Rocky Mountain National Park Excursion Schedule (July 26, 2022)
- Leave the YMCA at noon; arrive at the next stop at 12:30pm.
- Stop 1: Moraine Park discovery center (12:30 to 1:00). We will leave the discovery center at 1:00 and arrive at the next stop by 1:20.
- Stop 2: Bear Lake (1:20 to 2:20). A short hike along a well-graded trail; a 0.8-mile hike loop will take about 30 minutes. We will stay here for one hour and leave at 2:20 and arrive at the next stop by 3:10.
- Stop 3: Toll Memorial Trail (3:10 to 4:00). The trail will lead to the Mushroom Rocks (about 2 miles hike back and forth). We will not have enough time to finish the entire trail. We will stay here for about 50 minutes, leave at 4:00, and arrive at the next stop around 4:10pm.
- Stop 4: Alpine Visitor Center and Alpine Ridge Trail (4:10 to 5:10). The highest visitor center in the US. You can walk up the Alpine Ridge Trail (a 0.5-mile hike, starting at 12,000 feet of elevation, a stair climbs to the top, great view). We will stay here for one hour, leave this stop around 5:10 and head back to the YMCA.
- Arrive at the YMCA around 5:30.
Suggested Items to Bring
- Wear layers of cloths to prepare for sudden weather changes
- Light jacket (water proof jacket would be great in case of thunderstorms)
- Comfortable shoes for short hikes (most trails are rated as “easy”)
- Water and box lunch (provided by the conference)
- Sun glasses
- Sun screen