On January 26, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Rocky Mountain National Park Act. In 1915, private land dotted the park, and many of them welcomed guests since the turn of the century. These hostel guards maintained paths, built trails, and guided visitors to the highlands. Rocky Mountain National Park is an American national park located approximately 55 miles (89 km) northwest of Denver, in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.
The park is located between the cities of Estes Park to the east and Grand Lake to the west. The eastern and western slopes of the Continental Divide run directly through the center of the park, with the headwaters of the Colorado River located in the northwest region of the park. The park's main features include mountains, alpine lakes and a wide variety of wildlife in various climates and environments, from wooded forests to mountain tundra. There are five regions, or geographical zones, within the park.
Rocky Mountain National Park is home to many species of animals, including nearly seventy mammals and nearly three hundred species of birds. This diversity is due to the park's variable topography, which creates a variety of habitats. However, some species have been removed from this park, including wolf packs, the glutton, the brown bear and the American bison.
Enos Mills, the main figure behind the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park, enjoyed walking to Lily Lake from his nearby cabin. The geological composition of Rocky Mountain National Park was also affected by deformation and erosion during that time. National Forest lands surround the park on all sides, including Roosevelt National Forest to the north and east, Routt National Forest to the north and west, and the Arapaho National Forest to the west and south, with the Indian Peaks Wilderness area located directly south of the park. If you don't like watching wildlife, check out some of the other things you can do in Rocky Mountain National Park.
In 1917, shortly after the Rocky Mountain National Park Act was signed, German immigrants John and Sophia Holzwarth traveled west to a 160-acre farm along the banks of the Colorado River in the Kawuneeche Valley, just a few miles from the town of Grand Lake. In the 1930s, the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps recruited workers for Rocky Mountain National Park to help build roads, campgrounds, trails and other facilities. Officially established on January 26, 1915, the park has a rich history, and we would love to share some interesting facts about the park that may surprise you. Opened in 1932, Trail Ridge Road was the first highland road in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The mountain range that would become the Rocky Mountains began to reveal itself about 68 million years ago. A geographical anomaly is found along the slopes of the Neversummer Mountains, where the Continental Divide forms a horseshoe-shaped curve of approximately 9.7 km (6 miles), which runs south to north, but then curves sharply south and west out of the park. With elevations from 7,860 feet to 14,259 feet, Rocky Mountain makes you feel like you're on top of the world. The Rocky Mountain Museum collection preserves artifacts and specimens that tell the story of the park, from household items that were part of historic houses in the park and historic photos to watercolors and oil paintings of the park landscape.
