First created as a national park in 1915 to preserve the Rockies’ dwindling wildlife, Rocky Mountain National Park remains one of Colorado’s most popular and accessible wilderness areas. So much so, that in the summer, the human gridlock can outnumber the traffic along I-25. The park is approximately 80 miles northwest of Denver.

Rocky Mountain National Park offers some 355 miles of picture-perfect trails and three different climate zones that contain abundant and varied flora and fauna. Connected by Hwy 34 (also known as Trail Ridge Road) park visitors are led through roughly 265,726 acres of coniferous forests, mountainous backcountry, and meadows showcasing a vibrant display of wildflowers.

Coiling its way through the park is the Continental Divide, sending the Cache La Poudre, Big Thompson, and St Vrain Rivers to the Pacific, and the serpentine Colorado River east to Grand Lake.

Deep glacial valleys and isolated alpine lakes create a refuge for wildlife including elk, moose, mule deer, black bears, and bighorn sheep. The park’s pristine beauty also features many beautiful summits, which loom at elevations of over 14,000 feet.

Ponderosa pine, quaking aspen, and Douglas fir form thick canopies of forest and challenging trails for hikers. The most popular trail within the park is the Bear Lake Trail, though on the park’s west side, the more challenging Lulu City Trail follows a pathway to the Colorado River and the former mining town of Lulu City.

The 48-mile Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved road in the nation, showcases striking views of the Rocky Mountain National Park’s fragile wilderness.

A small fee will get you a seven-day multiple entrance pass, and hiking permits are available, also for a small fee. The two eastern park entrances are located at Fall River off US-34 and Beaver Meadows off US-36, and the western entrance is at the Grand Lake Station.