Home»All Photographs»National Parks & Monuments»Rocky Mountain National Park

Sometime last spring, the call to visit Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado came as clearly and loudly as the bugling of a bull elk in an autumn meadow. Autumn is not only the time when herds of elk come down from the high country into the lush meadows of the park, but also is the time of year for peak autumn foliage among the aspens, birch and cottonwoods. Autumn also has a reputation for great sunsets and sunrises here. Several high country lakes, such as Bear, Emerald, Nymph and Sprague are easily accessed by relatively short hikes. While the park is still crowded autumn, the park is big enough to enjoy moments of complete solitude, especially in the early morning hours at the overlooks off Trail Ridge Road, the longest high-elevation road in the country. The vista of the Gore Range along this road, for instance, is at 12,183 feet.