There are many wilderness areas, state parks and national parks that are near or in the Rocky Mountains. The most notable of these is the Rocky Mountain National Park. The current park is about 265,770 acres in size. There are many habitats represented in the National Park including Pine Forrest, Riparian, Meadows, Alpine habitats Grassy hillsides and even Tundra can be found within the park. The majority of the park is montane areas and subalpine ecosystems.

The plant and animal life is wide ranging. There are larger mammals including bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk, black bear, cougars, coyotes and many many small animals. There are also many hundreds of plan species occupying ever niche. From pine trees, to flowering plants, the Rocky Mountain National Park has it all.

There are 150 lakes along with 450 or so miles of rivers and streams. As with all mountain habitats, the weather can be sunny one moment and turn to a down poor the next. The best time to view flowering plants is from April until September.

The park is the highest park in the nation. Elevations range from 7860 to 14,259 feet. Almost a third of the park is above treeline ( about 11,200 to 11,500 feet ). There are many small permanent glaciers hiding in the upper elevations. For more information, visit the Rocky Mountain National Park.