There is something for every Alpinists taste with terrain ranging from 6000' high desert to 14,000 foot Alpine zones within a few miles of most trailheads. Unlike many areas, excellent trail systems lead to most destinations. Cross-country travel when necessary is through open pine forests or across Alpine tundra. With the aid of a head lamp or flashlight, movement along these trails is straightforward even in darkness. 300 days of sunshine on the average allow plenty of opportunities for outings in the Mountains.
Winters are mild with brief snowstorms bringing plenty of powder snow.
Rocky Mountain National Park is located astride the Front Range just to the west of the Town of Estes Park, Colorado. It is an area of high mountains rising above wooded valleys and open meadows, offering a wide spectrum of recreational opportunities to the outdoor enthusiast. The many peaks are supplemented by numerous crags at the lower elevations to provide an almost limitless quantity of high quality Alpinism, from simple hikes and general mountaineering, to a wealth of climbing of an extremely difficult technical nature. Indeed, within the borders of this park one finds some of the finest and most demanding high altitude rock climbs in the country. The outstanding single feature of the area, from a Alpinist's perspective, is 14,256' Longs Peak.