Our Go-To Denver/Front Range Itinerary for Out of Town Guests, Part II

An hour’s drive northwest of Denver takes you to a region called the “Rooftop of America” and the “Jewel of the Rockies,” 415 square miles of high alpine landscape, about 1/3 of it above treeline, with 78 peaks surpassing 12,000 feet in elevation.  Rocky Mountain National Park attracts over 4 million visitors per year, with good reason; among its mountains, valleys, forests, meadows, lakes, streams, and animals are some of the most majestic sights in all the Rocky Mountains.

If our guests have time, a day in Rocky Mountain National Park is always a good choice for a visit.  Starting early is a must, to make the most of the weather and beat the crowds.  It helps that we have occasional access to a summer cabin that belonged to my wife’s grandfather in nearby Allenspark.  If our guests are first-time visitors, a driving trip over Trail Ridge Road (open late May to late October) is unforgettable, along with short hikes around Bear Lake and the nearby Alberta Falls.  However, during the peak summer weekends, these areas will be very crowded.  A less-crowded alternative includes Fall River Road (one-way only, usually not open until July) with stops at the Alluvial Fan and Chasm Falls, and a return on Trail Ridge Road.  Or, avoiding the east side of the park altogether, Grand Lake has a much more laid-back-mountain-lake-small-town feel, along with greener scenery west of the Continental Divide and frequent moose sightings along the Colorado River.

Alpine Visitor Center

But our favorite activity in Rocky and elsewhere, is to get off the beaten path on a hike.  The popular scenes accessible by car in the park are great, but there is nothing like the solitude and refreshment that are available simply by walking a couple of miles into the wilderness.  Here are a few of our family favorites:

Gem Lake, located just north of Estes Park, offers dramatic views of the town and high peaks of the park, on its way to a quiet, secluded lake surrounded by huge rocks.

Lily Lake and Lily Mountain, south of Estes Park on Highway 7, provide an easy walk around the lake and a relatively easy mountain-climbing experience with impressive views of Longs Peak.

Wild Basin, a less-visited area of the park further south on Highway 7, has three impressive waterfalls within three miles, as well as other lakes and views of the “back side” of Longs Peak, Mt. Meeker, Pagoda, Chiefs Head, and other high peaks.

The Brainard Lakes area, on Highway 72 north of Nederland, includes hikes to marvelous alpine lakes in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, adjacent to the park.

Gem Lake and Wild Basin are both in the national park, which understandably prohibits dogs on the trails.  The Lily Mountain and Brainard Lake trails allow dogs, so we head there when we have canine companions along.

Whatever the destination and guests who accompany us, we have never regretted time spent in and around Rocky Mountain National Park.  As often as we have been there, we always find something new to discover.  Familiar scenes look different because of changing weather and light.  Animals are unpredictable and fascinating when we are fortunate enough to observe them up close.  In our minds, this is Colorado and we are always happy to share the experience with others.  We always leave refreshed and renewed in spirit, thankful for this national treasure that was set aside for refuge and recreation.

“Go into the Parks and get their encouragement. Among the serene and steadfast scenes you will find the paths of peace and a repose that is sweeter than sleep. If you are dulled and dazed with the fever and the fret, or weary and worn,–tottering under burdens too heavy to bear,–go back to the old outdoor home. Here Nature will care for you as a mother for a child. In the mellow-lighted forest aisles, beneath the beautiful airy arches of limbs and leaves, with the lichen-tinted columns of gray and brown, with the tongueless eloquence of the bearded, veteran trees, amid the silence of centuries, you will come into your own.”  — Enos Mills 

 

Rocky Mountain National Park: Alberta Falls/Bear Lake/Dream Lake

When visualizing Rocky Mountain National Park, many people see the iconic image of Bear Lake, with Hallett Peak standing majestically in the background.  It is with good reason one of the top destinations in the park.  Our daughters’ first “hike” was around Bear Lake when they were just toddlers, looking out for the bear paw signs that indicate stops on the nature trail.  But Bear Lake can be very crowded, which is perhaps the reason we have not spent a lot of time there over the years.  A recent return to Bear Lake reminded us not only how special it is, but also how many beautiful sights surround this quintessential mountain lake.  A combination Alberta Falls/Bear Lake/Dream Lake hike was a perfect introduction to the park for our family members who had never been there.

On a sunny day, Bear Lake looks like this postcard picture:

Photo Credit: Rocky Mountain Nature Association ISBN: 0-930487-24-9

Our recent visit was on a cloudy day, providing a different-but-still-impressive view:

Before Bear Lake, we started with an easy half mile hike through aspen groves to Alberta Falls, flowing fully in the early summer runoff.  The main overlook below the falls is pretty enough, but from above the falls look like a fun water slide and allow you to see how fast the water is flowing.  However, having seen the water crashing onto the boulders below should convince you to stay safely away from this water slide.

Returning back on the Alberta Falls trail, half of our group continued hiking another half mile uphill to Bear Lake while others of us rode the shuttle bus (starting at Bear Lake and hiking downhill to Alberta Falls would be an easier option).  From Bear Lake Hallett Peak was just visible in the clouds, but Longs Peak was temporarily obscured.  We continued on the trail to Dream Lake, stopping at the lily pad filled Nymph Lake along the way.  Hallett Peak is even more prominent above Dream Lake.  Here some of our group continued on to Emerald Lake while the rest of us returned back down the trail.  The sun came out briefly allowing for interesting lighting on Tyndall Creek just below Dream Lake, and the clouds lifted just enough to see the Keyboard of the Winds which branch off of Longs Peak, although the summit remained in the clouds.

Again, visiting the same places in Rocky Mountain National Park at different times and weather allows for a unique perspective.  There are many other trails in the Bear Lake area that we have yet to travel.  Adding the variable of being accompanied by different people, especially those who have never been there before only enhances the experience.  All of our visits have been in summer, so we can only imagine what it would be like at other times of the year (the postcard picture above is in the fall).  Returning to some familiar sites in the park has motivated us to find out and given us a greater appreciation for this ever-changing, yet always enchanting place.

“Now he walks in quiet solitude the forest and the streams,
Seeking grace in every step he takes.
His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand,
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake.” — John Denver, Rocky Mountain High