Just three miles from town is nearby Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). It was established in 1915 and covers 416 square miles. More than 350 miles of hiking trails traverse the park. Elevations within RMNP range from 7,500 feet to over 14,000 feet. The highest peak, Long's, reaches 14,249 at the pinnacle. But it is hardly alone; the park is home to more than 60 peaks over 12,000 feet.

RMNP is a hiker's nirvana but if you're not the athletic type you can still see much of its grandeur by car. One drive in particular should not be missed during the early fall weeks. Trail Ridge Road, open from May through mid-October, is the highest continuous road in North America. It summits at 12,183 feet, providing a birds-eye view of the surrounding peaks and canyons.

If you do want to hike but don't want to undertake anything strenuous there are also a number of easy hikes that won't tax your lungs or athletic prowess but will still offer some of the park's most stunning views. Seek out Bear Lake where you can see the reflection of Hallet Peak in the tranquil water. Sprague Lake is another good spot to photograph mountain reflections and see the state fish, the Greenback Cutthroat Trout. Nymph Lake and Dream Lake are other easy strolls highlighted by the bright colors of turning aspens framed by the stately peaks.

If you're up for a bit more challenging walk hike up to Alberta Falls beyond Bear Lake. This 25-foot cascade is one of the more popular waterfalls in the park. Although roughly a mile to the falls the trail head is at 9,240 feet so can be taxing for those unused to the high elevation. But if you're healthy and have adjusted to the high altitude, it's worth the easy climb.

Finally, be sure to seek out the elk. Fall is elk rut (mating) season. You will likely see them in the park's meadows, lolling in high grasses, but one of the better places to watch them is on the Estes Park golf course in the center of town at the end of the day. Not the most romantic way to view the elk but they like it on the cool, tidy grass and you can get close enough to take a few good photos. Just don't get too close or a male bull will likely challenge your presence so close to his herd of females.

Listen for "bugling", the male's call of the mating ritual. It's quite common to hear and see elk about town but especially on the golf course. From mid-September through the end of October the large antlered bulls bugle and show off their prowess as they compete for the attention of the females and gather them into groups known as harems. It's not unusual to see a 1,100 pound bull with up to 50 females.

However you choose to spend your time in the Rocky Mountains, you undoubtedly will find yourself in awe of the mountains, flora and wildlife before you. And you will not be alone. These mountains have impressed, inspired and marveled humanity since the dawn of civilization.

Brett, Sam, Ian, Awdal, all took it as their own personal responsibility to leave their mark on the environment. They all decided that their name was more important than anything "God" or "Mother Nature" had to offer.

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Good for them, after all it is not like I drove out of my way for 6 hours to see something spectacular. Sure I could have seen their names at home, but why bother, it is so much better to see their names on natural occurring surfaces like sandstone, even more so than seeing their names, tags, on buildings in the city, or train cars.

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Sandstone is a substance that takes forever to form, and gradually erodes with the help of wind and rain, and people carving their names, and possibly even dirty pictures, into its' soft surface. In the Alberta Badlands, near the city of Drumheller, there is a formation known as "The Hoodoos", these are really neat, natural features. Standing for hundreds of years, protected from erosion because of their "caps" the Hoodoos are being sacrificed to the Gods by people like Brett, Ian, and Sam.

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I guess they figured that when I want to take photographs of natural things, that I would want to include their names in my snap shot too. How wonderfully considerate of them. If I had known they were doing this I would have planned my trip at a different time of day, possibly to capture the light bouncing off their names from a different angle.
Are people so isolated and alone in a world of over 6 and a half million people, that they need to gain fame by carving their name into an ancient formation? Oh please let us hope Brett is not on a trip to Egypt to see the pyramids next. Let us pray Ian is not off to Machu Picchu, and forgive us if Sam is headed to Easter Island.

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But wait, let us not forget about other creative people like Awdal, who left his, or her, name on a rock in the Rocky Mountains. Along side of a bunch of other people, he, or she, defaced an entire lake by blotting out the foreground with their name on a rock. The taggers nearby are not much more important, only thing is, you cannot even read them. Defacing nature in this way clearly has one common outcome,it means every other person feels they have to do the same thing, or that they have the right to do the same thing. If people hate nature so much, why are they on vacation in a natural setting? Why didn't they just stay in the inner city?

Will Brett, Sam, Awdal, and Ian have fond memories of these natural spots and desire to bring their children to the same places? Will the places have anything natural left if they do? Is a name any more meaning full if it is carved into an ancient rock formation or painted on a boulder? Is a name any less important if it is written on paper? Is Brett going to know what an impact he made on our holiday?

Yosemite National Park, California

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John Muir, one of America's original naturalists supposedly took President Theodore Roosevelt camping in Yosemite to convince the president that our country needed to have designated National Parks. President “Teddy” Roosevelt was so awe struck by his experience camping in Yosemite that he set up the National Parks Service to preserve vast pieces of our country's wild and beautiful territory. Yosemite has deep valleys and waterfalls that are truly magnificent. Yosemite is one of our nation's most regal parks and over 3 million visitors from all over the world come to reign in her glory.

This is an example of just one waterfall within Yosemite National Park.

Half Dome, Yosemite National Park

Denali National Park, Alaska

Denali National Park is home to Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in the United States.

The park itself is about 200 miles south of the Artic Circle. The park wildlife includes Dall (big horn) sheep, grizzly bears, gray wolves and moose. This area is a place where the tectonic plates of the earth continually are in motion and thus earthquakes are a part of the territory. The Alaskan Range actually rises 3 centimeters a year, due to this constant force. In the winter, the temperature in this region can drop to 95 degrees below zero.

 

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park is known for its red rock formations and unusual landscape.

These rock formations are called “hoodoos” and they were craved by melting snow. This sculpting of the rocks took thousands and thousands of years. The entire park has been created by the elements of wind and rain, giving it a memorable terrain. Inside the park at 9,000 feet above sea level, there are 1,500 year old pine trees.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

 

Crater Lake National Park was created when a volcano literally blew its top over 7,000 years ago. Actually the blast was 42 times the explosion of the Mt. St. Helen's in 1980. . Half-a-million visitors descend on this park every year to see this amazing crater and lake. Crater Lake is surrounded by lush evergreen trees and scenic hills, which make it a very popular travel stop. The lake itself may be surrounded by freezing weather, but it only froze once back in 1949. The area typically receives about 44 feet of snow a year. Crater Lake is the 7th deepest lake in the world with a depth of almost 1,300 feet.

Rocky Mountains, Colorado

 

It's no wonder that John Denver wrote a song called “Rocky Mountain High” about these amazing mountains. Over 2 million people visit this inspirational place every year.

The Rocky Mountains offer the visitor a glimpse of the ancient erosion that formed these peaks. The valleys were created by glaciations back in the Cenozoic Era. Animals that call this area home are elk, deer, big horn sheep, coyote, cougars and black bears. The Rocky Mountains are home to much natural beauty and pristine lakes.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

When we think of Yellowstone National Park we all think of the geothermal geyser “Old Faithful.” “Old Faithful” is one of many geothermal geysers in the area. Yellowstone National Park is literally a “hotbed” of geothermal activity and is the location of a “super volcano.” This “super volcano” is called “Yellowstone Caldera” and is still considered to be an active volcano. The geothermal activity is fueled by the active volcanism in this part of the world. Interestingly enough, “Old Faithful” has a sister geothermal geyser that is located in Napa Valley, California.

One of the largest highly elevated lakes is also in Yellowstone Park. Most of the land of Yellowstone is located in the state of Wyoming. Although a small amount of the park drifts into Idaho and Montana,

As you can imagine this region of the world experiences hundreds of small earthquakes every year.

Haleakala Crater and National Park, Hawaii

 

Haleakala sunrise

Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii in Hawaiian means “House of the Sun.” It is 10,000 feet above sea level on the island of Maui. The mountain is actually a dormant volcano and astronauts practiced their lunar landing in the barren crater. There is sometimes snow at the top of this volcano. So you could ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon, that's Haleakala. The volcano is popular with tourists and well-known for its spectacular views at sunrise. Tourists and natives alike rent bikes and take the downhill ride of their life to the bottom of Haleakala.

 

Downhill on a bike from 10,000 feet above sea level is a rush!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

 

The Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee has a larger collection of tree species than Northern Europe. The Smoky Mountains represent the culture and ways of the diverse life of South Appalachian of the past. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the park way back in 1940 and it was problematic as there were many farmers that lived in the designated park region. It was an emotional loss for many of the people who were forced to relocate, although some were allowed a lease that would extent through their lifetime. The park has a bear population of about 1,500.

 

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

 

It is hard to imagine but the Shenandoah National Park is only 70 miles away from Washington, D.C., our country's capital. This park is part of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. The area has become a popular tourist destination that allows the urbanites to stay in cozy inns and pastoral settings, although wilderness does account for 40% of the park. Shenandoah National Park is full of woodland forests, wildlife and waterfalls.

 

Glacier National Park, Montana

 

Glacier National Park is called “Shining Mountains” to the Native tribes of the region.

The park is aptly named for the rugged terrain that was craved by glaciers millions of years ago. One winter night in 2005, the park was pounded by 8 feet of snow! Just a few days ago, it was announced that due to the volume of snow, a major new road won't be opened in that part of Montana until at least July 4th. Avalanches are creating havoc in the area and delaying the long awaited highway and it is summer!

 

Arches National Park, Utah

 

Arches National Park is home to over 2,000 sandstones arches that have been craved by the wind and the weather for millions of years. The unusual textures and colors make the park very unique and vibrant in some areas. The summer temperatures are over 100 degrees. The winter temperatures are often around 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Redwood National Park

 

Just two hours south of Oregon, hugging the rugged California coast is where you will find the Redwood National Park. The Redwood National park is home to ancient trees which reach heights of 367 feet into the sky. The base of the trees can be as wide as 22 feet. You will not find these extraordinary trees anywhere else in the world.

These trees are about 20 million years old and began with a tiny seed. The damp environment and cool, foggy weather along the Pacific Ocean are the perfect living conditions for this rainforest of fascinating trees.

 

Our National Parks keep the wilderness of our country open and free. Long may they protect the beauty of our natural and most precious spaces!