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Encyclopedia > Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location Colorado, USA
Nearest city Estes Park
Coordinates 40°24′0″N 105°35′0″W / 40.4, -105.58333
Area 265,769 acres (1,078 km²)
Established January 26, 1915
Total visitation 2,743,676 (in 2006)
Governing body National Park Service

Rocky Mountain National Park is located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado. The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada A national park is a reserve of land, usually, but not always (see National Parks of England and Wales), declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... Image File history File links US_Locator_Blank. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... Estes Park is a town in Larimer County, Colorado (USA) on the Big Thompson River. ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ...


Rocky Mountain National Park features majestic mountain views, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to back-country trails and campsites. The park is located north-west of Boulder, Colorado in the Colorado Rockies, and includes the Continental Divide and the headwaters of the Colorado River in its land area. For other uses, see Mountain (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about a community of trees. ... For other uses, see Tundra (disambiguation). ... “Footpath” redirects here. ... Campsites are often situated in or near forests. ... The City of Boulder ( , Mountain Time Zone) is a home rule municipality located in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ... A continental divide is a line of elevated terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that water falling on one side of the line eventually travels to one ocean or body of water, and water on the other side travels to another, generally on the opposite side of... Colorado River in the Grand Canyon from Desert View The Colorado River is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately 1,450 mi (2,333 km) long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. ...


The park has five visitor centers. The park headquarters, Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, is a National Historic Landmark, designed by the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin West. [1] This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was one of the worlds most prominent and influential architects. ... Architect Frank Lloyd Wrights winter home in Scottsdale, Arizona from 1937 until his death in 1959. ...


The park is accessed by three roads, U.S. Highway 34 and 36, and Colorado State Highway 7. State Highway 7 enters the park for less than a mile, where it provides access to the Lily Lake Visitor Center. Highway 36 enters the park on the east side, where it terminates after a few miles at Highway 34. Highway 34, known as Trail Ridge Road through the park, runs from the town of Estes Park, Colorado on the east to Grand Lake, Colorado on the south west. The road reaches 12,183 feet (3,713 m) in elevation, and is closed in the winter due to snow. U.S. Highway 34 is an east-west United States highway that runs for 1,122 miles (1,806 km) from the western suburbs of Chicago to north-central Colorado. ... United States Highway 36 is an east-west United States highway that runs for 1,414 miles (2,276 km) from east-central Ohio to Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. ... Colorado State Highway 7 is a state highway of the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Trail Ridge Road is the famous name for the stretch of U.S. Highway 34 that traverses Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park, Colorado in the east to Grand Lake, Colorado in the west. ... Estes Park is a town in Larimer County, Colorado (USA) on the Big Thompson River. ... Grand Lake village Grand Lake is a town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ...


The park is surrounded by Roosevelt National Forest on the north and east, Routt National Forest on the northwest, and Arapaho National Forest on the southwest. Colorado with Roosevelt National Forest in red The Roosevelt National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in north central Colorado. ... Routt National Forest is a National Forest located in northwest Colorado. ... The Arapaho National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in the U.S. state of Colorado. ...

Contents

Geography

Moraine Park and the headwaters of the Big Thompson River are in Rocky Mountain National Park
Moraine Park and the headwaters of the Big Thompson River are in Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park encompasses approximately 265,770 acre (1,076 km²)s of land in Colorado's northern Front Range. The park is split by the Continental Divide, which gives the eastern and western portions of the park a different character. The east side of the park tends to be dryer, with heavily glaciated peaks and cirques. The west side of the park is wetter and more lush, with deep forests dominating. Description: Moraine Park and the headwaters of the Big Thompson River in Rocky Mountain National Park. ... Description: Moraine Park and the headwaters of the Big Thompson River in Rocky Mountain National Park. ... BLA BLA The Big Thompson River The headwaters of the Big Thompson River are in Rocky Mountain National Park. ... The Front Range is shown highlighted on a map of the western United States The Front Range is a mountain range in the United States on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, and on the western edge of the Great Plains. ... A continental divide is a line of elevated terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that water falling on one side of the line eventually travels to one ocean or body of water, and water on the other side travels to another, generally on the opposite side of... This article is about the geological formation. ... A cirque is an amphitheatre-like valley of glacial origin, formed by glacial erosion at the head of the glacier. ...


The park contains 359 miles (578 km) of trails, 150 lakes, and 450 miles (720 km) of streams. The park contains over 60 named peaks higher than 12,000 feet, and over one fourth of the park resides above tree line. The highest point of the park is Longs Peak, which rises to 14,259 feet (surveys before 2002 show 14,255 feet [2]) above sea level. Longs Peak is the only fourteen thousand foot peak in the park. In this view of an alpine tree-line, the distant line looks particularly sharp. ... Longs Peak (or Longs Peak, see below) is one of the 54 fourteeners in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. ... In mountaineering in the United States, a fourteener is a mountain that exceeds 14,000 feet (4,267. ...


Several small glaciers and permanent snowfields are found in the high mountain cirques, including Andrews Glacier, Sprague Glacier, Tyndall Glacier, Taylor Glacier, Rowe Glacier, Mills Glacier, and Moomaw Glacier.


Ecosystems

The lowest elevations in the park are montane forests and grassland. The ponderosa pine, which prefers drier areas, dominates, though at higher elevations douglas fir trees are found. Above 9,000 feet the montane forests give way to the subalpine forest. Engelmann Spruce and Subalpine Fir trees are common in this zone. These forests tend to have more moisture than the montane and tend to be denser. Above tree line, at approximately 11,500 feet, trees disappear and the vast alpine tundra takes over. Due to harsh winds and weather, the plants in the tundra are short with very limited growing seasons. Streams have created lush riparian wetlands across the park. Eucalyptus Forest at Swifts Creek in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. ... Montane grasslands and shrublands is biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. ... Binomial name Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex C. Lawson Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) is a widespread and very variable pine native to western North America. ... Species See text Douglas-fir is the common name applied to coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. ... Binomial name Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm. ... Binomial name Abies lasiocarpa (Hooker) Nuttall The Subalpine Fir (Abies lasiocarpa) is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of Yukon, British Columbia and western Alberta in Canada; southeastern Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, northeastern Nevada, and the Trinity Alps in... In physical geography, tundra is an area where tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. ... A riparian zone schematic from the Everglades. ...


Climate

July and August are the warmest months in the park, where temperatures can reach the 80s although it is not uncommon to drop to below freezing at night. Thunderstorms often appear in the afternoons, and visitors should plan on staying below tree line when they occur. Heavy winter snows begin around mid-October, and last into May. While the snow can melt away from the lowest elevations of the park, deep snow is found above 9,000 feet in the winter, causing the closure of Trail Ridge and Fall River roads during the winter and spring. Most of the trails are under snow this time of the year, and snowshoeing and skiing become popular. Springs tend to be wet, alternating between rain and possibly heavy snows. These snows can occur as late as July. The west side of the park typically receives more precipitation than the drier east side. A thunderstorm, also called an electrical storm or lightning storm, is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its attendant thunder produced from a cumulonimbus cloud. ... Snowshoers in Bryce Canyon Snowshoes are a form of footwear devised for travelling over snow. ... Cross-country skiing (skating style) in Einsiedeln, Switzerland. ...


Popular areas

Bear Lake
Bear Lake

The park is dominated by Longs Peak, which is visible from many vantage points. Each year thousands of people attempt to scale it. The easiest route is the Keyhole Route, however due to snow and ice the Keyhole Route is impassable to regular hikers for all but the hottest summer months. The vast east face, known as The Diamond, is home to many classic big wall rock climbing routes. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (768x1144, 747 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Rocky Mountain National Park Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (768x1144, 747 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Rocky Mountain National Park Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Climbers on Valkyrie at the Roaches. ...


Bear Lake, in the heart of the park, is a popular destination and trailhead. The lake rests beneath the sheer flanks of Hallett's Peak and the Continental Divide. Several trails, from easy strolls to strenuous hikes, start from the lake. The Bear Lake Road is open year round, though it may temporarily close due to adverse weather conditions. Bear Lake is scenic trailhead and destination in Rocky Mountain National Park. ...


Trail Ridge Road connects the town of Estes Park in the east to Grand Lake in the west. The road reaches 12,183 feet, and long stretches of the road lie above tree line. The Alpine Visitors Center is a popular destination along Trail Ridge. The road crosses the Continental Divide at Milner Pass. Numerous short interpretive trails and pullouts along the road serve to educate the visitor on the history, geography and ecology of the park. Estes Park is a Rocky Mountain resort located in Larimer County, Colorado on the Big Thompson River. ... Grand Lake is a lake in Oklahoma. ... Milner Pass (elevation 10758 ft) is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States. ...


Wild Basin consists of the southern area of the park. As the name implies, the area is a wild and remote region. Several trails penetrate the wilderness and backpacking is popular there. View of Ouzel Falls View of Calypso Cascades Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain National Park Wild Basin is a scenic trail and the southeastern entrance station of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. ...


The Mummy Range is a small mountain range in the north of the park. The Mummies tend to be more gentle and forested than the other peaks in the park, though there are some heavily glaciated areas, particularly Ypsilon Mountain and the area around Mummy Mountain. The Mummy Range (elevation approximately 13,000 ft) is a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States. ... For other mountains by this name, see Mummy Mountain. ...


The snow-capped Never Summer Mountains are found in the west side of the park. Here the south-trending Continental Divide takes a brief sharp northward turn, which creates the interesting scenario where the Pacific Basin is on the east side of the divide, and the Atlantic Basin on the west. The mountains themselves, the result of volcanic activity, are very craggy and more often than not, covered in deep snow. This area saw the most extensive mining activity in the park, and trails lead past old mines and ghost towns. Nokhu Crags, at the northern end of the Never Summer Mountains. ... The Atlantic Basin includes the main body of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, but ommits other bodies of water considered to be a part of the Atlantic Ocean in the broad sense, such as the Mediteranean Sea. ...


Paradise Park is hidden in the peaks above Grand Lake. This area has no trails penetrating it, and is extremely rugged and wild.


History

Evidence has shown that Native Americans have visited the park for the last 10,000 years. However, their influence in the region was limited, and their visits were often transitory. The Ute Tribe visited the west side of the park, particularly around Grand Lake. The Arapaho visited and hunted in the Estes Park region. This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... The Utes (; yoots) are an ethnically related group of American Indians now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. ... Scabby Bull, Arapaho 1806 Arapaho camp, ca. ...


The Long Expedition visited the area in 1820, though they never entered the mountains. Longs Peak now bears the name of the expedition's leader, Stephen H Long.


In 1859, while on a hunting expedition, Joel Estes and his son stumbled across the meadows that eventually became Estes Park. He moved his family there in 1860 and raised cattle. He only stayed until 1866, forced out due to long harsh winters. In the next years, various settlers and homesteaders staked their claims in the Estes Park region. Tourists, particularly those interested in climbing the high peaks of the region, appeared after this time.


In 1880 a small mining rush began in the Never Summer Mountains. The mining town of Lulu City was established with great fanfare and promotion in the media, particularly Fort Collins newspapers. However the ore mined was low grade. By 1883 the rush went bust and the majority of the town population moved on. A satellite town, Dutchtown, was abandoned by 1884.


Enos Mills, then a 14 year old boy, moved to Estes Park in 1884. He quickly began exploring the mountains of the area, and wrote many naturalist books and articles describing the region. He later became a proponent of the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park, and he split his time between the mountains he loved and the cities of the eastern United States, where he lobbied heavily for the legislation to create the park. The legislation was drafted by James Grafton Rogers, a Denver lawyer and avid outdoorsman. Mills' original proposal included what is now the Indian Peaks Wilderness, but after compromising with local and mining interests, the borders were drawn very close to the current border of the park. The bill passed congress and was signed by President Woodrow Wilson on January 26, 1915. A formal dedication ceremony was held on September 4, 1915 in Horseshoe Park. The park boundary has increased during the years, with the largest parcel - the Never Summer Range - added in 1929. Lake Isabelle below Navajo, Apache and Shoshoni Peaks The Indian Peaks Wilderness is a wilderness area in north central Colorado managed by the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest. ... Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856–February 3, 1924), was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. ...


The 1920s saw a boom in building lodges and roads in the park, culminating with the construction of Trail Ridge Road between 1929 and 1933. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps handled several building projects. Remnants of their camps can be found in the park today. For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ... CCC workers on road construction, Camp Euclid, Ohio 1936 The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a work relief program for young men from unemployed families, established on March 19, 1933 by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. ...


Activities

Among the park's trails is the Ute Trail, which climbs to heights of over 11,500 feet.
Among the park's trails is the Ute Trail, which climbs to heights of over 11,500 feet.
  • Most visitors to the park drive over the famous Trail Ridge Road, but other scenic roads include Fall River Road and Bear Lake Road.
  • Many visitors hike and backpack. The park contains a network of 349 miles (562 km) of trail and dozens of designated backcountry camp sites. Trails range from easy to strenuous. Many routes are off-trail and the hiker must be careful to leave no trace of their passage.
  • Horseback riding is permitted on most trails. Some trails which are closed to horse traffic allow llamas as pack animals, because their smaller size and softer feet have a lower impact on trail erosion.
  • Rock climbing and mountaineering has increased in recent years. Longs Peak, Hallett Peak and Lumpy Ridge, among others, are famous rock climbing areas. Many of the highest peaks have technical ice and rock routes on them, ranging from short scrambles to long multi-pitch climbs.
  • In the winter, when the trails are covered in snow, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are popular. Telemark skiing can be found on the higher slopes.
  • Fishing is found in the many lakes and streams in the park.
  • Camping is allowed at several designated campgrounds.

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Trail Ridge Road is the famous name for the stretch of U.S. Highway 34 that traverses Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park, Colorado in the east to Grand Lake, Colorado in the west. ... Two hikers in the Mount Hood National Forest Eagle Creek hiking Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. ... A backpack A backpack is, in its simplest form, a cloth sack carried on ones back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders (called shoulder straps) and below the armpits. ... Leave No Trace is an ecological principle of leaving an environment of habitation in such a condition as to render it impossible for future observers to discern the previous presence of the practitioners of the Leave No Trace methodology. ... Climbers on Valkyrie at the Roaches. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Lumpy Ridge overlooking Estes Park Lumpy Ridge is a prominent series of rocky cliffs, slabs, and buttresses adjacent to and north of the town of Estes Park, Colorado. ... Cross-country skiing (also known as XC skiing) is a winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields, primarily Northern Europe and Canada. ... Snowshoers in Bryce Canyon Snowshoes are a form of footwear devised for travelling over snow. ... Telemark skiing is a term used for skiing using the Telemark turn, which is a technique first popularized by Sondre Norheim. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ... Car camping is camping in a tent, but nearby the car for easier access and for supply storage. ...

Sites of interest

The Alpine Visitors Center is located at around 14,000 feet above sea level, a few miles past the highest point on Trail Ridge Road. ... Bear Lake is scenic trailhead and destination in Rocky Mountain National Park. ... Fall River Pass, elevation 11,796 ft (3,595 m), is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States. ... Grand Lake is a natural lake, one of the headwaters of the Colorado River in Grand County, Colorado. ... Milner Pass (elevation 10758 ft) is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States. ... Trail Ridge Road is the famous name for the stretch of U.S. Highway 34 that traverses Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park, Colorado in the east to Grand Lake, Colorado in the west. ... Longs Peak (or Longs Peak, see below) is one of the 54 fourteeners in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. ... View of Ouzel Falls View of Calypso Cascades Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain National Park Wild Basin is a scenic trail and the southeastern entrance station of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. ...

References

  • Rocky Mountain National Park: A History, C. W. Buchholtz, (University Press of Colorado; 1983) ISBN 0-87081-146-0
  • Rocky Mountain National Park Natural History Handbook, John C. Emerick, (Roberts Hinehart Publishers/Rocky Mountain Nature Association, 1995) ISBN 1-879373-80-7

External links

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Rocky Mountain National Park


 

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