Rocky Mountain National Park
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courtesy of the National Park Service |
Contact Information:
Rocky Mountain National Park
1000 Highway 36
Estes Park, CO 80517
970-586-1206 - Visitor Info
970-586-1319 - TDD
970-586-1242 - Backcountry
800-365-2267 - Campground Reservations
http://www.nps.gov/romo/
Size: 265,765 acres
Location: Rocky Mountain National Park is located in north-central Colorado, two hours by car from Denver. It is accessible via US34 and US36 from the east through Estes Park and from I-70 and US40 to US34 through Granby and Grand Lake, from the west. The park has the highest paved roads in any US national park. Bear Lake Road and the lower portions of Trail Ridge Road are open year-round. The central part of Trail Ridge Road is generally open from late May through mid-October.
Description: Peaks towering more than 14,000 feet shadow wildlife, wildflowers, lakes, and forests in these 415 square miles of the Rockies. The park's rich scenery, typifying the massive grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, is accessible by Trail Ridge Road (built between 1929-1932), which crosses the Continental Divide. This is truly one of the most breathtaking drives anywhere in the United States. Covering the 48 miles between Estes Park on the park's east side and Grand Lake on the west, Trail Ridge Road features eight miles above 11,000 feet in elevation. Park is is most well known for its large animals, particularly elk and bighorn sheep, but also offers opportunities to view a variety of other wildlife as well.
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Rocky Mountain National Park |
Lodging and Camping: - There is no lodging available inside the park, but a variety of accommodations, ranging from luxurious resorts to hotels, motels, lodges, cabins, bed-and-breakfasts, campgrounds and RV park are available in surrounding communities. For further information, contact the Estes Park Chamber of Commerce (1-800-378-3708), the Estes Park Convention and Visitors Bureau (1-800-443-7837), or the Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce (1-800-531-1019).
There are five drive-in campgrounds and one drive-in group camping area in the park. Two campgrounds, Moraine Park and Glacier Basin, take reservations, as does the Glacier Basin group-camping area. Other park campgrounds (Aspenglen, Longs Peak, and Timber Creek) are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and fill on most summer days. None of the campgrounds have electric, water, or sewer hookups at the camping sites.
Campers may make reservations up to five months in advance (reservations become available the 15th of each month). Reservations can be made online or by calling 1-800-365-2267 (between 10am and 10pm EST).
Operating
Hours: The park is open 24 hours a day, 12 months a year.
History: Established on January 26, 1915. Wilderness designated on December 22, 1980. Designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1976.
Other useful
information resources:
Rocky Mountain Nature Association - supports research, interpretive, and other educational programs of the National Park Service
by publishing, selling and distributing interpretive materials to the general public.
Rocky Mountain
National Park High Country Headlines - official park newspaper
Colorado
Office of Tourism - includes information on places to go, things to do, and
how to get around.
Weather
Information (monthly average temperatures and precipitation):
See other National
Parks
See other Colorado National Parks
