Fall River Road, Coyote Valley, & Adams Falls

August 23, 2010

Fall River Road was the first drivable route into Rocky Mountain National Park.  The guide books mention hiking it but I wouldn't recommend it.  There isn't much to see along the way, it's 9 miles one way, and it's very steep and narrow with cars passing you.  We decided to drive it.

Chasm Falls is a cute little waterfall about 2.6 miles into the drive up Fall River Road.  It surprised me really, I wasn't expecting it to be this pretty.


Fall River Road is open during warmer months.  It's not paved and it's a rough road, but there are some nice views if you get the chance to drive it.  I wouldn't hike it.

Next on our journey this day was Coyote Valley Trail.  This trail is one of the trails on the west side of the park.  We hadn't been over that way yet so we thought we'd try this one. 

This trail is a very easy 1.6 miles, so easy it would accomodate a stroller.  The trail elevation is only 8,846 feet and there is no gain at all.  It's a peaceful stroll along a nice little creek, and there are some nice mountain views, but it's far from exciting.  We thought it may be good for wildlife viewing but we didn't see anything.

Last stop was Adams Falls.  This is a beautiful waterfall!  The hike to to the falls is .6 miles roundtrip, and it's somewhat easy.  The elevation gain is less than 100 feet and a little rocky but the view is well worth it! 

To get to Adams Falls take the East Inlet Trailhead which is close to Grand Lake, another must see. 

Toll Memorial

August 14, 2010

Up until this hike we had stayed at lower elevation, but this is the highest trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park, elevation a whopping 12,110 feet and the trail ascends 200 more feet.  Also until this point we hadn't seen much wildlife along our hikes. 

The Toll Memorial trail is steep, but only .8 miles roundtrip.  Along the way there are signs pointing out various types of alpine plants so it makes for an interesting trek and some stopping points to catch your breath.

This strange rock formation is called Mushroom Rocks and it's about .25 miles into the Toll Memorial hike.  They are quite interesting to look at.

Obviously the best part of this hike is the view along the way.  Any way you turn there are miles of mountain views.  This trail is very busy though, so parking can be tricky.  It's best to get there as early as possible.

Trail Ridge Road is only open from Memorial Day until mid October, so if this on your list to see I would see it as early in the season as possible to catch some snow caps.  Also, it's extremely windy at this elevation so it's a bit chilly.


At this elevation we saw Yellow Bellied Marmots and a herd of Elk, which can normally be seen near the Alpine Visitor's Center.  If you are up that high be sure to stop at the visitor's center and try some of their hot chocolate.  It's some of the best I've had!  Of course the visitor's center is seasonal also, so it's only open when Trail Ridge Road is open.

Bridal Veil Falls

August 1, 2010

The guide books all tell you this hike is rated as easy, and it is for the first 2.5 miles, but then it's steep grades and rock climbing!  From the Cow Creek Trailhead it's 3 miles to the falls and the elevation gain is 1,060 feet and it's mostly in that last mile.  Along the way we didn't see any wildlife except the backside of a far off deer, but there are fields of wildflowers that are beautiful. 

This is Bridal Veil Falls.  It really is a beautiful waterfall once you get past the huffing and puffing from the steep trail. 

Roundtrip the hike is 6 miles, so if you want to see this waterfall start early!  Cow Creek Trailhead is also pretty hard to find, so be sure to grab a RMNP map.

Alberta Falls & Bear Lake

July 17, 2010

Alberta Falls, so far this has been the most beautiful destination of any hike we have done.  The hike to the falls is very easy with an elevation gain of only 170 feet.  It's .6 miles one way to the falls from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead.  You can also access this trail from the Bear Lake Trailhead.  If you want to see both I recommend starting at Bear Lake and then heading to Alberta Falls since the trail will mostly be downhill that way.  The shuttle that runs through Rocky Mountain National Park stops at both Glacier Gorge and Bear Lake Trailheads, so you wouldn't have to hike back.  I prefer the loop trails so we don't see the same scenery twice. 

We started at Glacier Gorge Trailhead and hiked the .6 miles to Alberta Falls, then took the .5 mile trail to Bear Lake.  This is also the most beautiful lake I have seen so far in RMNP.  The Bear Lake Nature Trail loops around the lake and it's a very easy .5 miles, but the view from the opposite side of the lake is amazing.  You can also take the guided tour which we didn't do, but might be informative. 

This is the view from the opposite side of Bear Lake along the loop trail.  It's a must see!

Tips:  Take the shuttle in the park if you're trail is along the route.  It mainly goes to trails along the east side of the park along Bear Lake Road, but parking anywhere near those trailheads is almost always full.  Even the park and ride lot fills up quickly, so get there early.

Estes Park

July 17, 2010

This was my first visit to Estes Park since I was younger.  I had forgotten how quaint and beautiful it is.

The drive from Westminster, CO where we live to Estes Park is about an hour and a half.  Boulder traffic is always a mess!  But, the destination is well worth it!  Here are a few of our Estes Park moments.

If you get the chance to visit this beautiful town be sure to stop and feed the chipmunks.  They come right up to you!  Brave little guys, and so cute.

Estes Park, CO is a place I'd love to live.  There is shopping, dining, and it's so close to Rocky Mountain National Park.  I haven't looked into cost of staying here overnight since we are so close, but it would be well worth it I'm sure!

Our Move to Colorado

July 10, 2010

With the car loaded and my mom in the passenger seat I left my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri to move with my husband to Westminster, Colorado.  The drive was long, but beautiful.  His job had transferred him here and being a newly wed couple we were excited about the adventure. 

We learned quickly that the published guide books and the internet resources online weren't very accurate for the average midwest explorers when it came to hikes, scenery, and other things travelers run into so we thought we should share our experiences and adventures. 

So stay tuned... Much more to follow!