We decided to find a parking space near Sprague Lake (as the Bear Lake Parking Lot was already full).
Following the trail across a stream, we enjoyed the beauty of the high mountain setting. And, honestly, it was so fun sharing it with our friends.
Abner Sprague and wife, Alberta, owned and operated a resort here from 1910-1940. The shallow, 13-acre lake was expanded by Abner (by building a dam at the far end) to improve fishing for their guests.
As soon as we reached Sprague Lake we were lucky enough to see two moose in the water.
This is our closest encounter with moose in the wild and we all enjoyed watching them. We all kept our distance but they were not at all concerned with our presence.
These ducks were so entertaining!
This is an easy loop trail that provides great scenic views of the lake and Rockies.
Below is a snap of our friends, Angela and John. And, the second one is of two anglers, a father and son.
Suddenly, this elk wandered into Sprague Lake from the forest.
She emerged on the other side after swimming across the lake.
As we completed the loop trail, we saw these Canadian Geese. The ducklings were so darn cute!
The beauty of Sprague Lake makes this a great family hike.
Next, we drove to Alluvial Fan to eat our lunch and explore the area. On our way there, we saw this handsome male elk.
The Alluvial Fan Area was created in 1982 when the earthen Lawn Lake Dam above the area gave way, causing major flooding that killed 3 campers at RMNP and caused $31M in damage to the town of Estes Park. The flood scoured Roaring River Valley depositing an alluvial fan of debris.
There is a nice picnic area here. And, Sadie had a great time sniffing around the area.
I was able to catch a couple of snaps of this Stellar’s Jay during lunch.
Our last stop for the day was Sheep Lakes where wildlife is frequently spotted. After we saw the Big Horn Sheep crossing sign, we spotted a juvenile female on the cliffs. And, sure enough, she crossed the road to reach the lake at this spot.
There was also a large bull moose in one of the lakes. You can see his velvety antlers beginning to grow. His identification collar provides a means for park staff to track him.
Ranger-led programs are offered at Sheep Lakes. They also track wildlife that visits the area each day and are available to answer questions about the wildlife of the park.
It was a fantastic day at Rocky Mountain National Park. Even though the Trail Ridge Road is not open all the way to the Alpine Lodge yet, we all really enjoyed seeing lots of wildlife here.
For additional information about Rocky Mountain National Park, go to www.nps.gov/romo.
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