Rocky Mountain National Park is the living showcase of the grandeur of the Rockies, with elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the valleys to 14,259 feet at the top of Longs Peak. The park draws 3 million visitors per year with countless outdoor experiences and adventures. Choosing the best day and overnight hikes from the 359 miles of hiking trails and 200 back-country sites is a major mission. Get on the trail faster with the confidence that you've made the right choice by referencing Day & Overnight Hikes Rocky Mountain National Park. Whether you're out to see the elk rut in autumn, the summer blooms on the hillside, the thundering falls in spring, or the white-blanketed calm of the forest in winter, author Kim Lipker has your mission accomplished. Both the west, Grand Lake side and the east, Estes Park side of the park are featured. This guide includes original GPS-based trail maps, detailed trail descriptions, overnight camping recommendations, trail guides suitable for different experience levels, and more.

This book guides you to and along the best day and overnight hikes within Rocky Mountain National Park.

Colorado has 53 14ers, more than 600 13ers, and hundreds of other peaks that can be reached without special equipment or expertise. Numerous guides dryly catalog these trails, but Best Summit Hikes in Colorado stands out from them all. Author James Dziezynski has meticulously selected 80+ of the state's absolute best peaks in more than 50 superlative hikes, and his opinionated narrative brings each route to life. Each summit is included because of a notable feature--whether it's the site of a ghost mine or airplane wreckage, has thundering waterfalls or colorful floral meadows, is the best summit for spotting wildlife or bringing out-of-town friends, or is very accessible. Some peaks offer unique opportunities, such as a trailhead accessible only via a steam-powered railroad. Several summits are described in no other publication. Covering all Colorado's major mountain ranges, including the well-known Sangre De Cristo, Gore, Sawatch, Indian Peaks, and Maroon Bell wilderness areas to the lesser-known Grenadiers, Medicine Bow, and Outer San Juan peaks, this distinctive guide makes it easy to select exactly the right hike for the right day, the right mood, and the right companions.

Special Sections -- Dogs -- Dog Trails -- Human Waste -- Personal Locator Beacons -- If You're Lost -- Bark Beetles -- Wilderness Camping -- Wildfires -- Lightning -- Shuttle Buses -- Trail Crews -- Understanding Search and Rescue (SAR).

Finally, the total experience of hiking Rocky Mountain National Park has been captured in one comprehensive volume, which covers literally every named destination in RMNP and many exciting hikes in adjacent public lands. This book is a must-have for any beginning hiker or avid outdoor enthusiast. It will take you anywhere you want to go in RMNP and its surrounding areas. From fun family hikes to hearty mountaineering adventures, Rocky Mountain National Park: The Complete Hiking Guide has something for everyone. It includes details about every trail within RMNP, as well as at-your-fingertips info highlighting trailheads, elevation gain, distance, and the difficulty of each hike. By far the most extensive and accurate hiking resource available for RMNP, this guide provides the information you need for an enjoyable experience in one of the nation's most popular parks. Book jacket.

Following the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915, promotional campaigns generated by the railroads lured wealthy travelers to the park with images of the great outdoors and the many luxuries offered by the finest hotels. Postcards were circulated proclaiming the park as the "Playground of the World." The gateway communities of Estes Park and Grand Lake became vibrant hospitality centers, and in 1920, when the two towns were connected with the opening of Fall River Road, a new era of tourism was introduced that continues today. More than 200 postcards are used in this book to provide a chronology of the early hotels, ranches, and other settings that have shaped the park's history for more than a century.

Includes Old Faithful Inn: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming ; The Ahwahnee: Yosemite National Park, California ; Paradise Inn: Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State ; Timberline Lodge: Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon ; Oregon Caves Chateau: Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon ; Crater Lake Lodge: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon ; El Tovar: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona ; Zion Park Lodge: Zion National Park, Utah ; Bryce Canyon Lodge: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona ; Glacier Park Lodge: East Glacier, Montana ; Belton Chalet: West Glacier, Montana ; Lake McDonald Lodge, Sperry and Granite Park Chalets, and Many Glacier Hotel: Glacier National Park, Montana ; Prince of Wales Hotel: Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada.