Trails explore Rocky Mtn. NP’s diverse areas

Rocky Mountain National Park, courtesy Rocky Mountain NPS.

Rocky Mountain National Park is a roughly square-shaped wilderness surrounded by the Roosevelt National Forest on the east and north sides and the Arapaho National Forest on the south and west.

Most of the national park’s best sites rest along or near U.S. Hwy. 34, which enters the park at two locations: the most popular one on the northeast side a few miles west of Estes Park and leading to the Fall River Visitor Center; and then the southwest corner at Grand Lake. Also known as Trail Ridge Road, the highway offers access to and parallels the famous Old Fall River Road, the precursor to the federal highway, the Alpine Visitor Center, the Continental Divide, the Colorado River, and the Kawuneeche Valley with its visitor center.

U.S. Hwy. 36 also offers access to a couple of regions south of the Hwy. 34 entrance. Among them are the Moraine Park, Bear Lake, Glacier Gorge, and Loch Vale areas. The Beaver Meadows and the Moraine Park visitor centers can be accessed via this highway. One great waterfall trail here heading out from Glacier Gorge is the Alberta Falls Trail.

A few other interesting sites along the park's eastern border can be reached via Colo. Hwy. 7, which runs from Estes Park to Meeker Park and Allenspark. Among them are Tahosa Valley – which includes famous Longs Peak, the park’s highest point at 14,259 feet – and the Wild Basin. The Bluebird Lake Trail in Wild Basin gives visitors a good sampling of the region as well as awesome views of Longs Peak.

Continuing west on Hwy. 34 brings visitors deeper into the Rocky Mountains and to the Continental Divide at Milner Pass, some 10,758 feet high. The divide cuts roughly diagonally through the park. All water east of the divide ultimately ends up in the Atlantic while water west of it reaches the Pacific. The Alpine Visitor Center is located at nearly two miles above sea level. The visitor center area can be explored via the Alpine Ridge Trail and the divide on the Milner Pass Trail.

After crossing Milner Pass, Hwy. 34 runs mainly south to the Grand Lake area. The Kawuneeche Valley, from which the Colorado River flows, can be found here, as well as Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby. The road then exits the park and joins U.S. Hwy. 40, which connects with Interstate 70. The Adams Falls Trail is a scenic sight close to Grand Lake.

Learn more about the park's day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at Rocky Mountain National Park.