This place feels like love. Just hiking through this park, being engulfed by massive mountains and wildflowers all around you, it’s love. All of that pure bliss that resides in you coming to the surface when you get to witness the beauty that surrounds you, is really freeing. It makes you realize how amazing it is that you can get to this conscious place in your mind, where you’re completely aware of this bliss and love that radiates through you. It’s a raw and organic love where all you want to do is share it with someone. And imagine, if you both you and that someone could reach this higher frequency together, imagine then what you could accomplish. You each pass it on to the next soul, and they in turn pass it on. What kind of a world would we live in then?
I’ve been so excited to go see Rocky Mountain National Park. I finally got the chance this summer, and it was totally worth it. The park is located near Denver, and the Continental Divide runs directly through it. This means that the rivers and streams on the western side of the divide flow to the Pacific Ocean, and the rivers on the eastern side flow all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. The park is filled with lakes, about 150 to be exact, and it’s massive. It has 5 different visitor centers, and is the third most visited of all the parks. I can understand why, it’s truly a charming place. After two days, I only got halfway through. This park also has one of the highest altitudes in all the Nations National Parks. A whopping 14,259 feet at it’s highest point. You can definitely tell how high you are once you start getting up to the top because the weather drops a solid 25 degrees.
Bear Lake
My first stop was Bear Lake. It’s a 0.8 mile round trip trail that circles Bear Lake. Probably one of the most iconic and crowded lakes in the park. It’s the closest first stop if you enter through the town of Estes. If you’re looking for a lake with a view, this one is definitely it.
Nymph Lake
The entrance to Nymph Lake Trail is one that splits right at the entrance to Bear Lake, so you can do them both if you’re in the area. This trail was pretty short as well, just a 1.1 mile round trip. Nymph Lake definitely had a different feel to it. It was much smaller, and has more of an arboraceous feel to it with all the lily pads taking over the lakes surface area. But there was this adorable duck family, and I can’t possibly imagine the tranquil life they must live just being in that presence of beauty all day and night.
Dream Lake
Dream Lake is actually on the same trail as Nymph Lake. You just continue up for 2.2 miles total. Honestly, I rather enjoyed the journey of getting to Dream Lake more than the lake itself. The trail was full of hidden gems along the way. Streams trickling through a bed of wildflowers, a waterfall perfect for sunbathing, and tons of chipmunks willing to be your friend for the day.
Trail Ridge Road
Trail Ridge Road was probably one of the coolest parts about driving through the park. It’s a constant stunning sweeping vista view. This road covers the 48 miles between Estes Park on the east side, and Grand Lake on the west. You get to this point where you’re above the tree lines, and it’s nothing in front of you but vast tundra and glacier capped mountain tops. You literally climb 4,000 feet in a matter of minutes.
Moraine Valley
This is the spot if you want to see some big horn sheep. The entire valley is protected, so the sheep come down from the mountains to drink at the watering hole and graze on that grass still warm from the sunshine.
I got to see so many elk all around this park. No matter where you were, you were surrounded by wildlife. It’s always fascinating when you visit parks how comfortable the animals are with people around. If only we could all put that much trust in the world.
Rocky Mountain National Park is definitely up there for being one of my favorite parks. Especially with how massive it is, you can go back again and again and always find new trails and places to stop at. The sweetest part of the trip? Getting to be there with my parents. It was a nice family vacation to end quarantine with and start the exodus back to Los Angeles. I think my dad did a total of 5 plein air paintings just from this trip alone. You can see some of them here!
