One Day in Rocky Mountain National Park

If you only have one day to visit Rocky Mountain National Park it might be hard to pin down which places to see. Whenever we are crunched for time at a national park we make the best of our stay and think of it like a sampler. We know it’s impossible to see it all in a short amount of time, therefore picking a few highlights lets us experience the park without stressing too much or feeling pressed for time.

The first thing we do once we enter a national park is drive to the nearest visitor center to talk with a ranger. You will receive a map when you first enter or you can ask the ranger at the entrance where the closest visitor center is. The rangers at the visitor center are always very helpful at determining the best use of our time. They are a great resource for hiking ideas and know where all the best viewpoints are.

Since we drove over on the western entrance from Breckinridge, CO it made the most sense for us to spend the day exploring the northern section. Consequently, this post will show you six places that are worth exploring in the NW section of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Holzwarth Historic Site
Drive Along Trail Ridge Road
Alpine Visitor Center
Alpine Ridge Trail
Fall River Visitor Center
Drive Along Old Fall River Road

Holzwarth Historic Site

Transport back in time to 1917 when the Holzwarth family made their home high in the Rocky Mountains. To reach the homestead you must park and walk on a flat trail for about half a mile. Take a peek inside the mama cabin, the taxidermy cabin, the ice house and a tent cabin to see what life was like in early 1900’s.

Drive Along Trail Ridge Road

Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the country and leads right to the Alpine Visitor Center. Along the way we stopped at several gorgeous viewpoints, including the Gorge Range which is not far from the road’s highest point at 12,183 feet above sea level! This stop offers amazing panoramic mountain views and is definitely worth getting out of your car to soak it all in.

Alpine Visitor Center

At 11,796 feet above sea level, the Alpine Visitor Center is the highest visitors center in the national park system! Stop into the Alpine Visitor Center to talk with the rangers about things to see, then get your National Park Passport stamped. If you want to learn more about the National Park Passport, read my post here. Like most visitor centers, there is a gift shop with park related souvenirs. This particular location had an additional gift shop next door with an even larger selection of things to shop for. This is where we found our goodies…the usual: National Park mug, NP walking stick medallion, water bottle stickers and the ever nostalgic NP squished penny. You will also find bathrooms inside, but be prepared, the lines can get pretty long.

Alpine Ridge Trail

The Alpine Ridge Trail is aptly nicknamed “Huffer’s Hill” and should be on the top of your list of things to do in Rocky Mountain National Park. This relatively easy hike begins at the far end of the Alpine Visitors Center parking lot. The trail is about .4 miles one way, but is fairly steep and gains over 200 feet in that short distance. The Alpine Ridge Trail is great for families with kids, photographers or anyone who wants bragging rights for reaching 12,000 ft!

It’s worth mentioning that the air is very thin at Rocky Mountain National Park. You will definitely notice it if you are not acclimated to the higher altitude. If you normally live closer to sea level, you will want to take this hike slow. If at any time you feel light headed, dizzy or nauseous, stop and take a break. It’s not a race to the top!

Most of the path is paved with steps, which are helpful to a point, but I found them to be unevenly placed and a little awkward for my stride. There are no trees to block the wind this high in the mountains, so come prepared with a light jacket or hoodie. Even in August it was a bit brisk at the top.

Once you reach the summit, enjoy the view at the top for a moment, you earned it! While you’re up there you will of course want to pose for the obligatory “top of the mountain” photos. Don’t miss a photo op next to the sign post that reads ‘12,005 miles above sea level!’ This altitude is almost double the altitude of our home back in Oregon and was fun to experience being up so high. You will likely have walked up to the top rather slowly, focusing on the 225 steps in front of you. On your way back down, take in the view. It’s a much easier walk back down!

Fall River Visitor Center

There are six visitors centers in the park, but we only had time to visit two of them. Since we already had our itinerary set, we really just wanted to pop in for our National Parks Passport stamp. However after talking with one of the rangers, we decided it might be worth our time to take a scenic drive along the Old Fall River Road. Rangers always know best!

Drive Along Old Fall River Road

The Old Fall River Road was the first road in Rocky Mountain National Park that gave visitors access to the park’s higher elevations. This very primitive gravel road goes up-hill one way for 11 miles. The posted speed limit is just 15 mph, which seemed plenty fast in some areas due to the curvy corners where there was no guard rail. The beauty of going so slow is that you actually have time to look at your surroundings. It was along this road that we caught our first glimpse of wildlife. Two elk were enjoying their evening, feeding on nearby plants and we were all beside ourselves with excitement. We stopped for a while and hung out the window (or over the top of the roof in my case) to snap photos of their every move!

Although it was exciting to see the elk, I really had my heart set on seeing a red fox. I even had a dream the night before that a fox came up to me on a hike. I just knew it was a sign. However, as the day went along and the sun started to go down in the sky, I was starting to wonder if I would get to see my fox. I didn’t give up hope. Even as were were heading out of the park, I kept my eyes peeled.

Not far from the exit we noticed a pile of cars stopped along the side of the road. This typically means just one thing in a National Park…wildlife!! We parked along the side of the road and got out and saw a mama moose was grazing in the meadow below! What luck!! We all got our cameras out again and started snapping away. And then it happened…

Out of nowhere this little beauty popped up onto the road out and began to walk across the street, seemingly with not a care in the world. I could hardly believe it, I almost cried. A RED FOX!! It was just so awesome!

The fox crossed back over to the grass and appeared to be eating something on the ground. For quite a while he/she just stood there looking at me. It was unbelievable! I’ve never seen a fox in the wild. We have coyotes that roam our property all the time, but nothing as cool as a fox!

Although, we only had one day to spend at Rocky Mountain National Park, it ended on a very magical note. Photographers know the hour before sunset as “the golden hour.” It’s typically the best time of day for taking outdoor photos due to the beautiful glowing light that appears as the sun is setting. After this excursion, we realized it’s also the best time to view wildlife. It’s the time when the park quiets down and the air temperature is cooler. The animals are out looking for food and if you’re lucky, you just might be treated to a special encounter with some of God’s beautiful creations.

May your next National Park visit be filled with visits from furry four-legged friends,