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US National Parks

Rocky Mountain


Nature’s voices are calling us to see, hear and feel the beauty of the earth.  A beautiful sunset, crystal-clear streams meandering through mountain meadows, green and gold aspen leaves shimmering in the sun, herds of elk grazing in the meadow, and moose wading in a stream are some of the amazing and precious treasures of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Trail Ridge Road, the highest road in any national park, transports you easily to the top of the world with open sky and tiny, brilliant flowers.  Generally open from late May through mid-October, this road offers breathtaking vistas, access to the alpine tundra, and is one the most unique and special aspects of Rocky Mountain National Park.  Approximately one-third of this national park is above 11,000 feet (3,353m) in altitude, the limit, due to climate conditions, where trees are able to grow in northern Colorado.


       


     
Another of the many treasures in the park is an abundance of large mountain meadows.  These natural openings, caused by soil type and moisture levels, favor grasses and wildflowers instead of trees.  Wildflower displays are at their peak in June and July.  Excellent opportunities exist to photograph scenic mountain panoramas and various wildlife throughout the park.

“Those of us who have been privileged to spend a night under the stars in an isolated mountain valley know that the wilderness transforms each of us in subtle ways which linger long after the glow of the campfire and the smell of the pine needles are gone.  Better, more effective, more useful citizens result from such a primeval reunion with the source of our biological heritage.  With the knowledge of the effect the wilderness has had upon us, we must work to bring that experience within easy reach of generations to come”.   

D. Ferrel Atkins
Ranger and Park Historian
Rocky Mountain National Park
September 1, 1990

“I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” - John Muir


                                                                     
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For more information, visit:
Rocky Mountain National Park and Rocky Mountain Nature Association.