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The shuttles from Glacier Basin are quick and efficient, and much less hassle than driving and searching for parking spots. Unlike nearby Bear Lake, Sprague has less traffic and cars, and arguably better views. If it’s your first visit or you are showing the park off to out-of-towners, Sprague Lake is the prettiest for an easy, half-mile level stroll. If you must go, then go early, or take the shuttle. But there are many others that have one-tenth the traffic. Yes, Bear Lake is pretty, and the 4-mile roundtrip hike to a chain of upper lakes (Nymph, Dream and Emerald) is the park’s most popular trail. In early morning, lakes are as still as mirrors and there is more wildlife.

Since the mountains become overcast in summer afternoons, and can often have afternoon rain and lightning storms, it is well worth getting up here early. Parking at popular spots can fill by 8 a.m. Many of the trails stay dry and can be hiked in late fall and early winter without too much snow. Snowshoeing is an excellent way to see lakes and waterfalls. For those with little time, the highlights can easily be done in a day trip from Denver and have you back in the city in time for a night baseball game at Coors Field or a soothing craft beer along the Denver Beer Trail. Of course, everyone must visit the park, which is only 71 miles from Denver. It can also be one of the most congested spots in Colorado with more than a million visitors descending on the park in just six summer weeks. At its center is Rocky Mountain National Park, some 400 square miles of preserved natural beauty with 147 lakes, 360 miles of trails and more than 100 peaks that are 11,000 feet or higher.

The Rocky Mountains make up the third-longest mountain range in the world, running from northern British Columbia to New Mexico.

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