Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park

As beautiful as always. My first time here was in late June of 2019 and there was still snow at the top. This time, late July of 2022, there was no snow on the roadway itself. Beautifully maintained and accessible. I appreciate the reservation system which results in a less-trafficked drive through the park. Highly recommend making the drive early on in your visit. The road/drive provides an incredible and unique look at most of the park. There's no other way to get those views without flying above it. The stop right before the summit is absolutely worth stopping and walking at. There's a paved trail with several placards lining the walkway, highlighting details about the surroundings. The trail ends with ancient sea rock. While here, a herd of 18-19 elk crossed the path. I spotted a marmot splayed on one of the sea rocks. There's also a neat marker pointing to the various surrounding national parks with their distance labeled beside it.

Estes Park and Trail Ridge Road are gorgeous. Make sure you buy a pass and reserve a time. If your looking for wildlife they are deeper into the mountain and earlier the better. Most of the wildlife stay away due to the high increase of visitors in the afternoon. There are area with sudden rain or winds so bring weather cloths.