RockyMountainHikingTrails.com Adds 8 New Hikes to Website

RockyMountainHikingTrails.com continues to expand! Kathy and I spent a week on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park a few weeks ago, and as a result, have added 8 new hikes to our website. Hopefully you'll find that this expansion will make your hike and trip planning a little easier. During our trip we made our first trek ever out to Mt. Ida. The only question is why did we wait so long? Perhaps because it doesn't appear on the official park map... If you never had the opportunity to visit the 12,889-foot, I highly recommend it.

Anyway, here's a rundown on what's been added to our site:

Coyote Valley Trail: This hike offers hikers of all abilities the opportunity to explore the beautiful Kawuneeche Valley, as well as the chance for spotting a variety of wildlife.

Forest Canyon Pass: Fairly easy hike along the old Ute Trail that offers great views of Forest Canyon.

Granite Falls: Nice waterfall on the west side of the park. Trail also visits Big Meadows, as well as one of the burn zones from the 2013 Big Meadows Wildfire. This zone is already in the process of regeneration, as evidenced by the thousands of wildflowers already growing among the dead trees.

Green Mountain-Onahu Creek Loop: Looking for solitude? This a great loop to get away from it all. This hike also visits Big Meadows, passes an old homesteaders cabin, and then travels along the fairly remote Onahu Creek area.

Lake Irene: Very easy hike to a beautiful lake near the Continental Divide.

Mt. Ida: This is now my new favorite hike in the park. The views from the summit, and along most of the trail, are simply epic! The photo above was taken from Peak 12,150, a "small bump" on the Continental Divide between Milner Pass and Mt. Ida.

Peak 12,150: No doubt the hike to Mt. Ida is not for everyone - due to the rugged terrain you'll have to cross along the summit. However, you can still have outstanding views, and a much easier route, by ending your hike at Peak 12,150.

Poudre River Trail: Travel along the upper portions of the Cache La Poudre River, which was designated as a Wild and Scenic River by Congress in 1986.

These hikes are in addition to the 13 hikes that were added back in July. Those hikes included: Alpine Ridge Trail, Bierstadt Lake, Cascade Falls, Deer Mountain, Estes Cone (via Lily Lake), Estes Cone (via Longs Peak), Eugenia Mine, Finch Lake, Gem Lake, Lily Mountain, Lumpy Ridge Loop, Pear Lake and Thunder Lake.

Please feel free to let me know your thoughts on any the new hikes. Feedback - good or constructive - is always welcome!



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com