Latest photos from Rocky Mountain National Park

On a gorgeous last day of August, Copeland Mountain towers high over Junco Lake. This is one of the many dramatic, yet rarely seen views of Rocky Mountain National Park. There is so much wonder and beauty in this national park. I've spent 20 years exploring it and am still finding different views that awe and inspire me.

This morning there was an inversion with clouds filling the valleys and clear skies above. I headed up to a place right where the clouds broke and watched the sun rise. Its warm gentle light made the entire landscape glow. It seemed as if every blade of grass and tree branch came to life as the clouds danced just below.

On Tuesday I spent most of the day way back in the mountains. The weather forecast was for clear sunny skies all day, so I figured it would be a good day to spend up above tree line. I covered quite a few miles and visited six summits. It was wonderful to get back to these areas that few visitors get to see. As this photo shows, there is still snow in some parts of the park, even in late August.

Teepee Mountain and Mount Richthofen can be seen in the distance catching the day's first light. This view was from Forest Canyon Overlook on Trail Ridge Road. You may notice that there is a light haze in the air and the tundra is slowly beginning to lose some of its vibrant green as it begins transitioning to its autumn dress.

As the sun illuminates the clouds above, a couple of small trees reflect in the still waters of a tree line tarn. This image does a good job to convey the peaceful feeling of summer high up in the Rocky Mountains.

I hiked up to Finch Lake with my wife today and it was simply idyllic up there. Finch Lake is in the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park, on the way to Pear Lake. It lies tucked in the forest with views of Copeland Mountain and Elk Tooth.

Mount Alice and Pilot Mountain look down over the outlet of Thunder Lake in the Wild Basin region of Rocky Mountain National Park during an idyllic summer day. The water levels up here are still much like springtime. I don't think I've ever seen the water levels so high and the vegetation so green in mid-August in the last 20 years.

I stood on the Continental Divide and looked down on Rocky Mountain National Park's East Inlet. From here you can see Spirit Lake, Lake Verna and Grand Lake stretching towards the horizon as sunbeams reach out from above

On this day, I climbed up a few of the Never Summer Mountains overlooking the Kawuneeche Valley on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. The views from up here are truly stunning and the day could not have been more beautiful. Always remember if you climb peaks in Rocky to be back below the trees before storms move in.

Just off of Trail Ridge Road, at the Rock Cut pull over, is a trail known as the "Tundra Communities Trail", which refers to the many communities of small plants that live at this elevation. This morning, the sky illuminated dramatically in the east for just a few minutes as a lone hiker walked the trail.

This morning all was calm high up in the tundra, creating glasy tarns that reflected the sky. The light was warm and gentle and the scene of beauty was spectacular.

A lone car makes its way along Trail Ridge Road on Saturday evening as the majestic summit of Longs Peak towers high above the road.

Intense storms rolled through the park today along with lightning and intense hail in some places. Where I was, at Rock Cut on Trail Ridge Road, there was nearly an inch of hail. It looked like it had snowed. Knowing the danger of lightning, I stayed in my car until the storm had passed. The view of the breaking storm over the Gorge Lakes was gorgeous as pockets of sunlight danced over the peaks.

Longs Peak towers over Beaver Meadows on a July morning. Storm clouds were beginning to break up as the sun broke through them to illuminate the summit of Longs Peak shortly after sunrise.

Just after the sun set, the clouds above the Never Summer Mountains began to gently glow with a soft pastel hue. In this light, the tundra here at tree line became like a gentle rolling meadow. Back in 2011 I photographed this location and I have been searching for the exact spot ever since. Last night, I finally found it again and look forward to spending more time enjoying this view.

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.