High Sierra Topix

Recently got some camping reservations made for Rocky Mountain NP for later this July. Anyone have some suggestions for good day hikes away from the crowds? Am not very familiar with this park but looking forward to being in the Rockies again.

We'll be driving out from So Cal with enough time to hit some other places we've not yet visited like Colorado National Monument and Boulder on the way out (via I-70) and then maybe some places in the Four Corners area like Hovenweep and Navajo National Monuments on the way home (via US 160 & US 89). Not set itinerary or goals other than exploring some new areas.

Thanks in advance,
Dan

Rocky Mtn. Nat'l. park gets a pretty heavy flow of visitors, more than 3 million a year. Combine that with the fact that you can only camp in designated camping areas in the backcountry, unlike the Sierra, and it makes it a little harder to get away from the crowds, particularly at that time of year. The farther you can hike, the fewer people. When I was there 3 yrs ago I did the Longs Peak hike after setting up camp about a mile in from the trailhead. Since it was the first week of June, the climb was still a technical snow and ice climb, so I opted to do Mt. Lady Washington next to it, which had just been opened and is a trailless scree scramble up from the trail, with a worthy side trip to Chasm Lake, which sits right under Longs Peak. Great views on this hike...I recommend it. Mt Lady Washington is 13, 281 ft. I also did some short day hikes from Bear Lake, but those will be fairly crowded because of the accessibility and nearness to Estes Park.

There's an article on Rocky Mtn.N.P. in the August 2009 "Backpacker".