From lush valleys to craggy peaks
This living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, with elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the wet, grassy valleys to 14,259 feet at the weather-ravaged top of Longs Peak, provides visitors with opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures.
Camping
With five drive-in campgrounds Rocky Mountain National Park provides a variety of camping experiences. For 2009 two campgrounds, Moraine Park and Aspenglen, are on the reservation system. Glacier Basin, Longs Peak and Timber Creek campgrounds are on a first-come first-served basis. Backpackers may choose from over 200 backcountry campsites when they apply for their backcountry camping permits.
Hiking
359 miles of trail offer endless opportunities to hikers, backpackers and horseback riders. Anglers, bird-watchers and photographers discover the splendor that they traveled so far to find. During the winter, snowshoers and cross-country skiers revel in the white-blanketed tranquility of meadows and forests.
Protecting America's Treasures
Elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, black bears, coyotes, cougars, eagles, hawks and scores of smaller animals delight wildlife-watchers of all ages. Wildflower-lovers are never disappointed in June and July when the meadows and hillsides are splashed with botanical color. Autumn visitors can relax among the golden aspens or enjoy the rowdier antics of the elk rut (mating season). Click below for more things to do at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Research
Rocky Mountain National Park, for all its grand beauty and sense of wildness, is embedded in a human environment that creates special challenges. Nitrogen deposition, growing elk populations, and fragile ecosystems are major management concerns. Managers need the best scientific information available to juggle these many conflicting interests.
Climate
The Continental Divide runs northwest to southeast through the center of the park atop the high peaks. This accounts for two distinct climate patterns - one arid on the east side near Estes Park and the other more humid with almost twice the annual precipitation in the Grand Lake area on the park's west side.
Write to
Rocky Mountain National Park
1000 Highway 36
Estes Park, Colorado 80517
