Latest photos from Rocky Mountain National Park

Last night I spent sunset out on top of a mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park and enjoyed watching the way the setting sun illuminated the rolling tundra hills. There was a bit of haze in the air which added a nice softness to the scene.

This morning I enjoyed this delightful stream. The roar it made was so peaceful as it cascaded down from the mountains high above, passing through this lush green valley of pine and aspen. I felt so grateful to see it at this exciting stage as it begins its epic journey to the ocean.

It was a stormy afternoon with low-lying clouds blowing through along with occasional rays of sun. These dynamic conditions create a wonderful sense of mood and atmosphere. This photo was made on the Cache la Poudre Trail, which is currently very wet and muddy. It is best hiked in late summer when this area has had a chance to dry out.

This morning I watched the sunrise light the Never Summer Mountains. It was a glorious start to this beautiful day. The mountains in the west are still holding on to a lot of snow, but every day there is a little less up there. Slowly, summer is working its way upward.

The alpine tundra puts on its own colorful display on a July 4th morning. The yellow wooley actinella and various types of alpine phlox flourish between the boulders at about 11,500 feet above sea level.

The rising sun breaks through the lush green trees on a gorgeous July morning along the horse trail in Little Horseshoe Park.

This morning I was up near Chasm Junction at sunrise watching Longs Peak and Mount Meeker warm with the day's first light. It was so colorful and beautiful. There is however a large icy snowfield between Chasm Junction and Chasm Meadow on the way to Chasm Lake. You can see part of it in this photo. This should not be crossed without proper equipment, as a fall along this section would have serious consequences.

Things are really looking gorgeous up in the tundra. Flowers are blooming everywhere as the snow receeds. This morning just before dawn, the light was goreous over the Never Summer Mountains.

Just before dawn the earth's shadow can be seen in the sky above Hayden Gorge. This can be seen on clear mornings before sunrise. This view is from Ute Crossing on Trail Ridge Road.

Wildflowers are beginning to fill the hillsides in the burn areas on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. It is wonderful to see life flourishing here. Unfortunately, it will still be decades before we have a new forest here to replace what was burned. In the meantime, wildlife is almost as abundant as the wildflowers as woodpeckers search for bugs, moose graze, and small animals thrive in the undergrowth.

Lots of snow still covers the Gorge Lakes area on the south side of Forest Canyon Pass. You can see this view from Rock Cut on Trail Ridge Road. Though you can probably only see two of them, there are 9 lakes tucked into this scene? From the highest to the lowest they are: Highest Lake, Azure Lake, Inkwell Lake, Donut Lake, Arrowhead Lake, Amore Lake, Love Lake, Rock Lake, and Little Rock Lake. The two you can usually see from Trail RIdge Road are Arrowhead Lake, which is right at tree line and below that in the forest you can see Rock Lake.

Early this morning I spent some time enjoying the alpine tundra.It is turning green and flowers are appearing. Most of them are quite small and so you need to get down close to see them, but be careful not to step on any of the vegetation as it is all very delicate up here. The alpine phlox were still coverd in dew which glistened. This tiny world which most never notice, is such an incredible place of wonder.

This morning I was up on Trail Ridge Road and there was a fresh snow up there. As I drove west and descended, I could see the Cache La Poudre Valley all lush and green, far below the snowy tundra.

Some areas were so severely burned in the 2020 fires that they are taking a long time to come back. This area just above Fern Lake still very much shows the impact of the East Troublesome Fire, but a bit of green vegetation is beginning to return.

Vibrant greens follow weeks of rain up here in Rocky Mountain National Park. There was even fresh snow on Longs Peak today. If you are planning to hike high up into the park, be aware that there is still a lot of snow out there and may require snowshoes or skis in many of the backcountry areas. Down low in the park's meadows however it is looking amazing.

It was a perfect morning at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. The aspen trees were bright green, the lake was as still as glass, and Longs Peak still had lots of snow up top. I could have stayed here all day enjoying this view.

The Kawuneeche Valley on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park is certainly looking green and fresh. At sunrise this morning the sky glowed warmly as two moose grazed below the distant trees. If you view this photo at its full size on a large screen, you may be able to see them. It was a delightful start to this spring morning.

This morning I hiked up to the Loch for sunrise. It was very calm and for the first time in quite a while there were clear skies allowing the mountains to glow deep red when the sun crested the horizon. If you are planning to head up there, be aware that just before the lake you will encounter snow. The area around the lake and the trail heading up towards Sky Pond are still covered in deep snow.

This morning the world was alive. It is the very best of spring right now. The aspen trees are vibrant green, the grass is fresh, the air is cool, there is still lots of snow on Longs Peak and flowers are beginning to appear in the lower meadows. When I was out making this photograph there was a turkey nearby gobbling as well as an elk that for some reason was bugling on this perfect spring morning.

Dream Lake is looking beautiful. There is still a lot of snow surrounding the lake, but the lake itself is open. This morning there was a thin layer of ice that had formed in the night on some of the lake but this will melt off quickly.

The aspen trees all over the lower valleys are putting out bright green leaves. The elk are nearly ready to give birth and the birds are busy building nests. It is the best of spring right now.

The mountain ball cacti are beginning to bloom around the lower areas of Rocky Mountain National Park and throughout the Estes Valley. They can be easy to overlook, so watch carefully. They can often be found in drier areas such as south facing slopes and in open areas between the widely spaced ponderosa pines. Notice how this one is surrounded by ponderosa pine needles.

This morning was heavily overcast and with thick smoke that had come down from Canada and settled in the park. This made for interesting conditions and added a blue cast to the world. As you can see from the photo, the lower valleys of the park are turning very green as they return to life after the long winter.

This morning the sun put on a show at Bierstadt Lake. The wind even took a break, allowing for a mirror like reflection on the water. There was also a light fog drifting over the lake as the sun rose and illuminated the peaks of the Continental Divide. I'm not sure that it could be much more beautiful than this.

It was a foggy morning up at Gem Lake today, but that added to its beauty. Gem Lake is a small pond up high on a hill just north of Estes Park, in the Lumpy Ridge area of Rocky Mountain National Park.

We're in the middle of the wild turkey mating season and around Estes Park, Colorado the male turkeys can be found showing off their plumage and loudly gobbling.

The sound of spring could be heard at Calypso Cascades in Wild Basin. The water was really starting to come down as the snow in the basin begins to melt. If you head up there, you can expect to be walking on snow from the bridge below Calypso Cascades and upward. See the trail conditions page for a more complete report. Right now, things are changing on a daily basis as the snow continues to melt.

It felt very wintery in and around Rocky Mountain National Park this morning. Longs Peak was one of the only mountains that was not completely swallowed by the clouds and the falling snow, but that didn't last long. Just a minute or two after this photo the clouds overcame it. Not much of that snow is sticking, other than to the high peaks, but there is a definite chill in the air.

The forest floor of the lower areas of the park is coming to life with small plants and flowers sprouting everywhere. The air was filled with the sound of croaking frogs in a nearby pond. It is beginning to feel very spring-like here in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Longs Peak towers over Beaver Meadows in early May. It is still covered in deep snow and the meadows are still waiting for their bright green coat, which is only a few weeks away.

Most of the ice has now melted off of Sprague Lake. This morning before sunrise it was very beautiful. All over the park the snow is beginning to melt and hints of green can be seen below the brown grass in many of the lower locations of the park.

It was a gorgeous day with highs in the 50s. The lower valleys are snow free and showing slight tints of green from the new grasses which are just beginning to appear. The next couple of days are forecasted to reach around 60F which will continue to melt the snow and encourage the arrival of new growth. As you can see, the snow is still deep on the mountains.

This morning while I was high above tree line skiing through the snowy terrain, a white-tailed ptarmigan in his winter coat came out of hiding to say hello and see what I was up to. He stayed around for quite a while and seemed to like posing for the camera. On my way back down the mountain the sun had come out and the snow was melting quickly.

There was about 6" of fresh snow this morning near tree line on Flattop Mountain. This perspective is looking south towards Longs Peak whose summit is hidden in the clouds. Below it you can just see Mills Lake. This snowstorm also left a light coat of snow on Estes Park and the lower areas of the national park.

While the lower valleys are all free of snow, up in the mountains winter still prevails. As I was skiing here the snow was coming down hard and sideways due to the high winds. The conditions were almost blizzard-like. Once I was above tree line it was hard to see anything but white in every direction. About 4-5" of fresh fluffy powder covered the mountain.

This morning we had a gentle sunrise on Longs Peak and the Continental Divide. I was up among the rocks on Lumpy Ridge looking out over the Estes Valley. There wasn't a breath of wind and all the snow in the lower valleys has melted once again.