Are you planning a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park? Do you want to take stunning photos of this incredible landscape? Then you will want this book written by a professional photographer who has spent nearly two decades exploring and photographing Rocky.
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Yes, you can access The Photographer's Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park by Erik Stensland,Jerry Dorris, Janna Nyswander in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Personal Development & Photography. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
To quickly get a taste of the best that Rocky Mountain National Park has to offer, take a trip down Bear Lake Road and visit some of the stunning locations that can be found just beyond this well-traveled tarmac.
MORAINE PARK
As you enter the park from the east side and pass through the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station, take the first left turn, which is Bear Lake Road. Less than a mile down this road you will arrive at Moraine Park. This stunning meadow was made to be photographed. The Big Thompson River winds its way through a lush meadow, which is often filled with elk, while the snowy peaks of the Continental Divide keep watch from above. If you want an easy-to-reach and beautiful scene, you will be hard-pressed to find anywhere better than Moraine Park.
My favorite location to photograph is alongside the river in the early morning. If you drive down Bear Lake Road to the south end of the meadow, you will find a parking area next to a bridge. Stop here and walk west along the small path passing through the gate in the fence. Just to the left of the path, right next to the river, is a classic shot (MP-1) with large stones in the foreground. This is one of the iconic views of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Moraine Park map
MP-1: October sunrise on the Big Thompson River
Another popular place from which to shoot Moraine Park is from the museum (MP-2), which sits on a hill on the east side of the meadow. From the museum parking lot, you can capture the entire valley. If there is fog, you definitely want to head here to stay above it.
From here you can also photograph to the south and include Longs Peak towering over the meadow. From the front door of the museum, you’ll find a path leading down through the meadow. You can sometimes find a better angle from partway down this path or on the dirt road it connects to.
At the intersection of Bear Lake Road and the road leading to the museum, you can also head west toward the campground. Along the way, there are a couple pull-overs (MP-3, MP-4) with nice views over the meadow. At the first pull-over, you have an overview of the meadow. At the second pull-over you are right down by the water’s edge. Don’t be limited to these viewpoints as there are numerous photogenic locations along this road.
Please be aware that from September 1 through October 31, the meadow is closed from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. to give space to the elk for their annual rut. During these times, you can still stand at the edge of the meadows and get some great images. Many of my best photos were taken from the road.
Moraine Park is one of those places that can be photographed all year long. Like most of Rocky Mountain National Park, it is best captured at sunrise or shortly thereafter.
CUB LAKE
Cub Lake is a 2.4-mile hike (one-way distance) from Moraine Park and so may not be for everyone. However, it is a gentle hike compared to many other hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. The trail leads through several different environments, providing a diversity of photo opportunities. This hike is described in detail in my book Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park: The Essential Guide. The trail begins at the west end of Moraine Park. Follow the road that runs along the north end of Moraine Park until you reach the Cub Lake parking area.
Right at the beginning of the trail, two small bridges cross the Big Thompson River. Just before you step on the second bridge there is a good view of the river with the Continental Divide in the background (CL-1). In this area you can also find a variety of wildflowers during the summer. Focus on getting close-ups of these but be sure to shoot them from the trail so as not to damage the surrounding meadow.
Continue on the trail and it will follow the edge of Moraine Park, where you might see elk or even moose grazing just off to the side (CL-2
). The trail then reaches Cub Creek and heads west. Just as it turns west (CL-3
) you’ll get a view of Stones Peak in the distance. You may be able to incorporate the peak and the trail in a shot here. Along the way, you will pass by several ponds (CL-4
) where you might encounter moose or other wildlife. Also don’t overlook the large ponderosa trees as well as lovely mountain meadows. Keep your eyes open, as you never know what you’ll find on this stretch.
Cub Lake map
CL-6: Stones Peak on a summer morning
As the trail begins to climb you will notice significant wildfire damage. Two major fires came through the Cub Lake area. The first one in 2012, which was caused by an illegal campfire, and a second much larger fire in 2020 that began nearly 40 miles away, near Kremling, Colorado. It will be many years before this area fully recovers. One benefit for photographers is that the fires result in many wildflowers to photograph, particularly fireweed, which is bright pink.
As the trail begins its upward climb, it will take you through a small aspen forest, which is especially brilliant in the spring and autumn (CL-5
). This is a good location for intimate and abstract aspen photos. After the aspen forest, you are almost at Cub Lake.
Once you reach the lake, you will want to head down to stand on one of the boulders on the lake’s northeast side. Here you can get some good photos of the lake itself with Stones Peak as the backdrop. (CL-6
). There are many fallen trees between the trail and the lake’s edge so make your way down carefully and then stay off the delicate marsh grasses. Sunrise is definitely the most dramatic time to photograph this location. In the summer months, lily pads with their big yellow flowers cover the lake. You may want to get down low and try to incorporate one or more of these in your foreground.
