Rocky Mountain National Park: overview

Just two hours north of Denver in north-central Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park opens up a world of natural wonder with little effort or hassle. You’ve got the best of the best here: 415,000 square miles of sky-high peaks (78 above 12,000 feet), wildflower-dotted meadows, and 147 alpine lakes, all reachable via 355 miles of hiking trails and a world-famous scenic road arrowing through its heart.

One of Rocky Mountain’s greatest appeals is its diversity. With its dramatic variation in elevation—from 7,840 feet at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to its apex of 14,259 at Longs Peak—the park offers a wild ride through four different ecosystems, from moose-dotted wetlands; to wildlife-filled pine forests; to gnarled firs and spruce trees of the subalpine clinging to the tip-top mountain peaks; and then the alpine tundra. Nearly a third of the park sits above treeline, a top-of-the-world realm of whipping winds and stunted tree growth. Nowhere else in the U.S. can you see so much alpine terrain so readily.

Top this off with the abundance of wildlife, including elk (600 to 800 strong in winter), mule deer, moose, and more than 280 species of birds. Bighorn sheep are a little shyer, though you’ll have a better chance of spotting them than the resident bear and mountain lion (thankfully! Though hikers need to be aware). The park’s also a haven for smaller critters – least chipmunks dart frantically to and fro, and, high up in the tundra, chubby yellow-bellied marmots peek out from their burrows, occasionally giving a loud whistle.

An outdoor lover’s dream, the park excels with activities in all seasons. Hiking trails range from easy lakeside strolls to taxing mountain ascents. The holy grail is clearly Longs Peak, an arduous trek—yet infinitely doable when ice and snow have melted. There’s fly-fishing, climbing, mountaineering, road biking, and so much more. In winter, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, sledding, and snowshoeing prevail.

When to book

Rocky Mountain National Park (www.nps.gov/romo) is open 24 hours a day year-round. That said, many of the roads (including the famed Trail Ridge Road) do not open until late May—and even that depends on weather conditions. You may need to wait until mid-June or even later for higher elevation trails to thaw out. Then, when snow begins to fall in September or October, the high-altitude roads are closed again. So that means that the bulk of visitors converge in the middle of summer—about half of the park’s yearly visitors visit early July to mid-August.

Keep in mind that altitude sickness—headaches, shortness of breath, insomnia, rapid heartbeat—can set in at higher elevations. Full acclimatisation may take weeks; take it easy, drink fluids, and avoid alcohol to minimize symptoms.

Entrance fees

The entrance fee is $20 per car; $10 for motorbike, and for those coming on foot or by bike. This fee provides the visitor with a seven-day entrance permit.

Previous Telegraph Travel articles on Rocky Mountain National Park

Colorado: Natural highs in the Rocky Mountain National Park

Enjoy the views and challenges offered to the trekker by the highest park in the United States.

For more information on the United States, go to discoveramerica.com

About Barbara Noe

Barbara Noe is a wildlife enthusiast with a wealth of knowledge on the great American outdoors. She has contributed to Telegraph Travel over several years, and is a senior editor at National Geographic Travel Books.

Telegraph Travel expert guides

Alaska travel guide
Boston city guide
Florida travel guide
Las Vegas city guide
Los Angeles city guide
Miami city guide
New York city guide
San Francisco city guide