part way up. My dad insisted on staying with her while we climbed to the top. We felt terrible about that, but after he was 70 he climbed with my sister to celebrate her remission from cancer. Dad died in his 90’s. I am now 80. My sisters and I and our families will hold a reunion at the cabin this summer. Of course, there will be hikes in that beautiful park!
Sincerely,
Rocky Mountain National Park
This dramatic landscape of towering mountains and alpine lakes encompasses more than 265,000 acres - 95% of which are designated wilderness. With this intentional focus on protecting this unique landscape, there are few developed infrastructure areas in the park, which leads to traffic problems in areas including the Bear Lake Road Corridor and right off Trail Ridge Road. Alpine tundra also encompasses approximately 1/3 of the park. Alpine tundra is a fundamental and fragile resource, which requires park managers to give this ecosystem increased attention for protection.
State(s): Colorado
Established: 1915
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Greetings from Rocky Mountain National Park
Last year about this time, my husband and I were planning an autumn trip to CO. Rocky Mountain NP was to be among our first stops but we had never visited a park where reservations were required. I called the number at RMNP to get some advice. The man who…
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