Rocky Mountain Ntl Park: 12 Beautiful Stops on Trail Ridge Road

         So I'll try to keep the descriptions brief since I'm putting so many photos in this blog. But our drive down Trail Ridge Road in the Rocky Mountain National Park was a full-day excursion. The travel book we had with us says it takes about 3 hours, but that's only possible if you don't stop and take the short trails to get to the good views. It took us about 7 hours from start to finish and we were pretty beat on the way back to camp.

       The first stop is Deer Ridge Junction where you can see the Mummy Mountain range (elevation: 8,940 feet). There's a nice meadow and trail to walk down if you have the time.

After Deer Ridge Junction there's a small unofficial stop called Beaver Ponds that's basically an open gazebo surrounded by wetlands. It's a nice place to have lunch.

        

Stop No.2: Hidden Valley (elevation: 9,240 feet). You need to get out of your car and walk the trail here! It's really peaceful with beautiful creeks nearby and picnic tables. It used to be a downhill ski area, but the park is now trying to let the natural flora grow back. 

        

 Stop No. 3: Many Parks Curve (elevation: 9,620 feet). This spot has a GREAT view and the term "park" refers to a level valley between mountain ranges. The valley at Many Park Curve was carved by glaciers about 10,000 years ago. It's also a good spot for birders.

Stop No. 4: Rainbow Curve (elevation: 10,829 feet). This spot has a huge overlook where you can have close encounters with birds and ground squirrels. I was lucky to get a couple of shots of the Clark's Nutcracker below. Looking out, you can see all the way to Longs Peak, Hidden Valley and Horseshoe Park.

Stop No. 5: Forest Canyon Overlook (elevation: 11,716 feet). FAVORITE SPOT HANDS DOWN. If you only see one place along the Trail Ridge Road then make it this one. The view is amazing and you can definitely feel the rise in elevation. Erosion from glaciers has carved out a good bit of this canyon and it's a favorite hangout for marmots.

Stop No. 6: Rock Cut (elevation: 12,110 feet). Rock Cut is the highest point along the Trail Ridge Road and is alpine tundra at its harshest. During midsummer temperatures can drop below freezing. The .5 mile walk along the Tundra World Nature Trail is slightly strenuous going uphill. Of course, when I reached the end showing off a beautiful drop off and outcrop of rock my camera battery decided to go dead. But here are some photos on the way up.

Stop No. 7: Lava Cliffs (elevation: 12,080 feet). The Lava Cliffs are pretty cool with layers of snow making a nice contrast against the dark cliffs which were formed by the carving action of glacial ice through thick layers of volcanic ash and debris 28 MILLION YEARS AGO! 

Stop No. 8: Fall River Pass (elevation: 11,796 feet). Get ready for stairs....lots of them. You might have to take a couple of breathers on your way to the top, but the view is worth it. And along the trail, native plants and flowers are labeled. When you come back down you can take a break at the Alpine Visitor Center.

Stop No. 9: Medicine Bow Curve (elevation: 11,640 feet). Here you get views of the Medicine Bow Mountains that extend into Wyoming. I took some photos but they were so-so. We did get a random elk visit though.

Stop No. 10: Milner Pass (elevation: 10,758 feet). a.k.a. The Continental Divide baby. This is the point where water flows west to the Pacific or east to the Atlantic. We were able to take the short walk to the Atlantic Ocean side, but because of oncoming rain, we weren't able to take the longer walk to the Pacific side. Oh well.

Stop No. 11: Farview Curve (elevation: 10,120 feet). This spot gives you a glimpse of the beginning of the Colorado River as it makes its way through the Kawuneeche Valley 1,000 feet below.

Stop No. 12: Holzwarth Trout Lodge Historic Site (elevation: 8,884 feet).  A very cool place where you can take a tour around the property built in the early 20th century. It started out as a working cattle ranch then evolved into a homestead run by the Holzwarth family. Oh, and FYI, while you're taking the long (but flat) walk towards the lodge, if you stick your thumb out you'll catch a ride :)

And here's a couple shots on the way back to the campsite:

Definitely a lot to see in one day!

A Brief Stop at Longs Peak Before Trail Ridge Road

        The day we set off to see the 12 stops listed on Trail Ridge Road, we made a brief stop at Longs Peak on the way. At the beginning of the day we lucked out and saw a small group of elk off the side of the road.

   Here's another shot from the car:

    The rest of the photos are of Longs Peak and the area around it. Longs Peak is one of the most prominent mountains in Colorado with an elevation just over 14,000 ft. It's a favorite among mountain climbers, since it's the only "fourteener" in the Rocky Mountain National Park.

   I think Longs Peak was one of my favorite mountain stops and it has a nice rocky outcrop to sit and rest. A really beautiful spot :)

Rocky Mountains or Bust

          After our trip to Mt. Rushmore and the Wind Cave, we rested up and then set out towards the Rocky Mountain National Park. The drive through Wyoming is always a treat. Here's a couple shots from the passenger seat.

              

              We had reserved a campsite at Moiraine campground a few months earlier for about $20 a night. The smaller size of the park means fewer campgrounds to choose from, but Moiraine was pretty spacious. We had more room between us and other campers then we had at the Madison campground in Yellowstone. This year we splurged on a larger tent so we could actually stand up straight while changing. We were even able to fit a fold-out table in the tent! The front part of the tent also had a screened-in "patio" that we could zip up if it started raining. The weather was iffy when we got there but we managed to beat the big rain and get the camp set up.

            Not too bad on space! This is the view from our tent. The nice thing about this particular part of the campground is that the sites were staggered at different levels so it still felt like you had some privacy. The bathrooms weren't too far away either. I ran into a young male deer on my first trip to the facilities. He ran right by me and then came back a few days later to eat lunch by our tent (photos of that later).

          The following day we did the hike to Alberta Falls. Unfortunately, along the way we missed a sign and wound up on a not so fun, steep and rocky trail. After turning around, we got hit with more rain but here are some photos from the hike.

              We had a really nice lunch at some picnic tables by a river. Wish we had this view at home!

             My next blog will be on the Trail Ridge Road where you can spend the day stopping at 12 beautiful spots ranging from subalpine, alpine tundra, alpine lakes and rock glaciers.