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Rocky Mountain National ParkA photo of climbers preparing for the first technical climb of the east face of Longs Peak.
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Rocky Mountain National Park
Natural Features & Ecosystems

natural features & ecosystems includes:

Glaciers / Glacial Features
Glaciers
Montane
Subalpine
Alpine Tundra
 
 
Nature and Science
(NPS-RMNP)
Paradise Park
Here are more than sixty peaks over 12,000'. Here are the headwaters of the Colorado and other rivers, as well as dozens of magnificent alpine lakes. Here are permanent small glaciers overlaying rock that is often granite more than a billion years old. Rocky Mountain is the highest national park in the US, with elevations from 7860' to 14,259'. More than one-third of the park is above treeline (11,200-11,500'), and tundra is a primary protected resource of the park. Forests range from relatively moist subalpine spruce and fir through open ponderosa and aspen stands. Great meadows lie adjacent to moraines on broad valley floors. Some valleys, like that of the Fall River, are classic glacial shapes.
 
a photo of aspens glowing with autumn gold,a photo of aspens glowing with autumn gold  

Did You Know?
In 1915, Congress created Rocky Mountain, the nation's 10th national park. Congress created the National Park Service in 1916.

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Last Updated: November 27, 2006 at 16:45 EST