Hiking Overview: Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

• Summit hikes are plentiful in the park, and they vary in difficulty. One of the best is the Lily Mountain hike, which is interesting enough for seasoned hikers and moderate enough for novices. It's outside the main park entrance and is usually not as crowded. Providing views of Estes Park and Longs Peak, you travel through forest and end at the summit.
• For a lake destination, another favorite is Gem Lake. Like Lily Mountain, the trailhead is outside the main entrance. Hike a moderate uphill for a few miles, then sit by the lake and eat lunch. It's a small lake with a gem-like reflection. The Gem Lake Trail continues for many miles past Gem Lake if you desire a longer outing.
• If it's springtime, go to the Wild Basin Trailhead and take the trail to Ouzel Lake. This is a waterfall hike in the first degree. The raging streams and thundering cascades will jam-pack your camera's memory card in no time.
• Hiking above tree line is a treat, but it usually takes some miles to get there. Since you will probably drive Trail Ridge Road while visiting, access one of the higher trailheads. Milner Pass trailhead will get you above tree line quickly. Look for Bighorn sheep and elk in the summer.
• Hike along the headwaters of the famous Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, where it's a small creek most of the year. Beside the river to Lulu City, the hike on what is called the Colorado River Trail is easy and ends at a mountain meadow. The trail's official entrance and trailhead are on the west side of the park, accessed through Grand Lake or by traveling over Trail Ridge Road on the east side.
• Looking for moose? Your best bets are the trailheads near the Kawuneeche Visitor Center on the west side of the park. Meadows in the valley are where you will find these majestic animals, and they are curiously absent on the east side of the park. It's a rare treat to see a moose lumbering along without a care in the world.