When it’s mid-July and the city heat rises to the upper nineties, it’s time to get away to the mountains, to Rocky Mountain National Park. Whether you are going for only a day or on an overnight camping trip, the power of the mountains is cleansing. We arrive at Fall River Pass above tree line, park our car, shoulder our packs and pick up the trail just across the road that heads off into the green tundra. We’re in no hurry to get to a given destination –no, we just amble along the trail and look across at Specimen Mountain rising a few thousand feet higher. Once we’re about a mile or so away, we take a breather and stretch out on the trail to relax and enjoy the view while sipping on some cold water and looking through our binoculars. We could go farther, but this spot has much to offer. Here we try to concentrate on the grasses of the tundra, on the sedges and tiny Parry primroses at our feet. We can see in the distance a herd of elk . Ravens squawk above us as a few thunderheads begin to develop over Mount Ida rising to almost 13,000 feet. As thunder rumbles, my wife and I get up to hoof back to Fall River Pass where it has begun to sleet. There’s a distinct chill in the air. Lightning forks the sky as we drive back to Denver that we can once again enjoy.
Sincerely,
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National park offers breathtaking views of the spectacular Rocky Mountain range, with 60 peaks over 12,000 feet, small permanent glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, and historic and cultural treasures including ancient trails, game drives, cattle ranches and lodges. This park’s rugged landscapes harbor hundreds of high-elevation plant and animal species — some that are increasingly rare outside the park or are found nowhere else. Some of the park’s human-made structures speak to the boom-and-bust cycles and neverending search for adequate water supplies that characterized the nation’s westward expansion.
State(s): Colorado
Established: 1915
“Parks give us relief from city crowds and heat by filling us with restorative energy.”
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Greetings from Rocky Mountain National Park
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Greetings from Rocky Mountain National Park
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