Bear Lake
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Leaving St. Vrain felt like a turning point. From here on out, we were heading into a string of the big parks we had been anticipating for months: Rocky Mountain, Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier. As we drove north, the mountains grew bigger and more dramatic, with snow still lingering on the peaks.
Rocky Mountain National Park
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We rolled into Rocky Mountain National Park just before 2 p.m. on Friday and only had a 10-minute wait at the entrance, not bad for Memorial Day weekend. After setting up camp at Glacier Basin, we walked over to the nearby Park & Ride and took the shuttle to Bear Lake.
The lake was ice free, but about a third of the trail around it was still snow covered. Spring was working on it, but winter had not fully let go. We added the 1.6-mile round trip to Alberta Falls, where snowmelt sent water cascading down the rocks.
Later that evening, we headed over to Moraine Park and were treated to elk, elk, and more elk. Whole herds grazed in the meadow while cars lined the roadside to watch. Mule deer lingered nearby, and magpies swooped in to land on them, clearly on tick duty. Back near our campground, wild turkeys paraded through.
It felt like we had officially arrived in the Rockies.
The lake was ice free, but about a third of the trail around it was still snow covered. Spring was working on it, but winter had not fully let go. We added the 1.6-mile round trip to Alberta Falls, where snowmelt sent water cascading down the rocks.
Later that evening, we headed over to Moraine Park and were treated to elk, elk, and more elk. Whole herds grazed in the meadow while cars lined the roadside to watch. Mule deer lingered nearby, and magpies swooped in to land on them, clearly on tick duty. Back near our campground, wild turkeys paraded through.
It felt like we had officially arrived in the Rockies.