| Rocky Mountain National Park, which extends to just | | | | quickly and headaches are common if you who do not |
| 400 square miles, is certainly not the largest park in the | | | | drink enough water. |
| system but many of its millions of visitors each year | | | | Whether you are driving or hiking you will find that |
| will tell you that it is one of the finest of the United | | | | there is plenty of wildlife to see as the park is home to |
| States' national parks. | | | | more than 3,000 elk, 800 bighorn sheep and some 280 |
| The centerpiece of the park for many is Trail Ridge | | | | different bird species. If you visit the Bighorn at Sheep |
| Road which is some fifty miles long and crosses the | | | | Lake between May and the middle of August you will |
| park from east to west. The road drops into the | | | | see moose wandering through the willows along the |
| Kawuneeche Valley, from where visitors can view the | | | | Colorado River in Kawuneeche and, if you keep a |
| Colorado River, and along the way climbs up to over | | | | close eye out, you might even spot some river otters |
| 12,000 feet as it passes through some of the highest | | | | as well. |
| peaks in America. | | | | At both dawn and dusk you can witness some of the |
| The views along this route are simply spectacular and | | | | many bats which hover over the lakes feeding on |
| as you make your way through the famous 'Roof of | | | | insects and marmots are fairly easy to spot on the |
| the Rockies' you will come across glacier-carved | | | | tundra along Old Fall River road. Stellar jays also dot |
| mountains around every bend. Pause at Forest | | | | the skies along Trail Ridge road and they share the |
| Canyon Overlook and you can look out over alpine | | | | sky with prairie falcons and the occasional golden |
| forests that are among the most magnificent you will | | | | eagle. Another fascinating bird which calls the park its |
| see anywhere. It is also well worth taking a few | | | | home is the white-tailed ptarmigan. |
| minutes to visit the Alpine Visitor Center at Fall River | | | | The park is also home to a number of museums and |
| where you can pick up a great deal of information | | | | historical sites of which the Moraine Park Museum is |
| about the area, including hiking maps and guide books. | | | | one of the best. Here you will find hundreds of items |
| Rocky Mountain National Park offers some great | | | | from the area which give a very good overview of |
| hiking along more than 350 miles of trails and Bear | | | | the natural flora and fauna. Another favorite is the |
| Lake is a very popular starting point. Located at the | | | | Never Summer Ranch which offers a look at what a |
| base of Hallett's Peak at the Continental Divide, Bear | | | | resort from past years was like. |
| Lake is a wonderful sight in itself. | | | | Unlike some of the other national parks, Rocky |
| Hiking in this area can be a bit more demanding than it | | | | Mountain is open year round which makes it possible |
| is in other parks with elevations ranging from 7,500 | | | | to explore this wonderful area in all of its glorious |
| feet to over 14,000 feet. At these heights the air is thin | | | | seasons and visiting during the winter months will not |
| and the UV strong so you need to be prepared. You | | | | only allow you to see sights which summer visitors |
| will need to take plenty of water with you as the thin, | | | | simply do not experience, but it will also allow you to |
| cool air will evaporates moisture from your lungs quite | | | | see the park without the usual summer crowds. |