Rocky Mountain National Park

Trail Ridge Road is the great scenic drive of the park, climbing over the Continental Divide and topping out above twelve thousand feet, one of the highest paved through roads in the nation. It carries you up through the life zones, from montane forest to subalpine spruce and fir, past the twisted, wind-stunted trees at timberline, and finally out onto the open alpine tundra of the roof of the park.

Up on that tundra, above the tree line, is a fragile world of cushion plants and tiny wildflowers that survive fierce wind and a growing season measured in weeks. Pullouts and short interpretive walks let you experience it without harming the delicate ground, and the views over range after range of peaks are staggering. Because it is so high, the road is only open in the warmer months, closing with the snows.

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the best places in the state to see wildlife. Large elk herds graze the meadows, most famously in fall when the bulls bugle their haunting calls during the rut, drawing crowds to the park's grasslands at dawn and dusk. Moose have become a common sight in the willowy wetlands, especially on the park's west side.

The high country holds its own specialties: bighorn sheep, the emblem of the park, on the rocky slopes, along with yellow-bellied marmots sunning on boulders and pikas gathering grass among the rocks of the tundra. Mule deer, black bears, coyotes, and a wealth of birds fill out the cast, making almost any drive or hike a chance for a memorable wildlife encounter.

This high country is the ancestral homeland of the Ute and Arapaho peoples, whose homelands this region is, who traveled and hunted through these mountains and valleys for generations, following game to the high meadows in summer. Their trails and place names are woven through the landscape, and their presence here reaches back far before the park was ever imagined.

The park was established in 1915 after a campaign led by naturalists and advocates, among them the writer Enos Mills, often called the father of the park, who fought to protect this stretch of the Rockies. Since then it has become one of the most visited national parks in the country, cherished for keeping this high wilderness wild and open to all.

The park is laced with hundreds of miles of trails, from easy strolls to alpine lakes and waterfalls to demanding climbs like the long, exposed route up Longs Peak. Glacial valleys such as the Bear Lake area put stunning scenery within reach of short hikes, with lakes mirroring the peaks and wildflowers filling the meadows in summer, so there is a walk here for every ability.

Summer is the busiest season, warm and green with wildflowers, and the park uses timed entry to manage the crowds, so planning ahead is essential, and getting above tree line early avoids the afternoon storms. Fall brings the elk rut and golden aspens. Winter closes the high road but opens quiet trails to snowshoers and skiers, and spring comes late, with snow lingering high into the warm months.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.