Take a short video tour of the amazing Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, including a few trails, some viewpoints, and a couple of beautiful lakes. The written post from last month can be found here for more information about the Rockies.

“Rocky Mountain national park is located in Colorado. Our trip begins at the Wild Basin, a scenic trail at the southeastern end of the park. There are a variety of trails you can follow here, ranging from .3 miles to over 7 miles. Along these trails, you can stop to admire many waterfalls. If you keep walking, you can visit a few lakes. If you’re short on time, though, you’d better get back in the car and continue your trip.

There’s amazing scenery outside of your window driving around the Rockies. The next stop is Lily Lake. Here, you can walk an easy 1-mile trail around the lake. You may see ducks in the water and chipmunks on the land. If you’d like a little more of a workout, you can hike the Lily Ridge Trail. Along the way, you will be treated to stunning views of the surrounding mountains. From here, you can see the two highest peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park, Mt. Meeker and Longs Peak.

Pass through the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and head out to a picnic area for lunch. Don’t be surprised if you see lots of elk, as there are between 6 and 800 of them in the park. They were once nearly extinct because of hunting, and they are once again threatened thanks to development.

The park is massive, so you’ll probably end up doing a good amount of driving. At least there’s nice scenery outside of the window. There are plenty of places to pull over and get out to look around. Head south down Bear Lake Road on your way to the lake. Down here, there are some beautiful wide open spaces where you can get out of the car, stretch your legs, breath the fresh mountain air, and see big groups of elk off in the distance.

When you get to the lake, you have lots of options for trails. from easy to very strenuous. A glacier formed this lake back in the ice age.  If you’re short on time and just want to enjoy the scenery, it’s a nice casual stroll around the lake. Rocky Mountain national park is a great escape, and you’ll probably be back again.”