by Alex Gugel , all rights reserved
Rocky MountainBrochure |
Official Brochure of Rocky Mountain National Park (NP) in Colorado. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
featured in
National Parks Pocket Maps | ||
Colorado Pocket Maps |
Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain National Park
Colorado
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Nature’s Knife Edge
To ascend Rocky Mountain National Park’s Trail
Ridge Road is to leave this world and enter
another. It carries you, breathless with wonder
and altitude, toward a fragile alpine realm,
the tundra. Most animals hibernate or migrate
during the harsh winters. No trees can live here.
The Rocky Mountains
form one of the world’s
longest ranges, stretching almost unbroken
from Alaska to below
the nation’s southern
border. The park
preserves a small but
important neighborhood within this range.
Despite the brief, six-week growing season,
plants survive. Most conserve energy by miniaturizing. Each July thousands of brilliant alpine
sunflowers burst from the thin blanket of soil
that covers parts of the tundra. For decades
these hardy plants have worked toward this
moment. Many tundra flowers track the sun
to maximize their intake of light, required for
photosynthesis.
Above: Alpine sunflowers (Rydbergia
grandiflora) at the
Continental Divide.
NPS / ANN SCHONLAU
Nature’s Guideposts
Montane
Subalpine
The montane ecosystem is the park’s
gateway whether you enter from Grand
Lake, Estes Park, or Wild Basin. On warm,
south-facing slopes the ponderosa pines
greet you with their sweet fragrance. The
open, sunlight-dappled forest of tall (up
to 150 feet) trees feeds and shelters the
tassel-eared Abert’s squirrel.
Snow that falls in the alpine zone blows
down to the subalpine, creating a wet
ecosystem with over 30 inches of precipitation annually. Sharp-tipped, pungent
Engelmann spruce and flat-needled fir
trees prevail, reaching 100 feet. The understory supports shrubs like blueberry, wax
currant, huckleberry, and Wood’s rose.
Wildflowers like arnica, fairy slipper,
twinflower, and purple elephant’s head
colonize open meadows.
below 9,000 feet
Chokecherry, currant, and juniper bushes
sustain many animals, insects, and birds.
Beavers and otters work and play in the
montane’s streams. Elk, one of the park’s
larger mammals, gather here to rut in fall.
They eat the aspen trees’ soft inner bark
and shoots and leave a calling card of
abraded aspen trunks. On cooler, northfacing slopes, forests are dense with
Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine.
Pika
9,000–11,400 feet
On the park’s southern edge, the water
ouzel, or American dipper, defies rushing
streams to dive for food. Downy and
hairy woodpeckers, bold Steller’s jay, and
the yellow-rumped warbler share the
woods. Look for the pocket gopher and
golden-mantled ground squirrel.
Park your vehicle at the Alpine Visitor Center
and behold 360-degree views of astonishing
peaks, lakes, snowfields, canyons, forests, and
meadows spread over 400 square miles. For a
close look at the alpine ecosystem, walk the
Tundra Communities Trail to the east. To the
west, the Rockies’ spine divides the continent
into two watersheds. One flows west to the
Pacific, the other east to the Atlantic.
On the park’s drier east side, snow blows in
from the wetter west, replenishing the few
remaining glaciers. All rest in cool, dark valley
cirques, or bowl-shaped depressions. Higher
summer temperatures since the 1990s have
caused the glaciers to melt back. On the park’s
west side, in the Never Summer Mountains, the
Colorado River begins as a tiny stream fed by
snowmelt. Downstream it provides water to 40
million people.
Thrust skyward by Earth’s forces 40 to 70 million
years ago, then sculpted by multiple glacial episodes, the Rockies are “new” in geologic terms.
In 2009 Rocky Mountain National Park, a small
neighborhood within this vast mountain range,
became one of the nation’s “newest” designated
wildernesses. Nature has always ruled this wild,
fantastic place. But as human-triggered events
outside park boundaries increasingly affect life
within the park, how will nature respond? What
is our role?
Travel through Ecosystems along Trail Ridge Road
Alpine
above 11,400 feet
Extremely thin soil, strong ultraviolet
light, drying winds, and bitter cold define
life on the tundra. Many plants hug the
ground in dense mats (avens, below
right ), preserve moisture with waxen leaf
surfaces, or trap warmth against stems
and leaves with hairs.
Animals also must adapt or die. Marmots
store fat, then draw upon their reserves as
they hibernate. Bighorn sheep graze here
in summer but migrate in fall to lower
elevations like many other species in the
park. The resilient white-tailed ptarmigan
is an exception. This bird stays all winter
in the alpine zone, warmed by feathered
eyelids, nostrils, legs, and feet.
PIKA AND PTARMIGAN—© SHATTIL / ROZINSKI
PHOTOGRAPHY
Ptarmigan
Montane
Alpine
Subalpine
Above: Aspen (Populous tremuloides) and
lodgepole pine (Pinus
contorta). Left: Common sulphur butterfly
(Colias philodice) pollinates a purple aster
(Erigeron simplex).
Above: Elk, or wapiti,
graze amid Engelmann
spruce (Picea engelmannii ). Left: The park
is home to over 350
bighorn sheep, which
were nearly extinct
here in the 1950s.
ABOVE—© ERIK STENSLAND;
LEFT—© JACOB W. FRANK
ABOVE—NPS / JT-FINEART;
LEFT—© JACOB W. FRANK
Above: Hikers atop
Ypsilon Mountain. Left:
Five-petaled avens
(Geum rossii ssp
turbinata) hug the
tundra. Far left: Yellowbellied marmot.
ABOVE AND FAR LEFT—© JACOB
W. FRANK; LEFT—© SHATTIL /
ROZINSKI PHOTOGRAPHY
Legacy of Stewardship
1915
Native Americans lived
on and cared for this
land for centuries. As
settlement and land
use increased, people
recognized that preservation was needed.
Many passionate advocates for a park
emerged, including naturalist and guide
Enos Mills (1870–1922). He led the push for
a wilderness park. Mining, grazing, and
logging interests lobbied for a national
forest where commercial activities could
continue. In 1915 Congress designated
Rocky Mountain National Park.
Influential Estes Park resident Mary King
Sherman (1862–1935) also campaigned
hard to establish the park. She promoted
outdoor education, citing better health
and an increased sense of civic duty as
benefits. Her ideas are cornerstones of
National Park Service programs today.
Long before anyone envisioned a Rocky
Mountain National Park, Isabella Bird
(1831–1904) published A Lady’s Life in the
Rocky Mountains. Her book helped make
others aware of the region’s rugged
beauty and “unprofaned freshness” and
paved the way for preservation.
2015
In 1873 a fur trapper called Mountain Jim
helped Isabella Bird climb Longs Peak. He
was one among many who traveled to
the Rocky Mountains in search of natural
beauty or bounty.
Over one million people now pour into
the park in a six-week period each summer. Nearby urban areas affect how the
park is managed. Decades of fire suppression created dense undergrowth, which
only increased the threat to surrounding
communities and caused changes in the
forest composition. Over 35 invasive
plant species now mingle with native.
Native Americans preceded all others in
this wild place. Tools, pottery, and rock
piles whisper of human presence over
10,000 years ago, when Paleo-Indians
seasonally hunted and possibly traded
here. Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho bands
later came to these mountains. They probably wore the path now known as Trail
Ridge Road. They left few other traces.
Clockwise from upper left: September 4, 1915;
Mary King Sherman; volunteer assists a visitor
with telescope; ranger leads snowshoe walk.
CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT—COURTESY DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY /
HARRY MELLON RHOADS; ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
ARCHIVES; NPS / PETER BIDDLE; NPS / ANN SCHONLAU
As Rocky Mountain National Park
moves into its second century, it will
continue to preserve natural systems
and cultural stories for future generations. What role can you play in the
park’s next 100 years?
To better understand these and other
challenges, the park has set aside areas
for science and research. It is also home
to the Continental Divide Learning Center,
where education and research programs
focus on park resources.
IGPO:2022—419-059/82866 Last updated 2022
Roaming Rocky Mountain National Park
Park Information Check your free park
newspaper for current information about
visitor centers, safety and highcountry
survival, ranger-led programs, services,
hiking trails, wildlife, shuttle buses, and
more. Find lodging and visitor services at
Estes Park and Grand Lake.
Lightning can kill. Hike early
and watch the sky—thunderstorms are more common in
the afternoon.
NPS / ANN SCHONLAU
Safety Avoid lightning. Begin your hike
early in the day. Get below treeline or to a
shelter by afternoon, when thunderstorms
begin. If caught above treeline in a storm,
run from summits and isolated trees and
rocks. Avoid small cave entrances and
overhangs. Crouch down on your heels.
• Many park visitors experience altitude
sickness. Consult your doctor if you have a
respiratory or heart condition. • The park’s
swift-running streams, waterfalls, falling
trees, and sudden weather changes present
many natural hazards. • While driving,
stay alert for wildlife crossing the roads.
Pets Pets are prohibited in all areas not
accessible by motor vehicle, including
trails and meadows. Do not leave pets
unattended in vehicles. Where allowed,
pets must be kept on a six-foot leash.
Hunting, Fishing, and Firearms Hunting
is prohibited in the park. • Fishing requires
a Colorado fishing license. • For firearms
regulations check the park website.
Regulations Abide by park regulations
and restrictions, available at visitor centers
and entrances. • Camp only in designated
campgrounds. Backcountry camping requires a permit. • Do not leave property
unattended for more than 24 hours
without prior permission. • All vehicles,
including bicycles, must stay on roads or in
parking areas. Stopping or parking on
roads is prohibited. Overnight parking
requires a permit. • Federal laws protect
all natural and cultural features in the
park. • Do not feed, approach, or try to
touch any wild animal. • Leave wildflowers
and other plants for others to enjoy.
• Open alcoholic beverage containers in
vehicles on park roads are illegal. • Marijuana use is prohibited in the park.
Rocky Mountain National Park is one
of over 400 parks in the National Park
System. Learn about national parks at
www.nps.gov.
Tundra Closures The alpine ecosystem is
fragile. Stay on the trail in tundra closure
areas along Trail Ridge Road (see highlighted areas on map below).
Follow us on social media.
Use the official NPS App to guide your visit;
select “save this park” to use offline.
Accessibility We strive to make facilities,
services, and programs accessible to all.
For information go to a visitor center, ask
a ranger, call, or check the park website.
More Information
Rocky Mountain National Park
1000 Hwy. 36
Estes Park, CO 80517-8397
970-586-1206; TTY 970-586-1319
www.nps.gov/romo
For information call 970-586-1206
For Trail Ridge Road status call
970-586-1222
Emergencies call 911
Preserving Wilderness
In 2009 Congress protected
most of Rocky Mountain
National Park as wilderness
under the 1964 Wilderness
Act. Wilderness is a gift to
people today and to future
generations. The designation protects forever the
land’s wild character, natural
conditions, opportunities
for solitude, and scientific,
educational, and historical
values. In wilderness people
can sense being a part of
npf_black.pdf
1
8/26/22
the whole community of life
on Earth.
Join the park community.
www.nationalparks.org
Trail Closures
Off-trail hiking is prohibited within 100
yards of the trails and parking lots.
Some trails in the park were affected by
the 2020 fires. Check the park website or
ask a ranger about closures and current
conditions.
Do not use this map for backcountry hiking. Buy
topographic maps at visitor centers.
12:33 PM
Wilderness
Non-wilderness