I have long hoped to string together a series of national parks to form a road trip. With the Covid pandemic still raging around the world, travel difficult and risky, and lots of time to daydream, I pieced together a three-week road trip that would take me to no less than nine national parks. My plan was amazing.
After going to great lengths to book it all, I got cold feet about the length of the trip. Missing my dog, having an unpredictable work schedule on the road, and the beginning of a major renovation on our house shortened it by a week, two states, and several national parks. I tempered my ambitions by focusing on Colorado and Utah, and just a handful of parks that made a nice loop.
After a brief stop-over in Stratton, Colorado to split the drive from Kansas City, I stayed in Blackhawk, Colorado in a gorgeous, modern cabin tucked away in the mountains on the outskirts of town. The couple downstairs had perfectly appointed this space with all the hygge mountain comforts I love. It had every convenience and comfort I needed, great design, and a killer loft bedroom that you climb up a ladder to get to.
The RMNP Timeline
Rocky Mountain National Park was to be the first national park on my roster. I got a very early start from Blackhawk. Up at 4:30 a.m., out the door by 5:00, cruising into Longs Peak entry by 6 a.m. like a champion.
Realized I was out of gas at 6:08 a.m. Made a mad dash for Highway 7 to get gas. Got all the way to Estes (with a near panic attack) before I found said gas at 7:20 a.m.
New plan – go in through Beaver Meadows entrance at 7:30 a.m. Panic when the ranger reminds me that my timed-entry ticket isn’t until that afternoon; shows mercy when she realizes I’ve driven halfway across the country and have only one day to visit RMNP.
Bless you, park ranger.
![Autumn Aspens on Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park](https://kctrvlr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Rocky-Mountain-National-Park-Colorado-WEB-01-1024x683.jpg)
Hitting the Trail
With more than 415 square miles of land in Rocky Mountain National Park, I knew I’d see only the tiniest fraction of this massive space in one trip. The fall weather was flawless, and I couldn’t wait to get started.
![Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado](https://kctrvlr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IMG_8680-1024x683.jpg)
I wanted to get most of my trail miles in first thing, while the weather was coolest and I had fresh energy. I focused my early hikes on the Sprague, and Nymph Lake trails primarily. When in doubt, I always choose mountain lakes.
![Nymph Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado](https://kctrvlr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Rocky-Mountain-National-Park-Colorado-WEB-04-1024x582.jpg)
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