Rocky Mountain area Attractions

Bear Lake, situated below Flattop Mountain and Hallett Peak, is one of the most accessible - and beautiful - sites in Rocky Mountain National Park. The lake is a hot spot for photography and an access point for many of the park’s most popular trails. Bear Lake Nature Trail, an interpretive 0.6-mile loop, is an easy amble ideal for families with youngsters. Bear Lake is accessible via the nine-mile, paved Bear Lake Road, which branches off of U.S. 36 after the Beaver Meadows entrance station. Traffic to the lake is often intense during the summer months, and guests are encouraged to take the shuttle bus from Glacier Basin campground in order to access the area.

Longs Peak, 14,255-feet in elevation, is the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. Visitors are challenged with a strenuous climb, on foot or via the mountain face, in order to reach the outstanding vistas from its football-field-sized summit. The Keyhole Route, a taxing eight-mile (one way) hike, is one method of reaching its apex. The other way involves braving the Diamond, located on the eastern face of Longs Peak, which is one of the most famous - and intimidating - rock climbs in the nation. Adventurers should start out very early in the morning if attempting to master Longs Peak because the mountain is known for its dangerous afternoon thunderstorms. Those that lack the physical conditioning to reach Longs Peak's distinctive flat top may view it from Trail Ridge Road and various areas on the park's east side.

Lulu City, settled in 1879 and deserted by 1884, is a mining town that seemed to disappear as quickly as it emerged. The town, supposedly named after founder Benjamin Franklin Burnett's daughter, owes its desertion to the high costs of mining in the area and its generally low-grade ore. In its heyday, the city featured four lumber mills, a fancy hotel, and a post office. Only a few ruins and rusty pieces of mining equipment remain today. The Colorado River Trail (3.7 miles one way) meanders past the ruins of abandoned miner's cabins in Shipler Park before reaching Lulu City. The Colorado River Trail is located off of Trail Ridge Road, approximately 10.5 miles north of Grand Lake.

The Moraine Park Museum, housed in a historic log building made of pine and glacial rock, features natural history exhibits about Rocky Mountain National Park. Its hands-on demonstration, "How the Rockies Were Made", allows guests to re-create land shifts and changes at the turn of a dial. Simulations of glacial movement explain the creation of the moraines and lakes that make up Moraine Park. Other exhibits explore the animal inhabitants and different ecosystems of Moraine Park. The museum is located off of Bear Lake Road, less than two miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance. Call the museum at (970) 586-1206 for information about its hours.

The Never Summer Ranch, a historic lodge and dude ranch, was once used as a base camp for guests interested in high country hunting and fishing trips in Rocky Mountain National Park. The ranch, featuring nine wooden structures, is restored to its original 1920s and 1930s condition. The buildings include a taxidermy shop and a house named after Sophie "Mama" Holzwarth, who prepared two meals per day for up to 50 hungry lodgers. The onsite Tent Cabin, a wooden structure with a canvas roof, displays the basic necessities provided to guests of the era. Never Summer Ranch, open seasonally, is located about seven miles north of the Grand Lake park entrance, along U.S. Route 34 - a half-mile trail from the parking lot leads to the site.

Old Fall River Road, under construction from 1913 to 1920, was the first road leading into the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park. This one-way road - meandering 11 miles (two paved and nine gravel) upwards - offers many of the same views as Trail Ridge Road, but it is less heavily traveled. Tourists begin their travel in the montane ecosystem - characterized by ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, aspen, and abundant wildlife - and eventually drive into the alpine tundra, home to golden eagles, hawks, bighorn sheep, and elk. Old Fall River Road runs from Horseshoe Park to Fall River Pass (at the Alpine Visitor Center), where it joins with Trail Ridge Road. The road is open only during the summer months.

More than 150 programs, including free hikes, talks, and activities, are scheduled throughout the summer at Rocky Mountain National Park. Ranger talks include topics such as the geology, history, and flora and fauna of the park. The park campgrounds frequently host slide shows and story-telling as part of their evening campfire programs. In winter, rangers take guests on guided snowshoeing and cross country tours. The park's newspaper, High Country Headlines, typically details the schedule of activities. Guests can pick up a copy of the paper at any entrance station or visitor center.

The star attraction in Rocky Mountain National Park is its 48-mile Trail Ridge Road, designated a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road. The road is the world’s highest continuous paved highway – its greatest elevation reaches 12,183 feet. Twelve marked pullouts along the road treat guests to panoramic mountain vistas, coupled with views of plant and animal life. Interpretive signs at each pullout discuss the varying climates, glacial formations, plants, and peaks that tourists encounter at each stop. Guests should prepare for a temperature drop between 20 and 30 degrees at the road’s higher elevations. Trail Ridge Road, U.S. 34, runs from the city of Estes Park to the community of Grand Lake.

There are an abundance of waterfalls among the Rocky Mountain National Park’s 350 miles of hiking trails. The 6.3-mile (one way) Bluebird Lake Trail, which ambles through forests and meadows, leads to Copeland Falls, Calypso Cascades, and Ouzel Falls. Guests reach Adams Falls just 0.3 miles into the East Inlet Trail, before making their way to a prime picnic spot. The Alberta Falls Trail is an easy walk along Glacier Creek, culminating in a view of beautiful cascades.

Rocky Mountain National Park is famous for its wildlife viewing, particularly large animals such as elk, moose, and bighorn sheep. While searching in vain for one species of animal, guests might happen upon another - an unexpected pleasure of searching for wildlife in natural habitats. Horseshoe Park is an excellent venue for glimpsing bighorn sheep, especially in May and June, because it contains natural mineral licks that attract the animals. Deer and elk tend to feed in the open meadows - guests might want to search for them in Beaver Meadows at dawn. Moose are found primarily in Kawuneeche Valley, located on the park's western side. Elk, moose, and deer are most active during dawn and dusk; bighorn sheep and many smaller animals are visible throughout the day.

The City and Sites Estes Valley Tours supplies guests with insider information about Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park that only local inhabitants can provide. The tours, which usually last around three hours, point out the best shops, restaurants, hikes, and views that the Estes Park region has to offer. Advance reservations are recommended, but more than a week ahead of time is usually not necessary. The tour company is located at 514 Grand Estates Drive, E-1. Call the company at (970) 214-2989 for information about its tour times and fees.

The Colorado Mountain School, accredited by the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA), is the oldest continuously operated guide service in America. It is also the only permitted climbing guide service in Rocky Mountain National Park. The school takes guests on climbs ranging from 8,000 feet in elevation (Lumpy Ridge near Estes Park) to 14,255 feet (Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park). Climbing excursions are offered year-round, but the spring and early summer are the best seasons for beginners to brave the peaks. The school is located at 341 Moraine Ave. in Estes Park. Call the school at (970) 586-5758 to discuss its varied climb excursions and fees.

Enos Mills, "The Father of Rocky Mountain National Park", was a nature guide, author, photographer, innkeeper, and - perhaps most importantly - a conservationist. He campaigned for six years before then-President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation in 1915 that established Rocky Mountain National Park. Mills' original 1885 homestead contains books, letter, documents, photographs, and other mementoes that chronicle his work and experiences. Two different self-guided nature trails, each about a city block long, wind guests towards the entrance to Mills' cabin. The cabin is located at 6760 Highway 7, eight miles south of Estes Park.

This suspended tramway travels 8,896 feet upwards, at a rate of 1,000 feet per minute, to the apex of Prospect Mountain. The mountain summit provides outstanding panoramic views of Longs Peak, the Continental Divide, Rocky Mountain National Park, and the Estes Park Valley. The tramway company is located at 420 E. Riverside Drive. It operates from mid-May to mid-September. Call the company at (970) 586-3675 for information about its tour times and fees.

The Estes Park Area Historical Museum explores the lives of early inhabitants and settlers and the impact they had on the region. Museum exhibits include a Stanley Steamer Car, an early 20th-century log cabin, and Rocky Mountain National Park's original headquarters. Its ongoing "Tracks in Time" exhibit chronicles the history of Estes Park from the ice age to today. Families with youngsters might want to pick up a History Hiker activity booklet (available at the front desk), which encourages children to take an in-depth look at the exhibits; children receive a badge upon the completion of the booklet. The museum is located at 200 Fourth St. Call the museum at (970) 586-6256 for information about its hours and admission fees.

Mitch Kaplan, author of "The Golf Book of Lists", named Estes Park Golf Course the sixth most beautiful course in America. The 18-hole course, nestled in a natural valley, is surrounded by the snowcapped mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park. Players often share the course with herds of elk and deer, which are known to frequent the area. The scenery alone is enough to break a golfer's concentration on the game, but the challenging holes also test a player's mental stamina. The golf course, located at 1080 S. St. Vrain, is open from mid-April to October. Call the course at (970) 586-8146, ext. 0 for tee times; call (970) 577-1147 for all other questions.

Grand Lake, the largest natural lake in Colorado, provides anglers with kokonee salmon and rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout. Picnicking along its beach areas and boating from its marina are among the popular lake activities. The Grand Lake Yacht Club, purportedly the world's highest yacht club, hosts two famous events on the lake - the Grand Lake Regatta in July and the Lipton Cup Races in August (which draws sailboats from around the world). Grand Lake is located in the town of Grand Lake, along the western border of Rocky Mountain National Park and near the headwaters of the Colorado River. Native American legend states that spirits are found in the morning mists of Grand Lake - visitors often comment on the mystical quality of the area in early morning hours.

Lake Granby, located off of U.S 34 just west of the Continental Divide, is an ideal spot for camping, picnicking, fishing, and power boating. It features approximately 260 campsites, and three boat-launch ramps. A majority of its shoreline is accessible for fishing via an automobile or short hike, but most anglers prefer to catch their fish from a boat due to the lake's large size. The primary sport fish are rainbow trout, mackinaw trout, and salmon, but several other species of trout abound in the waters as well. Lake Granby is approximately 220 feet deep, and it spans 7,280 surface acres.

The Longs Peak Scottish/Irish Highland Festival, which takes place in early September in Estes Park, is one of the largest and most prestigious Celtic festivals in the United States. Perhaps the most unforgettable aspect of the festival is its music, including performances from world champion and renowned ceremonial military pipe bands. Tattoo, a music and light performance in honor of Celtic-American tradition, is a crowd favorite that sells out quickly. The Highland athletic events are also memorable. One such competition, the caber toss, utilizes strength and skill to throw large tree trunks.

Macgregor Ranch, founded in 1873, is the last remaining working cattle ranch in Estes Park. It also serves as an educational center about the homesteading era through its collection of historic buildings and items - preserved completely intact from 1873. Guests peruse the original household items in the main ranch house (now a museum), while trained guides discuss the homesteading history of Colorado. The household furniture, clothing, original oil paintings, books, rocks and minerals collections, personal diaries, and early historic photographs belonged to three generations of the MacGregor family. The milk house, smokehouse, blacksmith shop, and horse-drawn machinery are available for self-guided tours. The historic ranch and museum is located at 180 Macgregor Lane in Estes Park. Call the ranch and museum at (970) 586-3749 for information about its hours and group tours.