Rocky Mountain Trek to the Tundra
Trek to the highest ecosystem in Rocky Mountain with Charlie Armadillo!
The second story (published August 2023) in the National Parks Explorer Series takes readers to Rocky Mountain National Park, where Charlie is super excited to identify all of the zones of the mountain as he ventures to the highest point in the park, but what he really wants to find is a big horn sheep. Will Charlie find his big horn sheep in the alpine tundra, or will he discover an animal he hadn't expected to find?
Keep reading below to learn some fun facts about ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, as well as see some of the sights that Charlie saw during his visit (all photos are from my personal experiences in the park).
Where is Rocky Mountain NP?
Rocky Mountain is located in Colorado just northwest of Denver, and has some of the tallest peaks in the lower 48 of the United States. It is one of the nation's larger parks, covering over 465 square miles. It became America's 9th national park in 1915. You can drive all the way up and over the alpine tundra in RMNP on Trail Ridge Road.
Map source: https://nps.gov/index.htm (select a state from the drop down menu to use these cool interactive maps!)
The Denver Airport is the largest in the western hemisphere by land - and it's super unique (image credit to the B1M via the Denver Airport)! The design is inspired by ... you guessed it: the Rocky Mountains.
We have visited Rocky dozens of times. But, in a 2021 trip, I was certain the view at the tundra would be cloudy. To my surprise, we popped out of the cloud coverage just past Rainbow Curve to a stunning vista above the cloud line.
The Alpine Visitor Center is the highest elevation visitor center in the park system @ 11796'. Note: Elephants are not a common sight at the Alpine Visitor Center.
It's possible we've taken the "Trek to the Tundra" ... once or twice. The high altitude Alpine Ridge Trail is breathtaking ... literally. Be sure to stay on the trail - the tundra is one of the most delicate ecosystems on Earth.
