My love affair with Rocky Mountain NP has spanned some 38 years. My uncle took me up to RMNP the first week of my move to Colorful Colorado. It was love at first sight! I was 19 years old and had few encounters with the wonders of nature having grown up in a large city. I am fortunate that I can experience the wonder of RMNP as often as I choose since it is only an hour drive to get there. Every Friday after a short day at work I would make my pilgrimage to RMNP if only to find a spot by a gurgling brook and settle down with a good book. It was a refuge for me in an unfamiliar environment. I was fortunate to meet people who enjoyed the park as I did. I hiked, backpacked, and cross country skied as often as I could. My favorite backpacking trip was Bear Lake to Grand Lake, which I did many times. All the trails were magnificent and such a pleasant adventure. The elk bugling in the fall was a must to hear and see year after year. As the years have passed I frequent RMNP less but I still get an annual pass and visit 2 to 3 times a year. The beauty and memories will forever be etched in my mind as this long love affair with RMNP grows stronger with each passing year!
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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