Rocky Mountain National Park
(Colorado, USA)
Visiting Date : June, 1994@
Rocky Mountain National Park is located within 1.5 Hr driving distance from the state capital city, Denver, via Boulder which is now famous for high land training site of various athletes. This park, therefore, would be easy for enjoying beautiful lakes, plains, and high mountains with relaxed atmosphere. Denver is called as mile city, which is located in the altitude of 5,300 feet (one mile) above sea level. The trail ridge road of the park starts from the entrance town, Estes Park, and the highest point is approx. 11,800 feet (3,600 m). Without climbing on foot, everybody can enjoy nice highland views with the very lean air conditions, by car driving.
Boulder City has very rocky landscapes here and there as the name. This city is, however, clean and abundant on green trees, offering a nice residense environment even for resort lives.
There are no accommodations inside the nationa park, it is mandatory to stay at either Estes Park, which is entring point, or Grand Lake being near from the exit of the park. It is unnecessary to reserve an accommodation inadvance, because tourist information office in Estes Park may arrange nice motel or resort hotel even in peak seasons.
The trail ridge road runs along mountain skirts without any safety guard rails, and it is important to drive carefully. As many parking lots are equipped at nice view points along mountain drive roads, tourists are able to be relaxed from driving exhausts and to enjoy beautiful landscapes in a highland.
Estes Park is a nice resort village with many tourists especiaaly in summer, where there are many souveniors and western shops, in addition to motels and hotels. Ranches are near-by, and cow ranges from other states are conducted in hot summer seasons, as this village is located in cool highland areas. In order to spend a nice relaxed time there, it would be easy to find out horse riding spots and boat rowing in the near-by lake.
This area was gold mining town in 19th century, as in California. It is said that the world largest gold bullion was found in this place. Everybody can try gold mining as tourist purpose in the river with rental classic iron pans.
The admission (Maybe 5$) shall be paid at the entrance gate which is settled in the plain out of Estes Park Village. This system is available for all the national parks in USA, and it would be helpful to recognize the eternal property of the people.
Beaver's Valley of cascade falls can be found along the road, by driving for a while. And then after climbing up the very steep hill, you might find a nice parking spot where you could enjoy a beautiful view of highlands, Beaver's valley, distant mountains.
This trail ridge road offers many nice landscapes, here and there.
Such views are different from those plains of approx. 5,000 feet altitude in Japan.
The eternal snows are remained in many mountain skirts, and sometimes you can enjoy walking in snow plains near the roads.
Again, you have to be careful for safe driving the trail ridge road without guard rails.
All the greens are changed into yellow color, by severe conditions of highland and dry summer.
By driving up the highland, you can enjoy distant views in any places.
You might find the parking lot in Fall River Point, which is the highest point of this trail road.
The tourist information office is settled there.
The wild coyote ( a small kind of wolf) comes out.
This coyote looks very skinny probably due to scarce food in the highland environment. The feeding system is not adopted to keep the natural wilderness, being different from feeding system to apes in Japan, which are reported to the attack injuries by increased feeded apes. We, Japanese, must learn such system not to disturb the nature as it is, and not to make sightseeing business purpose.
The drive road of mountain atmopsphere is to be changed into the forest road, and you would drive out from the national park. The calm "Grand Lake" can be found, where there are not somany accommodations. comparing with those in Estes Park Village. It might be considered that such atmosphere with less tourists would be better to enjoy nice, clean and silent higland lives.