A fall visit with my son to three wonderful parks in Colorado - Rocky Mountain, Great Sand Dunes and the Colorado National Monument.
Although we came late in the year, the weather was mostly good. But I unknowingly picked the busiest weekend of the year - Elk Fest in Estes Park - for our visit. We lingered into the following week and the crowds thinned out considerably. The Aspen and Cottonwood colors were just a bit past their prime, but they still were beautiful!
Long's Peak
Winter storm over Spruce Canyon
October Aspens
We visited the historic Stanley Hotel, a.k.a the Overlook Hotel, made famous in the movie "The Shining". They offer lots of related items in gift shop as well as ghost tours, so the film has been a money maker for them. If you are in Estes Park, it's definitely worth a visit.
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park - star of the movie "The Shining"
This is the rutting season for the elk and they draw tremendous crowds of tourists
Long's Peak - the tallest in the park at 14'259 feet
Driving the Trail Ridge Road is a wonderful experience. When you visit, travel the full length of the road to get an appreciation of the ecosystems of the park; Montane in the lower elevations, Subalpine up to 11'000 feet, and Alpine above 11'000 feet. Eye candy around every turn!
Great Sand Dunes Park is definitely off the beaten path, but it's an amazing place. Because the official season was over, there were few people there when we visited. The main attraction, of course, are the immense sand dunes. The Great Sand Dunes sit on a large area of "High Desert" land in the San Luis Valley, just west of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. The dunes were formed from sand and soil deposits of the Rio Grande and its tributaries, flowing through the San Luis Valley. Over the ages, glaciers feeding the river and the vast lake that existed upon the valley melted, and the waters evaporated. Westerly winds picked up sand particles from the lake and river flood plain. As the wind lost power before crossing the Sangre de Cristo Range, the sand was deposited on the east edge of the valley. This process continues, and the dunes are slowly growing. The park and preserve also contain alpine lakes and tundra, six peaks over 13'000 feet and forests, grasslands, and wetlands.
Milky Way at Great Sand Dunes National Park
Silence - incredible silence - is phenomenal here. Around sundown, when even the few visitors who were there were tucking in for the night, the only sound was the wind. No traffic, no jets, no mechanical or human voices for miles. Even the birds were silent. And when the wind paused, I could almost hear the blood flow running through my ears! It was an amazing experience.
And the night sky is a sight to behold. There is no artificial light pollution because there are no towns near the park. The closest town is Blanca and it's small. The stars and the Milky Way are revealed as they are in few other locations in the U.S. I can remember skies like this when I was growing up, but that was a long time ago! If you're a star gazer, this is the place to be, especially late in the season when the temperatures are quite cool and the air is exceptionally clear.
There are primitive and developed camp grounds in the park and an RV park and lodge just outside the park entrance. The facilities are simple but of good quality. The Lodge, in particular, offers a great place to stay if you're not RV'ing or tent camping.
Sunrise at Great Sand Dunes National Park
Colorado National Monument is located in Fruita, Colorado, about twenty five minutes outside of Grand Junction. It lies directly off of I-70, but judging from the view from the freeway, you'd never guess it was there.
The area was first explored by John Otto, a free spirit who settled in Grand Junction in the early 20th century. Prior to Otto's arrival, many area residents believed the canyons to be inaccessible to humans. Otto began building trails on the plateau and into the canyons. As word spread about his work, the Chamber of Commerce of Grand Junction sent a delegation to investigate. The delegation returned praising both Otto's work and the scenic beauty of the wilderness area, and the local newspaper began lobbying to make it a National Park.
The area was established as Colorado National Monument on May 24, 1911. The park became more well known in the 1980s partly due to its inclusion as a stage of the major international bicycle race, the Coors Classic.[1]
[1] Wikipedia
Independence Rock, with the Book Cliffs on the distant horizon.
There are two entrances to the Monument; one from the east out of Grand Junction and the other from Fruita to the west. For those with vertigo or who are not comfortable with heights, I suggest the Fruita entrance because you'll be (mostly) in the inside lane during the steep climb up the sandstone cliffs. The Rim Rock Drive is a remarkable example of human engineering during the days when such roads were chiseled out of the cliffs by men with picks, shovels and dynamite.
Fruita Canyon and Rim Rock drive near west entrance to the monument.
Balanced Rock in Fruita Canyon
Big Horn Sheep that crossed my path on the trail
Late afternoon in a small side canyon
The Coke Ovens - Colorado National Monument
View of Monument Canyon
Saddlehorn campground near the visitor's center accommodates tents and some RV's. There are lots of opportunities for backcountry camping, too. Hiking trails range from strenuous to easy, with abundant wildlife (especially bighorn sheep) and plenty of dizzying views off of sheer cliffs.