Greetings from Rocky Mountain National Park

I grew up in a suburb of Chicago. I was 20 when I first visited a national park. My best friend and I took a 10 day road trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. It was 1980 and the first day we were driving down a switchback and turned the corner, there ahead was a Meadow with about 50 elk grazing.
We were able to pull to the side of the road, no one else was around. I was so amazed I said outloud “where’s the fence”? I’d never seen animals in the wild before. We sat there and watched those elk for 20 minutes. I was so thrilled. Since then I have been to 23 national parks and intend to visit many more. When I am in the vastness of the national parks and nature I always feel so much closer to nature and God.

Sincerely,
Judy

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National park offers breathtaking views of the spectacular Rocky Mountain range, with 60 peaks over 12,000 feet, small permanent glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, and historic and cultural treasures including ancient trails, game drives, cattle ranches and lodges. This park’s rugged landscapes harbor hundreds of high-elevation plant and animal species — some that are increasingly rare outside the park or are found nowhere else. Some of the park’s human-made structures speak to the boom-and-bust cycles and neverending search for adequate water supplies that characterized the nation’s westward expansion.

State(s): Colorado

Established: 1915

“I feel closer to nature and God”

National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!

{{ active ? "Cancel" : "Begin"}}

Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.

In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!

Here’s your unique story page link:

{{ storyUrl }}

* indicates Required fields

Click to choose a file to upload

Submitting your story means that you agree to our Terms of Service

More Stories

  • Greetings from Rocky Mountain National Park

    My very first home was Rocky Mountain National Park where we lived in the ranger cabin at Glacier Basin campground. Dad left the Park service but we spent so much time there growing up. That start to my life has inspired me to visit as many Park sites as possible…

  • Greetings from Rocky Mountain National Park

    I am blessed to live only 45 minutes from Rocky Mountain National Park. This means I can experience the park many times and in different seasons. Each time is a new experience, even if the trail is the same. The weather can change from a gentle breeze to a…

  • Greetings from Rocky Mountain National Park

    The Rocky Mountain National Park was my summer home every year of the first eighteen years of my life. My grandparents rented the largest cabin at Jack Woods Cabin Camp just inside the old Thompson River entrance to the park, where our extended family congregated each year. I grew up…

Donate

Preserve Our Parks

Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.

Donate Now