1 CLOSE TO PARADISE: ESTES PARK MORNING COLORADO DENVER & CITIES OF THE ROCKIES 2 Take a drive on Trail Ridge Road (2) , the highest paved through-road in North America. This roller-coaster route crosses the Continental Divide and offers breathtaking photo ops as you climb past sub-alpine forests and wind-swept tundra to 12,183 feet above sea level. Or enjoy a family wildflower hike to Gem Lake or Bridal Veil Falls . For a little more challenge, try the 2.8-mile Mills Lake trek. You’ll be rewarded with grand views of 14,259-foot-tall Longs Peak and the Pull over at Moraine Park for prime wildlife watch-ing. More than 3,000 elk and 800 bighorn sheep live in the park, which is a regular gathering spot for bugling. Inside the park, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy offers year-round seminars, guided fly-fishing, naturalist tours, hiking and photography classes. Estes Park and surrounding Rocky Mountain National Park are also superior birding spots, with more than 315 species to be seen. Grab your binoculars for a self-guided exploration of Matthews-Reeser Bird Sanctuary , or opt for a ranger-led bird walk within the national park. AFTERNOON Downtown Estes Park is the gateway into the national park, but it’s also a destination unto itself. Stop by The Barrel on Mo-raine Avenue, a seasonal alfresco beer garden, and window-shop along Elkhorn Avenue (6) , with one-of-a-kind stores, several new boutiques and restaurants, and plenty of places for an QUICK TIP 124 / During warm-weather months, utilize the free Hiker’s Express shuttle from the Estes Park Visitor Center to reach Rocky Mountain National Park, where you can transfer to two other free shuttle routes and gain easy access to hiking trails around Bear Lake and Moraine Park. 1-800-COLORADO FROM TOP: THE LOCH IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, JAMES FRANK; TRAIL RIDGE ROAD, MILES/ANDREA BUROLLA. One of the most popular parks in the country, Rocky Mountain National Park (1) welcomes 4 million visitors a year and still manages to offer moments of solitude. Keyboard of the Winds, a whimsical rock formation named for its shape. At the Open Air Adven-ture Park , rope bridges, aerial tightropes and swinging logs challenge folks 5 years old and up. Or, get above it all in a different way at Estes Park’s own Jurassic Park . This climbing area just south of town features rock outcroppings, slabs and routes that make for a perfect outing.
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2020: Page 124
