Rocky Mountain National Park

城市概覽

History Evidence of Native American peoples visiting the park date back almost 10,000 years, mainly from the Ute and Arapaho communities. Several expeditions visited the area in the early to mid-19th century, including one by Joel Estes in 1859 after which he and his family established a homestead that would soon become Estes Park, the resort town on the east side of the park. After a small mining rush on the western side of the park in the early 1880s, a 14-year-old named Enos Mills moved to the area and began to document the region's geography and ecology extensively through essays and books. He began to lobby Congress to establish a national park in the area surrounding Longs Peak, a mountain he had climbed over 40 times by himself. On January 26, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill that established the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park. The 1930s brought a building boom to the park during the Great Depression, during which time the Trail Ridge Road was constructed through the park, which remains the highest continuous stretch of highway in the United States.

Landscape

Rocky Mountain National Park sits on the Continental Divide, separating the park into two distinct regions. The eastern and more developed side of the park is dominated by striking valleys and cirques that were formed through heavy glaciation and is a good starting point for first-time visitors. The western side of the park is wetter, is heavily forested and is less developed, but still contains excellent trekking and backcountry opportunities. Most areas of the park sit well above 9,000 ft (2,700 m) with mountains along the Continental Divide topping off at above 12,000 feet. The 13,000-foot Mummy Range rests on the northern side of Rocky Mountain National Park with two roads skirting long it's southern edges; a one-way, dirt road that winds up the Fall River called the Old Fall River Road; and a section of Highway 34 known as the Trail Ridge Road. The Never Summer Mountains

如何抵達

By car From the west: The Kawuneeche Visitor Center is one mile north of the town of Grand Lake on US-34. Grand Lake can be reached from I-70 via US-40 which runs through Empire and over the Berthoud Pass. From the east: The Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is three miles from downtown Estes Park near the terminus of US-36 and can be reached via several roads. SR-7 runs from Boulder via Lyons and Allenspark along the east side of the park, passing the Longs Peak Ranger Station and intersects US-36 in Estes Park. SR-66/US-36 run from Denver through Longmont up the Big Thompson River canyon. US-34 also intersects US-36 in Estes Park via Loveland and continues on into the park toward the Fall River Visitor Center. Rental cars are available at the Denver International Airport. If you aren't driving, the Estes Park Shuttle offers reasonable one-way and round-trip rates from DEN to downtown Estes Park. While the park is open year-round, the Trail Ridge Road closes in the winter and may not open until the late spring or early summer, depending on the snowpack.

By plane The nearest major airport is Denver International Airport (DEN IATA) about 1 hour and 45 minutes away from the park, with connecting service to most major US cities. A smaller option is Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE IATA) near the skiing resorts of Vail and Beaver Creek; however, service to this airport is usually seasonal and confined to the winter months.

By foot There are an extensive number of trails entering the park on all sides including the 3,100 mi (5,000 km) long Continental Divide Trail.

當地交通

By car Most of the major trailheads in the park are accessible by car and have parking lots depending on the popularity of the route. While parking is relatively ample in the early mornings, many lots are full by mid-morning during the peak summer months. The Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Roads are closed during the winter and usually don't reopen till late spring at the earliest. Access to Moraine Park and Bear Lake via the Bear Lake Road are open year-round and plowed. There are several entrances to the park which do not have fees on the east side of the park:

Longs Peak Ranger Station road (dead ends at the Longs Peak Ranger Station and trailhead) McGraw Ranch road (dead ends at McGraw Ranch and Cow Creek trailhead) Lily Lake Visitors Center parking lot (on the right side of SR-7 heading south from Estes Park McGregor Ranch Gem Lake entrance (parking lots near Lumpy Ridge trailhead)

By shuttle Starting around Memorial Day Weekend and going through the end of September, Rocky Mountain National Park operates a free shuttle bus service which enables you to access many destination and loop hikes along Bear Lake Road, including Sprague Lake and Glacier Gorge to cut down on traffic congestion and limited parking. Shuttle buses run between many trailheads, Moraine Park Visitor Center, and Moraine Park and Glacier Basin Campgrounds. There are two routes: The Bear Lake Route and the Moraine Park Route. Both routes are based at the Park & Ride shuttle bus parking area across from the Glacier Basin Campground. The first bus departs from Park & Ride at 7PM. and the last bus leaves at 7PM. The last bus of the day leaves Bear Lake and Fern Lake Trailheads at 7:30PM. The Bear Lake Route shuttle makes the round trip between the Park & Ride and Bear Lake. These buses run every 10 to 15 minutes. The Moraine Park Route shuttle makes the round trip between the Park & Ride and the Fern Lake Trailhead bus stop. These buses run every 30 minutes.

On foot To experience

必看景點

Holzwarth Historic Site (On the west side of Trail Ridge Road/US Highway 34, about seven miles north of the Grand Lake Entrance Station.). Tour a 1920's-era dude ranch for a taste of early homesteading and tourism. Buildings are open for tours during the summer. Otherwise, visitors may view the exteriors of the buildings and the grounds. The lodge buildings are reached by a half mile walkway from the parking lot. A walking path connects the various buildings. (updated Jun 2020)

體驗活動

Hiking The park offers 359 mi (578 km) of trail to hikers, backpackers and horseback riders. Difficulty levels range from the half mile wheelchair accessible jaunt around Bear Lake to the backbreaking 'Mummy Kill', recommended only for those with years of mountaineering experience or a death wish. A few of the most memorable hikes are listed below. Many of the trails in the Eastern Part of the Park can be reached via shuttle buses. Snow conditions should be considered before hiking as higher elevations will be snow-covered later into the year.

Easy hikes 1 Bierstadt Lake. (Trailhead is shuttle bus accessible.) A beautiful morning hike, this Lake is situated on top of Bierstadt Moraine giving brilliant views of Longs and the Front Range. As three routes converge on this lake, all of which lead to Shuttle Bus serviced trailheads, this hike can be done many different ways or even tacked onto a bigger venture. A