Photo credit: NPS Photo / Karen Daugherty

Enter the land of the extremes at Rocky Mountain National Park with zones ranging from towering mountain peaks to meadows.

The 415 square mile Rocky Mountain National Park is located in Northern Colorado where it preserves a portion of the Southern Rocky Mountains for the public to enjoy. Rocky Mountain National Park has three distinct life zones each with different wildlife and vegetation. The montane ranges from roughly 5,600-9,500 feet and includes meandering rivers and open meadows surrounded by hilly slopes. This elevation is famous for the Ponderosa pine tree forests that dominate this life zone. The subalpine zone begins higher in elevation between 9,000-9,500 feet. With short, cool summers and long winters, the subalpine is comprised largely of sprawling evergreen mixed conifer forests made up of different species such as different spruces and firs. If you keep climbing, you will reach the alpine around approximately 11,000-11,500 feet where the temperature is on average 20°F cooler than the lowest elevation. Strong, frequent winds and cold temperatures help limit what plants can grow there. Enter the land of the extremes at Rocky Mountain National Park with zones ranging from towering mountain peaks to meadows.

https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm