Visit quiet side of Rocky Mountain National Park

When you live in Northern Colorado, you can celebrate Rocky Mountain National Park's 100th birthday more easily than most of the population of Colorado or the U.S.

We are fortunate to have this jewel in our backyard. Visiting RMNP is like stepping into another world.

There are soaring mountain peaks, cascading streams, stately elk and moose and beautiful aspen stands. Get one mile from any trailhead and the crowds dissipate, as 90 percent of visitors only venture 1 mile from their vehicles.

Northern Colorado also has a unique access point to the park that few people take advantage of — the Cameron Pass area.

More than 3 million people visit the main part of the park, but far fewer know the northern boundary borders the Rawah, Neota and Commanche Peak wilderness areas and Colorado State Forest State Park. This means you can enjoy parts of the park few people see by traveling up the Poudre Canyon to places like Pingree Park, Zimmerman Lake and American Lakes.

Thunder Pass can be your backdoor entry into the Never Summer Range. The Medicine Bow Mountain Range is a kissing cousin of the Never Summer Range; they "hold hands" on the Nokhu Crags, Mount Richtofen, Mount Mahler, Iron Mountain and Static Peak.

All of these mountains are accessible from the Cameron Pass area. A fun way to climb Commanche Peak is to backpack through Corral Creek and Rocky Mountain National Park for scenic designated campsites; reserve them through RMNP.

The Poudre River originates in RMNP; you can visit its birthplace from the west side of Trail Ridge Road. When traveling on Trail Ridge, stop on the Medicine Bow Curve to see a stunning display of the northernmost part of the park and the top of the Poudre Canyon in the distance to the north and west.

The famous Mummy Pass Trail can be accessed from the Mountain Campus of Colorado State University (formerly named Pingree Park) and connects to the Poudre River Trail, which will take you into the park and all the way to Trail Ridge Road.

So, take another look at your Rocky Mountain National Park map and see just how lucky you are to live in Northern Colorado.

Alan Apt is the author of: "Afoot and Afield, 184 Spectacular Outings in the Colorado Rockies, Denver, Boulder, Ft.Collins, and Rocky Mountain National Park"