Fall in Rocky Mountain National Park
About a month ago, we set out to drive The Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, starting in Grand Lake and ending in Estes Park. At 12,183 feet, it is the highest paved road in America. My goal was to see some fall color - specifically, the golden aspen trees that Colorado is so famous for.
It was a breathtaking drive, and successful. I was able to see the golden aspens. And we saw a male bull elk with his harem of females. He even bugled for us - and the many other people watching from the side of the road. In fact, Estes Park is home to Elk Fest every October, which celebrates the elk rut.
But enough talking. Time for the beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park! (Notice the road is above the tree line at the top so it is quite barren of any color there)
If you haven't experienced The Trail Ridge Road of Rocky Mountain National Park, it's a must do. Especially in the fall. And just as a side note, the road is already covered in snow and closed for the winter. We made it about 3 weeks before it closed. It will re-open around Memorial Day weekend - weather dependent, of course.
I'm linking up with #fridaypostcards at walking on travels - go check out Keryn's photos of the beautiful Redwoods in California!
The yellow leaves stand out so prettily against the rest of the trees. Judging by the number of cars on that winding road, I'm guessing that this is a popular drive in the fall. At that elevation, though, I might find it literally "breathtaking." I'm a sealevel gal who doesn't deal well with altitude.
ReplyDeleteWe were there on a weekday so I expected the crowds to be a little lighter - and they were paving the road (I guess they have to do it sometime!) so there was a backup for that, too. Crowds were definitely lighter on the west side of the park - we came in from the lesser populated west side at the Grand Lake entrance - than near Estes Park in the east. And as for the elevation, I'm learning that it gets to me the older I get - I'm with ya on the sealevel thing!
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