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Deer Mountain is a popular hiking site in the Rocky Mountains. The route to the top of the mountain and back is less than 10 kilometers long and is of medium difficulty. On the way, you climb about 430 meters. The summit of Deer Mountain reaches a height of 3,050 meters above sea level, so the trip to the mountain is suitable as part of the adjustment process required for hiking at altitude. We did it on our second day in the Rocky Mountains after we traveled the day before to Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Haiyaha Lake. Right at the beginning of the route, we met an elk: After a short walk on the plain, a consistent climb begins, during which there are already incredible viewpoints: After climbing for about an hour, you reach a flat area: From there, with a strenuous climb, you reach the summit: The parking spaces at the beginning of the route are limited, so it is recommended to arrive early. Entry to the Rocky Mountain Reserve requires purchasing a ticket and coordinating the entry time. Read all the details here.

The Rocky Mountain Ridge Road connects the two main gateways to the Rocky Mountain National Park: Estes Park in the east and Grand Lake in the west. Trail Ridge is part of route 34, about 75 kilometers long, of which about 18 kilometers are above the tree line, in the alpine tundra environment, where trees cannot grow due to the harsh weather conditions during the winter, similar to those in Alaska or northern Canada. The drive along the ridge passes between stunning overlooks and views. There is no need to stop at each overlook, but keep in mind that the views change, and you should occasionally stop at one of the overlooks and admire the view. Please note: most people are not used to traveling at such heights, and some may develop altitude sickness due to low air pressure and lack of oxygen, with symptoms of headaches, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and sometimes even loss of consciousness. It is very important to take your time, drink a lot, eat and rest. If you develop symptoms of altitude sickness - do not continue to ascend. If the symptoms worsen while resting - please go back down as quickly as possible. And never leave a person with altitude sickness alone. The only place where you can find something to eat and drink on the way is the Alpine Visitor Center. We hiked in the morning to Deer Mountain, and from there, we continued through the ridge toward Grand Lake. "Many Parks" Overlook Here you can get a beautiful overview of the great meadows below the Rocky Mountains. Rainbow Curve Bird The overlook is located precisely at the highest point where trees still grow and the transition point between subalpine and alpine climates. Forest Canyon Overlook A panoramic observation at an altitude of 3,500 meters above sea level. Be careful not to go off the paved path, as well as not to damage the alpine tundra plants - they are very fragile, and it takes decades for them to recover from trampling. Alpine Visitor Center The visitor center is at an altitude of 3,600 meters above sea level. You can get assistance from the park rangers in planning the rest of the trip. There is also a restaurant and a souvenir shop onsite, and, of course, an observation deck. The drive along Ridge Trail is an amazing experience. The trip is comfortable (drive carefully, no need to rush), there are many places to stop along the way, including hiking and observation routes, and it allows you to understand this huge thing called the Rocky Mountains. Please note: entrance to the Rocky Mountain Reserve requires the purchase of a ticket in advance, including registration for a specific time range for entering the reserve. Everything is detailed in this post.

On our first trip to the Rocky Mountains, we decided to travel to several lakes: Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, Haiyaha Lake, and Alberta Falls. We left Estes Park in the morning for the Bear Lake trailhead. The trip to Bear Lake requires, in addition to the Access Pass to the national park and a registered entrance time, an additional payment for the trip to the Bear Lake Corridor. Please take a look at the details about organizing for entry here. Bear Lake The lake is at an altitude of 2,880 meters above sea level and is about seven hundred meters from the parking lot. The route around Bear Lake is accessible to wheelchairs, and at the beginning of the way, there are toilets, rangers, and direction signs. Please note - the parking lot at the entrance is not large, and there is a good chance that you will have to go back, park in a parking lot that is a few kilometers from the trailhead, and use the free shuttle that the park offers and operates from morning to evening. The signage in the park is very organized, and it is difficult to get confused. Large wooden signs direct the travelers wherever the route splits or where there may be some doubt in the desired walking direction. Near the lake, we met a group of female moose. Nymphs Lake From Bear Lake, we started to climb to Nymphs Lake. After walking about seven hundred meters, we reached the lake's southern end, partially covered with pond lilies. Dream Lake Another eight hundred meters of climbing brought us to the sub-alpine lake, Dream Lake. And you can really see dreamy views from here: Lake Haiyaha Our original plan was to finish the route at Dream Lake. However, the ranger at the trailhead changed our mind: he told us that due to a one-time natural phenomenon, the color of the water changed just three months before our visit, from deep blue to turquoise as a result of a mountain slide, which introduced a glacier flour into the lake. He suggested we make an effort and get there. And he was right. We have never seen anything like this: Alberta Falls From there, we continued to Alberta Falls. This time most of the way was already downhill. We saw a beautiful lake that no one bothered to name, squirrels, and a small bridge that Liat decided was suitable for dancing: As you get closer to the falls, you hear the flow of water: From Alberta Falls, we continued to the trail's end, which was close to the trailhead. There was a shuttle stop there, and after a few minutes, we got on the bus that took us to the parking lot, where we left the car. It was a perfect day trip. Although the climb was challenging because we were not used to hiking at such a height, and the breathing was a bit heavy, the views and the lakes were simply amazing. And because it was a long post, let me remind you again: there is a fee to enter the Rocky Mountains National Park. Entrance to the Bear Lake Corridor requires an additional cost, and during the tourist season, it is also necessary to coordinate the entrance time to the park. We wrote you all the details in this post.

The lovely Park has hiking trails in the mountains with different difficulty levels. The place is beautiful, combines mountains and streams, and is partially shaded. Since we are not local, we were amazed to see an alert at the entrance to the track, which warns of bears and instructs what to do if you meet one: Do not run, shout, or turn your back towards the bear. Make yourself look as large as possible. Put the children between adults. Talk to the bear authoritatively and back away slowly. And if the bear attacks - fight it. We were a little stressed, and when we asked the locals, they told us that it was okay and that if we followed the instructions, there was nothing to worry about. So we went for a walk, hoping we wouldn't meet a bear up close. Just so you know, parking at the beginning of the route costs money in the summer months, parking spaces are limited, and the city operates a free shuttle from eight in the morning to eight in the evening on weekends and holidays. More details can be found here.

Mount Evans Scenic Byway is the highest paved road in the United States - it reaches a height of more than 4,300 meters above sea level. During the trip, which is about 22 kilometers long, you get a view of the continental divide. From the moment you cross the tree line and reach an environment where the trees no longer grow due to the cold weather conditions, you meet flocks of mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and alpine vegetation that has managed to adapt to the environmental conditions. The drive is lovely and, from the driver's point of view, a little stressful: the road is narrow, and there is no guardrail. It is not like the roads you sometimes see in the mountains in the third world, and there is no need to be afraid. Just be careful and drive slowly. During our visit, which was held in the second half of September, it was no longer possible to drive the last 5 kilometers to the top of the mountain. Hence, the highest point we reached is the spectacular Summit Lake, where several hiking trails can be started. We made a brief trip to the shore of the lake and climbed a little on the nearby mountain to see the lake from above. There is a beautiful view from the lake area of ​​the Chicago Lakes: We then continued on the return trip and stopped for a short circular route of half an hour for the alpine gardens: Just to let you know, travel on Mount Evans Scenic Road requires payment in advance through the National Parks website: www.recreation.gov. The site is closed in the winter, and you should follow it online and see if it is open. 75% of the tickets are available for registration thirty days before, and the remaining 25% are available for booking two days before the requested date. That is - let's say you want to travel on July 1st. Registration for 75% of the tickets will open a month before; even if they run out, it is guaranteed that additional tickets will be opened for booking two days early. So it would be best to plan ahead.

We went to the Kawuneeche Visitor Center and consulted one of the rangers. We explained to him that we were going to Idaho Springs and we would be happy for one more trip to the park. He sent us to Adams Falls, on the other side of Grand Lake. Although the falls are not between the main entrance gates of Estes Park and Grand Lake, they are still inside the national park, and you need a ticket and a time slot to enter. The problem is that you can't purchase them onsite - online, and there is a lousy cellular connection over there. So it would be better to buy the Park Access and the Time slot in advance. Somehow we managed to buy Park Access and time entry, and we entered. Read here about purchasing tickets and coordinating times for Rocky Mountain Park. The route is circular and one and a half kilometers long. Some climbs are on the way, but overall, it is easy. In the middle of the route is a beautiful view of the falls. Charming and beautiful track.

The Coyote Valley Trail is within Rocky Mountain National Park, about nine kilometers (5.5 miles) north of the park's southern entrance at Grand Lake. About one and a half kilometers long (a mile), the path overlooks the Kawuneeche Valley and crosses the Colorado River. The open meadow below the mountain is created when the weather is too dry or too humid and prevents the growth of trees. Since the soil is very moist, grass and herbs grow here, feeding many animals. The valley is home to herds of elks, moose, deer, eagles, hawks, beavers, coyotes, and kingfishers. Until the 1870s, when thousands of settlers arrived in search of gold and minerals, the place was used in the summer as a hunting ground for the Ute and Arapaho Indian tribes, who also gave the valley its name: "Kawuneeche" in the language of the Arapaho means "the valley of the coyotes." As we walked, we saw a group of professional photographers with huge lenses photographing herds of elks and moose that rested far away. If you have binoculars - you should equip them. We didn't have one, and we asked one of the photographers to show us through the camera lens. The route is accessible to wheelchairs, with places to sit and rest. At the entrance to the track, there is parking and toilets. It is an easy, accessible, and fun route. Just to let you know, entrance to the Rocky Mountains is not free - it requires payment of an entrance fee and coordination of a time slot for entering the reserve. It is impossible to enter before or after the time slot you registered in advance. You can read all the details here: How to coordinate entry to the Rocky Mountains Nature Reserve.

Rocky Mountain National Park covers about a thousand square kilometers and has mountains, lakes, forests, and mountain tundra - an alpine environment devoid of trees. It is a federal park, protected by the US government since 1915. Millions of visitors hike the park every year. Entrance to the park The park has two main entrances: Estes Park in the east and Grand Lake in the southwest. There are additional small entrances for specific routes. Between the two main entrance gates runs road 34, which is 77 kilometers long, and parts of it are closed during the year, depending on the weather conditions. Along the road, there are many lookouts and the Alpine Case Center. You can enter the park by car or use the shuttle routes between May and October. The shuttle bus between Estes Park Visitors Center costs $2 and requires you to register ahead. The bus enters the park and allows the hikers to get one of the other free shuttle buses that run between some popular trailheads. If you enter with a car, you need a Park Access parking permit, and as of our trip, between May 27 and October 10, you must also coordinate the time of entering the park: Timed Entry Permit Reservation. The time range for entry is two hours, which means entry is coordinated for 9-11, 11-13, and so on. You'll need to enter the park during the hours you registered. If you want to travel on the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which leads to some of the most recommended hiking trails in the Rocky Mountains, you need to purchase a Park Access permit that includes the corridor. At the time of our trip, the registration to enter the park opened at 17:00 the day before. The tickets and the time of entry are purchased on the National Parks of the United States website: www.recreation.gov. parking The parking spaces at the trailheads of the popular routes are minimal. In different parts of the park, there are huge parking lots from which free shuttles depart, leading to the beginning of the roads. The service is efficient and convenient. A trip at altitude Many of the routes in the Rockies are very high. Travelers not used to heights will be surprised to find that although the road may seem easy, the breathing is much heavier. If you are planning long routes in high places, it is recommended to get your body used to it gradually over two to three days, each time extending the route a little and letting your body get used to it. Exposure to the sun requires drinking a lot and using sunscreen. Food in the Rocky Mountains Except for the few visitor centers in this huge park, there is nowhere to purchase food and drink - no coffee carts, no food stands, no ice cream truck, and no merchants with coolers and drink cans. It would be best if you organized it in advance. We started every morning at 6:00 at the local Safeway supermarket, where we stocked up on food and drinks for that day's trip.

Grand Lake is a small town, about one street, the southern gateway to the Rockies. We got to our room in Grand Lake just before dark, so we didn't realize how small the town was. After 17:00, it is no longer possible to find coffee... Fortunately, a grocery store was open until the evening, and we could stock up. When we got up in the morning, we went to look for a café, and then we also saw the beauty of this town, which looks like it came out of a western - and especially the vast and beautiful lake it is named after, which is right next to the houses. We checked three cafes in the morning - and we have only good words to say about them. A pastoral, quiet, and pleasant town.

We arrived in Idaho Springs in the evening and were looking for something to eat. Right in front of our hotel, we saw a big sign: BBQ Smokin' Yards, and we decided to give it a try. We ordered a combination meal of two types of meat and two side dishes, which was simply excellent! If you are around - don't miss it. They told us they also have another branch in the Denver area. Look for it if you are in the area.

On our trip, we decided to sleep one night in Idaho Springs, a good place in the middle between Grand Lake and Denver. Idaho Springs has other advantages: it is very close to Echo Lake and Mount Evans, which we wanted to visit, and the town itself served as a significant technological center during the gold rush, with the operation of Argo Mills & Tunnel, where tours can be held. We found an excellent room: JC Suites, and enjoyed it very much. I highly recommend it. Please feel free to order here.

Echo Lake is about an hour's drive west of Denver. The night before our visit, we slept in Idaho Springs, so the drive was only 10 minutes. The lake is spectacular in its beauty. The water is so clear, and in the morning, it's really like a mirror - look at the pictures: it looks like someone edited the images in Photoshop: In the vicinity of the lake park, there are several hiking trails of different difficulty levels. We walked an enjoyable route that surrounded half a lake. There are toilets and a picnic area. Free admission. It is highly recommended!