With its snow-covered mountains and forest, Rocky Mountain National Park puts on a spectacular show in winter. Adults can venture deep into the mountains on a snowshoeing tour, while kids will love flinging themselves down the slopes in Hidden Valley, the park’s designated sledding area. However you choose to explore, keep your eyes peeled for elk and moose on the snow-covered hillsides. After a day of exploring, visit the Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for The Shining.
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Colorado’s Rocky Mountains are a tale of two parks: the east side and the west side. In winter, the east side may have less snow at lower points, but at higher elevations, it’s an arctic scene often with blizzard conditions. The west side receives more snow, but it’s generally calm and clear. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are possible on either side, or you can try sledding in the one spot allowed inside the park: Hidden Valley, a former ski area on the east side near Estes Park.
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“Throughout my life, it has been here, near Estes Park, Colorado. On a sunny slope or even the local golf course, eyes closed, sun on my skin, the cool air of a fall afternoon, and the copper-throated call of elk. It is primal and it is poetry and hearing this sound in this beautiful location lets me know I am home, lets me know I belong.”
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Unleash your inner adventurer in Rocky Mountain National Park, a playground of natural wonders cradled by the Rocky Mountains. Trek through enchanting trails, revealing hidden waterfalls and meadows adorned with vibrant wildflowers. Feel the rush as you scale towering peaks or cast a line into clear alpine lakes, tempting fishing enthusiasts. Capture awe-inspiring views along the legendary Trail Ridge Road, and watch for moose, elk, mule deer, and even bighorn sheep.
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Winter activities abound at Rocky Mountain National Park, but Hidden Valley is the one place where park visitors can sled to their hearts’ content. The opportunity to sled is available throughout the winter, as long as snow conditions are right, and the area features a nearby restroom and a warming room, open most weekends. Just bring your own sledding vehicle of choice!
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Colorado’s mountains are famous the world over. While much of the state is defined by the Rockies, there’s one area so impressive that it’s deemed worthy of a national park. It has a miles-high section of the Continental Divide, the headwaters of the Colorado River, a 14-thousand-foot peak, and countless other summits––all with trails to explore them.
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Visit Rocky Mountain National Park to experience mountain climbing, hiking, camping, fishing, and breathtaking views of jagged peaks, glaciers, and high-mountain lakes. A great family vacation destination, this park has everything from easy nature hikes to daring rock scrambles up waterfalls and mountains. Wildflower lovers should plan a trip in June and July when meadows and hillsides are in full bloom.
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Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park and its surrounding communities are working hard to protect the night sky. As facilities are constructed or remodeled in the park, exterior light fixtures are installed that protect the night sky from light pollution. Ahead of your visit, check the park’s website to see how weather conditions may affect your stargazing possibilities, as well as if the park is offering any ranger-led stargazing programs.
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Rocky Mountain National Park encompasses 415 square miles of breathtaking, protected mountain wilderness. With more than 300 miles of trails, panoramic vistas of snowcapped peaks, picturesque meadows, valleys, and meandering rivers, and the Trail Ridge Road (the highest continuous paved road in the United States, hitting 12,183 feet in elevation), the choose-your-own-adventure options are endless. Hike it, bike it, fish it, climb it, drive it, camp it, photograph it ... or all of the above.
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