Rocky Mountain National Park in northern Colorado spans the Continental Divide and encompasses protected mountains, forests and alpine tundra. It is known for Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road, paths that pass through poplars and rivers. The Keyhole Trail, a climb that crosses vertical rock walls, leads to Longs Peak, the highest mountain in the park. A trail that surrounds Bear Lake offers views of the peaks.
The park was established in 1915 when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Rocky Mountain National Park Act.
The mountains that make up the park, along the rest of the Rocky Mountains, were raised during the Laramide orogeny, which began about 70-80 million years ago and ended approximately 35 million years ago.
More recently, repeated glaciation events over the past million years eroded thousands of feet of rock and sediment. This important erosive period proceeded to carve the region, shaping the peaks and valleys that we see today. Wide U-shaped valleys leading to sweeping circuses, steep ridges, and high mountain peaks are features found throughout the park.
