Rocky Mountain National Park (165)

Our next stop was at Rocky Mountain National Park. The drive there was our longest of the trip. We passed miles and miles of beautiful farm land and range land. However it’s not always like this. As a reminder of the harsh winter conditions, many places had wooden fence like structures that catch the snow and steer the drifts away from the roads. I think we’ll stick to traveling here in the summer!

By the end of the day we were in Fort Collins, CO. The Fort Collins KOA was perfect for exploring the area. It has a nice lake and is near a major bike path.

However, we didn’t spend much time in the park. We came to see Rocky Mountain National Park! Be sure to have a vehicle pass before you go, or be prepared to wait in a long entry line. We had passes for 2 days.

Our first stop was at the visitors center. I was surprised to see it was a Frank Lloyd Wright building!

The route through the park is stunning. From Estes Park you gain altitude quickly and eventually reach over 12,200 feet, far above the timber, before descending down the western side. However, we would travel up to the Alpine Visitor Center at the top, then turn around and drive back to Estes Park. Trust me, both directions are amazing, and the photos don’t really don’t do justice.

As you ascend, there are numerous places to pull over and take in the view.

Soon, you leave the trees behind.

I love how the little lake in this photo is fed by the glaciers above it.

We were surprised to see a Marmot this high, probably looking for handouts from tourists.

Above the tree line, you are in the Tundra. Tundra is delicate, in that it can take decades to recover from humans hiking through it. However, its can also withstand some of the harshest climate on the planet, with freezing temperatures most of the year, and hurricane force winds during the winter.

We took a beautiful (if cold and windy) hike to the mushroom rocks. Here, you definitely feel the elevation, and a short 2 mile hike feels like a 6 mile trek. Take it slow and drink plenty of water to avoid getting altitude sickness.

We traveled a little further in our car to the Alpine Visitor Center. Note the logs on the roof to help with the snow during the winter months!

The view from there is spectacular.

On the way down, we did see some wildlife, at a distance.

Here is another herd of elk closer to the entrance.

As I Mentioned earlier, staying in Fort Collins worked out great for us. It’s less than an hour to the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, and there is plenty to do and see right there. It has a very nice downtown for walking, eating ,and drinking. Beyond downtown, we loved eating at Jessop Ranch, a farm to table restaurant.

While we were there, the University was hosting a flower show. Visitors were encouraged to vote for their favorites. It was a big deal and we loved walking through all the gardens.

Fort Collins is also home to over 40 craft breweries. The most popular being New Belgium Brewing, and here is the original Fat Tire Bike from their label.

Speaking of bikes, there are miles and miles of well maintained bike trails throughout Fort Collins, and it is considered one of the most bike-friendly cities in the nation. I enjoyed a good long morning ride most days.

We feel like we barely got to know the area and want to come back and enjoy Colorado again sometime. But it was time to start heading home to California. We’ll write about our trip home in the next post.

Al & Deb

Rocky Mountain RV Adventure – The Trip Home (166)