Why Should You Go To Rocky Mountain National Park?
Rocky Mountain National Park always makes me think of California Pizza Kitchen. Let me explain.
I’ve mentioned before that I have a strange habit of not taking advantage of the beauty within a reasonable driving distance from where I live. I guess it’s an attitude that’s somewhat similar to what my family refers to as the “California Pizza Kitchen Paradox.” This refers to the phenomenon in which, if my family was traveling and we saw a CPK, my siblings would beg my parents to let us eat there. But the answer was always a resounding ‘no.’ The justification was: “we have that at home, we can go anytime.” Herein lies the problem. Although it was true that my hometown did indeed have its very own California Pizza Kitchen, we never actually went. Ever.
I realized as I got older that I had this same attitude toward other things, hiking being the biggest culprit. I’d sooner drive 6 hours and spend a night camping to do a hike I found on the internet than drive the 1 hour to stunning Rocky Mountain National Park and do one of the world-renowned hikes there. But every once in a while I’ll get out of my way and make the trip.
Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most popular National Parks. In terms of annual visitors, it is currently 5th in the entire park system. When you’re here it’s easy to see why. The drive to the park is awe-inspiring and can even outshine some National Parks.
What to expect from your visit
Even with the massive crowds the park is big enough that it still allows visitors to find some seclusion. It doesn’t quite reach the Disneyland level of crowds found in some other National parks. Admittedly, weekends in the summer can certainly come close. However, multiple entrances to the park make things a little bit more manageable. Entrance lines into the park can get quite long, but they don’t reach the hours-long wait you are likely to encounter at places like Arches National Park.
The best way to experience Rocky Mountain National Park
Speaking of which, Rocky Mountain does have one key similarity to the wildly popular Arches National Park. Both parks can be experienced fairly well from the comfort of your car. Opposed to parks like Yellowstone and Bryce Canyon, which are best experienced on foot, Rocky Mountain National Park offers a great experience and incredible views without getting out of your vehicle. Of course, to experience the best views you’ll want to take a day hike or overnight backpacking trip. But even just looking through the car window, Rocky Mountain is still well worth the trip.
The scale of the park can be hard to wrap your head around. Massive peaks will have your jaw on the floor, only for you to get distracted as you take in the views around the next bend. Wildlife is abundant. Landscapes that are truly worthy of the word epic, and every new vantage point more beautiful than the last.
The best time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park
The weather makes the comfortable season for this park rather short. By early October some of the best trails and roads are closed for the winter. Unless you are interested in winter activities, you’ll want to plan your visit for summer or early fall. Summers in Colorado can be gorgeous but one should be wary of thunderstorms that hit somewhat suddenly. My suggestion is to go right at the end of September when the leaves change. Not only will the weather still be fantastic, but most of the summer crowds will be gone.
The brief two to three-week window in which the parks’ Aspen trees change color is bucket list worthy. The fall foliage mingles with evergreen trees throughout the park giving a striking contrast that needs to be seen in person. Even if you can take in the views without shedding a tear over an autumn memory from your childhood, the reds, oranges, and yellows will have you ready to go home, throw on a sweater and bake an apple pie.
Everything that can be said about this magnificent piece of wilderness has already been said. If you want to experience the absolute best that Colorado’s wilderness has to offer, you would be hard-pressed to find something more worthwhile than Rocky Mountain National Park.