Colorado Review

Can you spot the wild animal in this picture?

Check out the lower right hand corner. That’s a female moose (cow moose) grazing off the side of the road in Rocky Mountain National Park last June.

Two friends and I were on a mini road trip at this national park northwest of Denver. We actually entered the park on Trail Ridge Road (the highest continuous paved road in the continental U.S., topping off at 12,183 feet) on the west side near Grand Lake, with our scenic drive finishing on the east side near Estes Park.

To say the views were stunning is an understatement. Now, in the fall, with the glorious autumn foliage, I’m sure the vistas are breathtaking. And wildlife viewing is plentiful.

It’s mating season for elk, so if you visit now, you’ll likely hear the male elks’ mating call–a bugle sound–especially in the early evening. When wildlife is spotted, cars pull over and line up on the side of the road. Be sure to drive carefully on the winding roads.

Here’s a shot of us taking a short hike up to 2.3 miles above sea level. This point is reached via a steep path from the Alpine Visitor Center (11,796 feet). Don’t do as I did; wear sturdy hiking shoes! Snow remains on the ground year round there, and I traipsed through lots of slush to reach the top. (That’s me on the far left.) Chilly feet!

Rocky Mountain National Park, moose, Colorado

We recently discovered the Junior Ranger programs at Colorado’s National Parks and National Monuments. (Don’t ask me to explain the difference between the two; something to do with Congress or the President nominating a park for the distinction.)

These programs are really cool for preschool- and school-age kids; they help engage children who otherwise might not be interested in yet another rock formation or archaeological site. Typically you pay 50 cents or $1 for a pencil and a booklet, which has questions the children have to answer. The number and difficulty of the questions and activities depend on the child’s age.

At Capitol Reef National Park, my children had the choice of three activities to complete, such as Park Bingo, where they marked off five things they viewed in the park; Orchard Walk, where they unscrambled fruit-tree names and checked it off if they saw one; and Rock Art, where they drew their own ancient petroglyph). The kids also had to clean up litter and interview a friendly forest ranger.

After kids complete the activities, they hand their booklets in to the Forest Ranger on duty, who reviews their work and proclaims them Junior Rangers (they actually announce it to the crowd nearby and bystanders break out in applause).

For their efforts, children usually receive a nifty iron-on or pin-on badge. At Capitol Reef, the ranger handed over the pin-ons, which my five-year-old son loved. We splurged $4 for an iron-on patch at the gift shop for my daughter, who added it to her collection of patches she received at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico and the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in southern Colorado. I figured, helping to support a national treasure like Capitol Reef is well worth it.

National Parks, Colorado