The Rockies

The Rocky Mountains marked my first ever visit to a national park, and I found myself in awe of the sheer beauty, vastness and serenity they offered. We were on a road trip with friends to the centennial state, embarking a three day trip to RMNP,  yet it soon became apparent that this majestic national park was a realm of limitless wonders and our brief exploration merely scratched the surface.

We arrived RMNP in the afternoon via Beaver Meadows entrance and our first stop was at the Beaver Meadows visitor center where we engaged in a chat with a ranger, procured informative maps and hit the road again. We drove the Trail Ridge Road which is the highest continuous paved road in the United States at an elevation of 12,813 feet above the sea level. We encountered elk along the way and the landscapes are breathtaking with pull overs for scenic spots and we almost stopped at everywhere. That pretty much summed up our afternoon. When we were visiting RMNP timed entry for bear lake corridor was observed. Tickets are needed access to bear lake corridor, a limited number of tickets will be released in the evening on the day before for the intended visit. we were lucky enough to secure one for the next day.

Our accommodation was a secluded airbnb in Parshall which is about forty minute drive from the park. We set out early next morning to catch the sunrise at Alpine Visitor center, the highest elevation visitor center in the National Park System at 11,796 feet. We hiked a steep trail at the visitor center and soon we were at the 12,005 ft above the sea level, the sunrise here was spectacular and we basically had the place all to ourselves. 

The deer mountain trail which is about 3 miles out and back trail rewarded us with views of  Longs peak, Moraine Park, Upper Beavers Meadows and Estes park. We also drove along the old fall river road and along the way visited chasm falls. Lake Irene is less than a mile loop and is an excellent spot to fully appreciate the sub-alpine ecosystem of Rocky Mountain National Park.

With tickets to bear lake corridor we visited bear lake first, a loop trail under a mile. We then continued to Alberta falls, 1.6 miles Round trip with an elevation gain of 233 ft. The sight of Alberta Falls, framed by the rocky landscape and vibrant greenery is a moment of pure enchantment. 

We finished our trip with Sprague lake, a serene 0.8 mile loop is great for hikers for all abilities and is wheelchair and stroller accessible. Along the trail we spotted a baby and mommy elk on the trail, a fitting and beautiful end to our adventurous trip.