Wildlife, Hiking, and Mountain Vistas at Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park’s location in the center of the United States and near Colorado’s most populated region makes it a very popular destination for visitors both near and far. For us, it made for a great day trip from Fort Collins, CO, where my sister and her husband were living at the time so, the four of us made this visit together. Park tickets with a specified time slot had to be purchased weeks ahead of time due to the park’s high demand during the pandemic and, even then, we experienced some waiting. Knowing our “must see” spots inside the park was invaluable, we knew just where we wanted to go when we got past the gates. 

Our top to-do list in Rocky Mountain National Park included the three lakes hike at Bear Lake, Many Parks Curve, Forest Canyon, and Gore Range Overlooks, and seeing the Continental Divide. We also took the opportunity to briefly visit the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park.

Here is a link to the official Rocky Mountain National Park map.

Bear Lake is highly popular and parking is very limited. In fact, we had to park for 30 minutes at a checkpoint on the road before we were allowed to drive to the large lot where the shuttle bus takes you the rest of the way to the Bear Lake trailhead. Once we actually got on the trail and started our hike, we had a great time. Though the three lakes hike trailhead starts at Bear Lake, it does not actually go past it. Instead, this hike leads you around Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes. The trail is well defined with gravel, pounded dirt, and large rock terrain, sprinkled with the occasional man made wooden boardwalk and staircase. The further we went the thinner the crowds were, undoubtedly because the entire trail is a gradual uphill climb at 10,000 ft altitude, totaling just over 3.5 miles out and back. Here is the official Bear Lake Summer Trail Guide map.

Nymph Lake is surrounded by lilly pads and great mountain views, Dream Lake is crystal clear with many visible and active fish, and Emerald Lake is the grand finale at the end of the trail. Surrounded by a wall of jagged mountain, the Emerald Lake waters and its surroundings are picturesque. We traversed the shoreline boulders and gazed around at the view before us, taking time to soak it in. 

With our cardio workout done for the day, it was time to return to the car and explore the rest of the park via Trail Ridge Road. Once on the road it was up, up, up to our first lookout stop; Many Parks Curve. It’s a great panoramic of the mountains, overlooking the valley below, and binoculars are recommended. 

A note about wildlife viewing: we saw the most wildlife during our hike and driving through the valley. We saw colorful birds, mid-size fish, a baby elk, and several mule deer. Once you start to climb in altitude, and out of the valley, wildlife becomes more scarce. 

Beyond our first stop, the drive up the mountain became quite nerve wracking as we neared the top of the tree line. Even though it was a paved, two-lane road, the lack of guardrail couldn’t help but make you think about the possibility of your car driving off the edge. There were also 16’ tall road markers, undoubtedly to mark the road during the winter months, that’s a lot of snow! At one point, beyond 12,000 feet, we hear a small pop followed by a big pop from the back of the vehicle. Our chip bag couldn’t take the pressure and blew a seam, spewing chips all over the floor. Too funny!

Our next lookout was Forest Canyon Overlook. This windy outlook on a rocky hill certainly does overlook a canyon, complete with valleys of water, clusters of vibrant trees, rock ledges, and stubborn snow that refused to melt. Our last stop on the top of the mountain was Gore Range Outlook. It offered a 360 degree view of amazing mountain vistas.

Finally, we made the descent back down the other side of the mountain to see the Continental Divide. It’s a vibrant spot to stop, stretch, and appreciate this invisible line where all natural water will flow to the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. It was also our turnaround spot on our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park visit. 

To conclude, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit and were happy we mapped out our stops and activities ahead of time. It’s a big park that takes a lot of time to travel through and driving across the mountains is a thrill in itself. We were fortunate to be graced with good weather with nearly all of the roads open across the park, unobstructed views of the mountainous horizon, and dry hiking paths. Weather can truly make or break a visit to an outdoor destination. I hope it is favorable during your visit as well!