Tag Archives: hiking

Rocky Mountain National Park: Trails, Wildlife, and Majestic Views

Posted on by
Reply

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir 

11,000 years ago, humans began to venture into the untamed wilderness we now know as Rocky Mountain National Park. Replete with an abundance of wild animals, flora, fauna, and glacier-sculpted mountains, the Ute came to settle in the meadows and the valleys, eventually moving on in the 1700’s. With the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the United States acquired the land that we know now as the Rocky Mountain National Park. In the late 1850’s, the gold rush in and around Pike’s Peak brought prospectors to the area. Hunters and trappers also began to discover the abundance of wildlife in the rugged area and despite the harsh winters, ranchers, hunters, miners, and homesteaders began to settle.

As tourism built, a conservation movement was already underway. Now renowned naturalists, John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and Teddy Roosevelt, were instrumental in establishing the Estes Park Protective and Improvement Association. Enos Mills, a naturalist and nature guide began promoting, in earnest, the creation of a national park. After years of exhaustive lobbying, lecturing, and letter writing by Mr. Mills, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Rocky Mountain National Park Act in 1915, despite opposition from miners and loggers in the area.

During the depression of the 1930’s, the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) helped the National Park Service to build Trail Ridge Road. This was an integral part of the park because unlike other national parks at that time, there was no rail service to take tourists to the park. Rocky Mountain National Park was primarily an “auto park”. This meant that roads were a necessity for tourists to be able to experience all the beauty the park had to offer.

Rocky Mountain National Park hosts approximately 4 million visitors a year, with a record high of 4.7 million back in 2020.

There are 3 main entrances: 

Grand Lake Entrance if you wish to go clockwise on Trail Ridge Road.  

Beaver Meadows The entrance to get you to Bear Lake and you can also reach Trail Ridge Rd. 

Fall River Entrance if you wish to go counter-clockwise on Trail Ridge Road and a good place to see bighorn sheep.

As of the date this post was written, timed entry reservations are not needed in the spring and fall seasons. After May 23rd, you MUST make a timed entry reservation and if you wish to include a visit to Bear Lake, that must be stipulated with your timed entry reservation. Make sure you go to the Rocky Mountain National Park website and check out the Plan Your Visit section. Always make sure you’re looking ahead and planning your trip. Entrance fees can vary with your age and passes can be purchased ahead of time. Cash is NOT accepted so plan to use your credit card. There are fee-free entrance days but if you choose to go on those days, be aware that the park entrances may have extra long lines for entry. Everything you need to know is on the website so decide what time of year you’d like to visit, plan ahead, then go! If you live in and around the Rocky Mountain National Park and visit often, you might consider purchasing a transponder for your vehicle. Transponders are for park visitors who visit the park frequently, especially before 9a and after 2p, outside of the timed entry window. Check the park information page for more information about transponders.

There are approximately 355 miles of hiking trails throughout the park. Some good, simple hikes to do – especially when you are coming up to this altitude and need to take it easy.

  • Sprague Lake .7 miles (loop) 
  • Bear Lake .7 miles (loop) 
  • Alberta Falls 1.6 miles (in and out) 

There are also many more moderate, difficult, and longer trails, too.  Be sure to check out the Park newspaper for all the trail information and always check with the rangers on trail conditions before you head out, especially if you’re hiking in the spring and the fall, when weather can quickly take a turn.

If you’re not interested in hiking and just want to bask in the glory of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, take the Trail Ridge Road up to Alpine Ridge and the Alpine Visitor Center. Did you know that Rocky Mountain National Park has many aspects of the boreal forest?  While not in the continuous range of the geographic boreal forest, scientists have noted that many trees and animals in the Rocky Mountain National Park are the same as what you would find in the boreal forest that stretches from Alaska to New Foundland, and through Russia.

Feeling a little adventurous? While Trail Ridge Road is the highest, continuous, paved road in the nation, the Old Fall River Road is a scenic road that reminds you to slow down and enjoy the scenery. Old Fall River Road is an 11 mile long, one-way, gravel road. The speed limit is 15 mph and will take you, approximately, one hour to complete. There are several switchbacks and if driving up a road with no guardrails makes you antsy, this road may not be for you. But it is a one-way road so you will not encounter opposing traffic. Most of the people who take this road are driving it because they’re in no hurry. There are wider spots for you to pull over if someone does want to pass you. If you have the time, I would suggest taking Old Fall River Road up to Alpine Ridge and taking the Trail Ridge Road back down. Adventure awaits!

Rocky Mountain National Park is open year round, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is located at 1000 US Hwy 36
Estes Park, CO 80517

The Information Office is open year-round: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily in summer; 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Mondays – Fridays and 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Saturdays – Sundays in winter. Recorded Trail Ridge Road status: (970) 586-1222.

Information on accessible trails can be found here and all-terrain wheelchairs can be reserved at no cost to you.  Just call the Estes Park Mountain Shop at 970-586-6548.

MILE MARKER: There were so many women trailblazers that contributed to the development and conservation of this park, they could have a blog post of their own. Homesteaders, authors, teachers, and conservationists, these women were an integral part of making Rocky Mountain National Park the jewel it is today. To read more about them, go here to the history of the park and learn more about these female trailblazers!

HIKE IT!: There are so many trails to hike at Rocky Mountain National Park, there really are too many to list. But, the website offers a wonderful page of suggested hikes broken down into lake hikes, waterfall hikes, and summit hikes. Further research will also take you to pages of hikes based on the time of year you will be visiting. And don’t forget, “Hike your own hike!”


“Canyon de Chelly: Where Culture, History, and Landscape Meet”

Posted on by
1

Canyon de Chelly was authorized in 1931, but its roots go back further than our imaginations can carry us.

Initially inhabited by Ancient Puebloans until the mid-1300’s, they were followed by the Hopi, and in the mid-1600’s, the lands were finally settled by the Navajo, also known as the Diné.

The Navajo were able to prosper in the canyons, raising their families, farming crops, planting orchards, and caring for livestock, until the late 1700’s when many external forces created challenges to their ability to live on their rightful land. Invasions by the Ute, other tribes, and Spanish colonists challenged Navajo defenses, which were eventually overrun.

The Navajo built their lands up again, only to be assailed in the 1860’s by Col. Kit Carson of the U.S. Army, who utilized a scorched earth policy to decimate the land and forced the Navajo people to leave their home and walk 300+ miles over a span of 3 years. The Navajo, as well as the Mescalero Apache, were forcibly removed from their homelands and “relocated” to an outpost known as the Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation, which was intended to be a reservation but quickly became a prison camp. Lack of rations, disease, and horrific living conditions resulted in the deaths of approximately 1500 people, not including those who perished during the Long Walk to Bosque Redondo.

In 1868, a treaty was signed acknowledging the sovereignty of the Navajo Nation and the Navajo people were allowed to return to their land. In 1931, President Herbert Hoover authorized the Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Canyon de Chelly covers approximately 84,000 acres, all of which resides fully in the Navajo Nation. There are still at least 40 families residing within the boundaries of the park. The Navajo people and the National Park system share resources and work in tandem to preserve this beautiful monument.

Canyon de Chelly has no entrance fee! There is a Welcome Center with a park store. The entrance gates are open from 8a-5p daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Plan ahead to learn more about the scenic drives. There are two paved, rim drives with several overlooks. The North Rim Overlook offers views of the cliffside dwellings and the South Rim offers more scenic views including a view of Spider Rock.

Each drive takes approximately 2 hours, according to the park website, so plan for a 2-4 hour trip if you plan on making all stops for photo opportunities. The park website provides suggestions for what to see depending on how much time you’ve allotted for your visit.

Primitive campsites are available for a fee. Self-guided hikes and Ranger led programs are available but check before hand for changes in fees and schedules. Private canyon tours are available by hiking, horseback or vehicle. As with other parks and sites where people are currently in residence, please look out for and respect any signs that prohibit taking photographs.

MILE MARKER: The Navajo and Apache people are Athabaskan speakers. They are distantly related to the Athabaskan people from Canada and Alaska.

HIKE IT!: The White House Ruins Trail is a 2.5 mile, round trip hike that descends 600 feet into the canyon. This is the only self-guided tour at Canyon de Chelly and although it is currently closed, there are plans to reopen the trail sometime in 2025.

Check ahead on the website before making plans.