Rocky Mountain National Park...A Hiker's Paradise
Rocky Mountain National Park is situated in the "Front Range" of the Rockies in north central Colorado about 75 miles northwest of Denver. It encompasses 265,807 acres of spectacular mountain vistas with 350 miles of mild to very challenging hiking trails. All trails are over 7750 ft in elevation. RMNP is very popular with over 4 million visitors a year. And a lot of them like to hike so expect some trails to be very busy in "peak" season.
The continental divide runs through RMNP. The highest point in northern Colorado, Longs Peak, is in the park. The Colorado River starts in RMNP. Elk, moose, deer, black bears, big-horn sheep, mountain lions, marmots, pika, pine martins, turkeys, a few varieties of squirrels and several bird species live in the park. The park has 3 ecosystems that are determined by elevation. Montane: from 5600 to 9500 ft el., Subalpine: from 9500 to 11,500 ft el. and Alpine Tundra: above 11,500. Each has vegetation primarily found in that elevation range.The Montane ecosystem supports the widest variety of wildlife.
Because RMNP is so popular a timed-entry system has been implemented. You will need a reservation to enter during certain hours depending on time of year. We will provide a link for it.
RMNP headquarters is in Estes Park, a thriving, very popular mountain town of almost 6000 residents. It's on the east side of the park. Just about anything you need can be found there. Lodging, campgrounds, gear, groceries, dining and entertainment...it's all there. The town of Grand Lake is close to the west entrance of the park 48 miles from Estes Park. It's a smaller town of about 400 with fewer amenities, but still very popular. It aslo has several lodging choices. The actual lake of Grand Lake is the largest natural lake in Colorado.
US Hwy 34 goes through the park and connects Estes Park with Grand Lake. It is called Trail Ridge Rd in the park. You'll reach an elevation of 12,183 ft on it. Trail Ridge is the highest continuously paved through road in North America. It actually does feel like you're on top of the World when you travel it. The Alpine Visitor Center is on Trail Ridge Rd at an elevation of 11,976 ft above sea level. It's the highest visitor center in the US park system.