Colorado is one of my favorite states to visit! And if you have ever stepped foot outside here, you know that our landscapes are amazing, making it THE best place for outdoor recreation! All of this said it should come as no surprise that even our state parks are also some of the best in the country, including the small but mighty Rifle Falls State Park.
Wondering about some of the smallest state parks in Colorado? Welcome to the unforgettable Rifle Falls State Park!
Tucked away near Rifle, Rifle Falls State Park encompasses a mere 48 acres, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for with its incredible landscape, the most notable of which is the picturesque triple waterfall.
Standing at an impressive 70 feet tall, the triple waterfall may just be the crown jewel of Western Colorado, thanks to not only the water itself but the travertine dam and nearby limestone caves. That's right, one of the smallest state parks in Colorado is also one of the most majestic.
Like all great Colorado state parks, Rifle Falls State Park also boasts incredible hiking opportunities, plus fishing, wildlife sightings, and camping.
The Coolest Visitor Center In Colorado Is Also The Highest In The United States National Park System
Alpine Visitor Center at Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest visitor center in the U.S. National Park Service System, offering incredible views and educational exhibits.
Are you looking for the coolest visitor center in Colorado? We found it for you! Rocky Mountain National Park has four visitor centers, and they're all fantastic, educational, and informative. However, the best of the best, in my opinion, is this one. Alpine Visitor Center at Rocky Mountain National Park is on the famous Trail Ridge Road and is close to the road's highest point, which is 12,183'. The Alpine Visitor Center's elevation is 11,796', which is pretty close, which makes it the highest visitor center in the US National Park Service System. It has lots of amenities and incredible views. Read on to learn more about it, and take a drive up there as soon as you can!
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Trail Ridge Road is, without a doubt, one of the most amazing and scenic roads in the nation. It's also the highest contiguous road in North America!
Right in the middle of your drive along this road, you'll come to our favorite Rocky Mountain National Park Visitor Center. The parking lot is often packed, but you should stop in anyway. This is the coolest visitor center in the state!
Far above the treeline and far from everything else, this visitor center is entirely off the grid. It has no utility lines, no phone lines, and no power other than a diesel generator. There's a dam below the visitor center that collects snow melt for water and sewage from the bathrooms is hauled away daily.
In the winter, Trail Ridge Road closes. With the amount of snow that falls up there, the road is completely impassable for many months. During this time, the Alpine Visitor Center is often completely covered with snow. It's built to withstand it.
In the springtime, snow removal machines are required to uncover the visitor center to get it ready to open for the season. It usually opens after Memorial Day and stays open until October.
Due to the high elevation of this visitor center, some visitors experience altitude sickness upon arrival. There's a medical team on site - which is good because the next closest medical facility is an hour away in Estes Park. They'll help you if you need it.
You'll love the exhibits at this visitor center. You can learn so much about the park here. It's a wonderful place to stop and learn more - at this point, you will have driven up Trail Ridge Road and will likely have some questions. The displays at this visitor center will help you understand this incredible area.
After that, step outside and get up close and personal with the space. Don't be surprised if you encounter some wildlife. They're kind of used to people up there, and the warm season is so short, they don't have much time to be bothered by you anyway.
There are a few short trails outside the Alpine Visitor Center. Give them a shot, but take it easy. The air is so thin. The Alpine Ridge Trail is only .6 miles long, but it's steep - and it's a doozy. Bring water and take breaks as needed.
It's easy to see why I think the Alpine Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park is the coolest one in our great state, so the next time you go to RMNP, be sure to stop by and check it out. The park's other three visitor centers - Beaver Meadows, Fall River, and Kawuneeche - are all worth visiting too! See if you can hit all four in one visit, and have a great trip.
If you're looking for hiking or camping gear for your Rocky Mountain National Park visit, REI and Backcountry.com have everything you'll need.
For more beautiful Colorado scenery, check out this footage of Mesa Verde National Park:
The Trail Ridge Road in Colorado is one of those places that is almost hard to believe exists. I have only been on mountains that are over 6,000 feet above sea level, and at the height of the Trail Ridge Road, it's over 12,000. That is like taking the highest mountain I have ever stood on and adding a second one equally as big on top of it! As mind-boggling as it was that was the task before us one crisp September morning as we drove on through the Rocky Mountain National Park.
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Starting along this 48-mile stretch we passed by sections of the park that we had seen our previous day and even stopped at an overlook to listen to the elk's bugling one last time. This park really blew us away and in the distance, we got a taste for the behemoth mountains in the area but now was our chance to drive right through the rugged alpine landscape.
You would expect a highway at that elevation to grip fear into anyone who dared to ascend its treacherous pass, but despite having notions in our head about white-knuckling it, the drive was very peaceful. There were plenty of stops along the way where you could get out and admire the mountains. I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around the scenery in front of me, but I was starting to love Colorado the more time I spent there. The week before our trip a big snowstorm had deposited a fine layer over the peaks which stayed for us to see.
The ecosystem was equally as fascinating. Since the elevation is so great the plant life is dwarfed significantly and trees that would normally grow two or three times in size simply can not in this environment. So near the top, you had long stretches where you could see for miles and miles as the road pressed on ever forward.
I am a firm believer that if you want to appreciate a national park the best way to do it is on your own two feet. So we planned a couple of short trails along the scenic drive. Most of them would have been simple walks but with the thin air, I definitely started to feel the elevation. That didn’t stop me from having the time of my life on top of the mountains though.
The weather also shifted dramatically when we got up higher, what was a nice comfortable temperature at the bottom of the trail switched to an almost unbearable cold. As the wind was whipping through my daughters found shelter underneath the rock walls on the path. It didn't bother the marmots though, they were as happy as could be squeaking to one another as we passed by.
Our favorite trail along the drive was the one that led to Mushroom Rock. This appropriately named formation definitely looked just like a mushroom and was also located in the coolest section of the drive. Oh did I mention it was incredibly cold?
The Trail Ridge Road in Colorado was better than we could have ever imagined. We got to truly experience the Rock Mountain National Park when we visited and will forever be a memory my family will cherish. This park snuck up on me and ended up being one of my top five favorite national parks I have been to. The day before we experienced the most incredible trail to Emerald Lake and after that I knew Rocky Mountain was special. To see our full journey on this scenic drive, including the trails please watch our Adventuring in the Moment video:
I did love this park in Colorado and would recommend you book a night stay in Estes Park and see for yourself how incredible this part of the world really is.
