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High Southwest Adventure Guide
2nd Edition By Steve Cohen. The Adventure Guide to the High Southwest packs a punch for adventurous travelers, offering the thrills and spills of the Four Corners region in fantastic detail. The mammoth canyons, vast deserts and haunting mountains of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico offer a vast canvas on which to paint your own adventure.

InfoHub Specialty Travel Guide

Rocky Mountain National Park
Estes Park, CO 80517-8397; (303) 586-2371;

This 265,700 acre preserve covers the Front Range, so named for being the most dramatic towers of the Rocky Mountains first encountered along the edge of the Great Plains. Elevations here begin at 8,000 feet above sea level in the valleys but then rises dramatically with 59 peaks 12,000 feet or higher. The highest is Longs Peak, 14,255 feet.

Perpetual snowfall decorates the canyons and tall peaks. Even small glaciers are found today at the head of some high elevation canyons. This area gained national park status in 1915.

Also noteworthy is the two separate climates. First is the great pine forests and second is the alpine tundra located above the tree line.



Primary Features / Scenic points to not miss:

Wildlife: - The high mountain canyons are the natural home for the bighorn sheep - symbol of the Rocky Mountains. Also in abundance are elk, beaver, golden eagles, hawks. Over 150 species of bird dwell here also. They are also home to rare Magdalena Alpine butterfly - a pretty, but rare, velvety black butterfly found only in high elevations.

Hiking: - Remember, this activity will feel very stressful at these exceptionally high elevations.

Trail Ridge Road: - Highway US-34 is the primary route through the park (parts are closed during winter). This 44-mile long road follows and ancient indian trail over the Continental Divide. Where it reaches its summit at 12,183 feet, you are at the highest elevation for any paved road in the U.S. Over 11 miles of the road traverses alpine tundra terrain. Definitely the best way to see some of the best sites in the park.

Andrews Glacier: - most readily accessible of the park's glaciers. It will still require a strenuous four-mile hike to get here.

Fishing: - Fishing season is open all-year (except where posted). A Colorado fishing licenses is required but special regulations apply to the park.

Camping: - Most campgrounds have seven-day limits and permit trailers, except Longs Peak (three-days). No electric or shower facilities available.

• Glacier Basin
• Aspenglen
• Moraine Park
• Timber Creek
• Longs Peak - no trailers / three-day limit only

Ski Touring: - Three most popular areas are

• Bear Lake
• Sprague Lake
• Wild Basin

Visitor Centers: -

• Estes Park Center - east gate facility, open year round.
• Kawuneeche Visitor Center - west gate facility near Grand Lake entrance. Open year round.
• Moraine Park Museum - located along Trail Ridge Road is open only during summer.
• Alpine Visitor Center - located along Trail Ridge Road is open only during summer.
• Lily Lake Visitor Center - located along Colorado SR-7, about seven miles south of Estes Park.

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