It was late May, and yet I felt like I was visiting the my 27th National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, at the wrong time of the year: many of the trails that climbed to the backcountry lakes were still icy, and Trail Ridge Road was just beginning to be opened. And yet, crowds thronged the trails and roadways of this National Park, as well as the nearby town of Estes Park. I came to the park expecting a few moments of peace and solitude in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, and my early spring visit was anything but.

But then I waited until the sun went down, and I wandered down a remote trail far away from the main attractions. And it wasn't until then did the park quieten down enough for me to hear the gurgling brook, the rustling leaves and the soaring winds. Being so close to major urban centers and with such a short visiting season, this gem of the park system attracts dense crowds in the summer months, and can make it challenging to escape into the wilderness, but if you search for the right place, you can find your moment of zen too

Rocky Mountain National Park
CO USA