Hidden ValleyHidden Valley is an easily accessible, pleasant place to picnic or hike along the creek. The park has 14 picnic tables, but no bar-b-que pits or grills. The area welcomes wedding parties up to 100 guests.Until recently, this park was a popular ski area. Changing weather patterns, resulting in less snow, prompted Rocky Mountain National Park to close this area to skiing. Snowboarding, snowshoeing, and backcountry skiing are still permitted in the undeveloped areas.  All of the building which supported skiing activities have been removed. Even much of the old parking lot has been converted to a more natural state. New facilities include restrooms, a ranger office and a warming hut. Displays on the premises explain how some of the old structural materials were used in the construction of the new facilities.  The primary focal point of the park is the creek, which as recently uncovered after being hidden in a culvert for 50 years. Like everywhere else in Rocky Mountain National Park, wildlife can be spotted at any time.  I recently made a short visit to the park. I only had time for a short walk, but it was a pleasant one. I visited in July, one of the busiest months in Rocky Mountain National Park, and there were only a half dozen cars in the parking lot and a few dozen people at the picnic tables, and even less people on the trails. Other parts of the park were very busy on this day, so this park might be a good choice if you want more quiet and solitude than there normally is in the other more popular places in Rocky Mountain National Park during the summer months. Return to Denver Colorado Tourist Guide from Hidden Valley |
