Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Rocky Mountain National Park - Old Fall River Road

We took a day trip, not in the RV, to Rocky Mountain National Park. We had no plan and just followed the signs. If you go through Estes Park and follow the RMNP signs you enter through the Fall River Entrance. This is a bit of a secondary entrance, no movie at the visitor center but plenty of other stuff on display as well as a restaurant and extensive shop.

Our plan was sort of to just drive around and see what we saw as we did no research.

Our first stop was Alluvial Fan.
Plenty of falls to walk around and explore.

Many people climbed the rocks to go higher up.

The view was really pretty looking down.

These falls had something for everyone. There were two parking lots. The first one you hiked through some wooded area to get to the falls but it was full so we parked at the second which had the falls practically in the parking lot. People with toddlers took them downstream to play in the water. Some people were in wading gear for fishing. Some people were climbing on the rocks around the falls.

This is where I met a couple from Denver who were going to drive Old Fall River Road. Old Fall River Road is the old road to the top prior to the opening of Trail Ridge Road. It is dirt and crushed gravel, one lane, one way. We had our SUV so decided to drive it also.
https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/old_fall_river_road.htm

The start of Old Fall River Road

It was in great condition.

One of the places we stopped at had pretty falls. This is the lower stop. The people you see in the distance above are observing the falls in the next picture.

This is same area but hiking down from an upper stop. You could have hiked up from the lower stop also.


This critter was always crossing the road. Then he would run up the hill and we would see him at the next switchback.
 Lots of scenic views.
Getting close to the tree line.


Above the tree line.

Storms kept following us but never got us.
Little tiny building you see in the center of the picture is the Alpine Visitor Center.

It was kind of chilly for July and the snow had not yet all melted.


Alpine Visitor Center is where you join up with Trail Ridge Road.
If you had come up Trail Ridge Road you could park your RV at the Alpine Visitor Center. They had a person restricting access to the RV parking to RVs only so plenty of spaces.
Looking left from the visitor center sign.

The pesky clouds are after us again.


Click on this picture to enlarge it and you will see the pretty alpine lake.


Wildlife had their own crossing guard.

After we drove down Trail Ridge Road we went to the main visitor center for the movie (not memorable) and the on to Estes Park for an early dinner. Then home.

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