This is the area where Enos Mills settled when he was just 14. The following year, he climbed Longs Peak for the first time. The 14,529’ mountain is the tallest in Rocky Mountain National Park. The 8-mile (one way) trail has an elevation gain of 4,850’ (needless to say, a very strenuous hike), but is a very popular trek. Hikers are encouraged to begin at 3 am to assure enough time to return before nightfall. Mills spent much of his life promoting the Longs Peak area. He proposed to Congress that it be designated as a national park, which came to pass in 1915. He climbed Longs Peak over 250 times! The Longs Peak Trailhead is located near Lily Lake.
We opted for the 3/4-mile Lily Lake Trail. We enjoyed seeing ducks in the grassy areas along Lily Lake.
The forest here is mostly lodgepole pines (once used by Native Americans to build structures). Bobcats, porcupines, voles and a wide variety of birds live here, although we only saw/heard birds during our visit.
This is a lovely, serene place. We all enjoyed the loop trail around the lake.
Angela had heard about Chapel on the Rock when she was researching things to see in Estes Park. Since it was only about 5 miles south of Lily Lake, we decided to drive south on Highway 7 to see it.
In 1916 Msg Joseph J. Bosetti saw a fiery meteor fall from the sky to the base of Mt. Meeks. He searched, but never found, the meteorite. In the process he discovered a massive rock formation where he vowed to build a chapel (as he believe the meteor was a sign from God). In 1934 the owner (Malo) of the property donated the land and gave $90k to build the main lodge for a religious center and $15k for the camp’s stone chapel. The church was dedicated in 1935. It is not an active parish, but weddings are frequently held here.
A destructive fire destroyed the St. Malo Center in 2011. It has recently been rebuilt (and can be seen to the left of the chapel in the photo below).
On a nearby hill (just north of the chapel) is the Sculpture of Christ erected in 1916.
Traveling north on Highway 7 to Estes Park, we saw this herd of elk. This is one of the coolest things about this place...you will see wildlife everywhere!
Our last stop for the day was the well-known Stanley Hotel (where scaffolding is in place as the exterior is being painted).
I made Angela and John pose in front, just to prove that we were really there!
Freelan Oscar (F.O.) and Francis Edgar (F.E.) Stanley (identical twins) were born in 1849 in Maine. The Stanley Racer they built in 1906 set the land-speed record of 127.659 mph (that stood for 4 years). F.O built the Stanley Hotel (opened in 1909) and Estes Park’s recreational and municipal infrastructure to support it. In the lobby is a 1910 Stanley Steamer Runabout.
We walked around the historic lobby, bar, and upscale gift shop.
The Stanley sits atop a hill and Estes Park can be seen from the front porch.
The grounds of the property are just gorgeous with lots of blooming trees and plants this time of year. The bronze statue (The Visionary) of F.O. Stanley is at the front of the hotel. Finding it through the hedge maze took a little bit of time, though! (You know I love that sort of thing.)
When we returned to Paradise on the River, we were treated to the sight of elk grazing directly across the river from our RV site. Delightful!
Another delightful day in Estes Park. We are loving it!
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