Mountain driving is different from ordinary automobile travel, and
presents special problems. In most of the park a speed limit of 35 miles
per hour is enforced (20 m.p.h. on curves). This permits leisurely
sightseeing; but do not stop on the road. Stop in a parking area and
walk back to a scenic spot, if necessary. Vapor lock, which often stalls
cars, is caused, in part, by driving the car up steep grades in high
gear; use lower gears and keep the motor cooler. Most cars stalled by
vapor lock will start after cooling off for about 10 minutes. Keep your
car in gear and use lower gears, if possible, on down grades, too; do
not use overdrive. Drive carefully and courteously. Gateway towns have
the usual auto services.
_Trail Ridge Road._ The 50-mile drive from Estes Park to Grand Lake
across the Front Range in Rocky Mountain National Park is one of
America's most magnificent auto trips. Trail Ridge Road, a modern,
hard-surfaced road, is usually open from late May to mid-October. For
sheer scenic beauty, for easy access to the fantasies of treeline and
tundra, and for a variety of natural landscapes within a few miles,
Trail Ridge Road has few equals anywhere in the world.
Trail Ridge proper is a massive ridge extending easterly from the
Continental Divide. In the early days an Indian trail crossed the
mountains via this ridge--hence the name. The present road was built by
the National Park Service in the early 1930's on a route chosen for
maximum scenic possibilities and minimum snow-clearance problems.
[Illustration: Trail Ridge Road, altitude more than 12,000 feet,
experiences winter most of the year. It is open to motor travel in
summer only.]
[Illustration: Park naturalists conduct field trips during the
summer season.]
[Illustration: From Rainbow Curve, an extensive view to the east
affords glimpses of the lower levels of Trail Ridge Road.]
The lofty peaks of the Colorado Rockies have been sculptured by glaciers
into a bewildering network of rocky ridges, sheer cliffs, needlelike
crags, and great cirques. Until roads were built, much of this
breathtaking scenery was accessible only to hardy mountain climbers. Now
all can see choice samples of high country from a car.
Although every mile of this road affords scenes of great interest and
rare beauty, several points deserve special attention: Many Parks Curve
permits close observation of the chipmunk, golden-mantled ground
squirrel, and Clark's nutcracker, and excellent views of the meadows. To
the north is Fall River Valley, and beyond, the towering peaks of the
Mummy Range. This valley was the melting basin of a great glacier. The
fine view to the south includes Longs Peak (14,256 feet), looming over
the green flats of Beaver Meadows and Moraine Park. Several
moraines--long, generally parallel ridges of broken rocks built up at
the edges of glaciers and now heavily forested--stretch out before you,
separating one park from the other.
Above Many Parks Curve, the road climbs along the north side of Trail
Ridge, loops about the head of upper Hidden Valley (where skiing is in
vogue during the winter), passes the 2-mile elevation sign, and reaches
another parking area at Rainbow Curve, about 8 miles from Deer Ridge,
and one-half mile higher in altitude. The view from Rainbow Curve is
vast, open, and superb, with the Great Plains visible far to the east
and forested canyons or glacial meadows nearer at hand. Many interesting
geological features are pointed out on the roadside exhibit panels at
this point.
Leaving Rainbow Curve, the road follows the rim of another deep canyon,
passing through a ghost forest, scene of a devastating fire in the
1870's. Grotesquely formed treeline trees reflect the harsh climate at
this high altitude. As the Rock Cabins are passed, a superlative view
opens up to the south across Forest Canyon. For several miles the road
traverses the Alpine zone tundra, carpeted during July by low-growing,
colorful flowers.
Glaciated mountains south of Trail Ridge Road can be seen to best
advantage from Rock Cut (altitude 12,110). Gorge Lakes, Forest Canyon,
and other landscape features are indicated in roadside exhibits. If time
permits, a short hike can be made over a nature trail to the nearby
Roger W. Toll Memorial Peakfinder. A walk along this trail provides a
rare opportunity to become acquainted with the tundra; however, the high
altitude affects some people adversely, so it may not be advisable for
persons with heart ailments to attempt the trip.
[Illustration: Winter snows lie deep at higher elevations of the
park.]
Iceberg Lake, which occupies a glacial cirque, was named from the
presence of blocks of ice that remain on its surface even in late
summer, except in extremely warm and dry years. The reddish cliffs at
this point are made up of relatively recent lava, which is not common in
the park. The highest point (12,183 feet, marked by a sign) is between
Iceberg Lake and Fall River Pass. The pass is a popular stopping place,
with restrooms, alpine exhibit room, and lunch counter.
Below Fall River Pass the road continues downhill all the way to Grand
Lake. The Continental Divide is crossed at Milner Pass at an altitude of
10,758 feet, in the midst of a typical spruce-fir forest. As Far View
Curve is approached, the valley of the Colorado River comes into view,
and the rugged Never Summer Range looms up to the west. The road
descends from this point in sharp switchback curves to reach the wide
floor of the Colorado Valley. From here to Grand Lake, the route follows
the valley. Deer and elk are often seen in this vicinity. The lake
itself, over 250 feet deep, is one of Colorado's scenic gems. The town
of Grand Lake, outside the park, is a friendly western town with the
usual resort accommodations.
_Bear Lake Road._ This is a short spur road, leaving from Beaver Meadows
Entrance on one of the eastern approaches to Trail Ridge through Moraine
Park and Glacier Basin to Bear Lake, nestled at the foot of the high
mountains. Everyone should make this trip, if time permits--an extra
hour or so will do it. The road traverses glaciated meadows and
moraines; it affords splendid views of Longs Peak. Great stands of aspen
on Bierstadt Ridge make this a colorful drive in autumn. Bear Lake, at
the end of the road--the only high lake in the park accessible by
auto--is a foreground for the view up Tyndall Gorge, with the sheer
cliff of Hallett Peak making a dramatic backdrop to the alpine scene. A
half-mile trail encircles the lake, giving different scenic effects with
every step, and nature-trail labels aid in enjoyment of the rocks,
wildflowers, and trees. A short hike--a mile or so--from Bear Lake to
Dream Lake gives you an opportunity to escape auto traffic and see some
of the park, without undertaking too arduous a climb.