Rocky Mountain National Park AnimalsRocky Mountain National Park is home to over 350 species of mammals, birds, and fish. The quantity of wildlife and the wide open vistas in this park allows visitors the opportunity to spot many animals that they might otherwise never get a chance to see. This guide details the ideal location, time of year, and best time of day to see specific Rocky Mountain National Park animals.There’s an estimated 600 bighorn sheep in Rocky Mountain National Park so you’re chances of seeing one are good. The best time of year to look for them is late spring to early summer at lower elevations. The best times to view the sheep are between 9 A.M. and 3 P.M., when they make their way down from the Mummy Range to Sheep Lakes in Horseshoe Park. These animals stay around the mineral licks in Horseshoe Park for up to three hours before making the trek back up into the mountains.
A trail near Milner Pass can take visitors to The Crater for bighorn sheep viewing at higher elevations. Between the Alpine Visitor Center and Forest Canyon Overlook on Trail Ridge Road, is where you may also catch a glimpse of these beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park animals. Beavers can be seen building lodges and dams along waters, but are mostly active at night. Even if you don't spot a beaver, you might see their dams and dens in the park's many streams. Look near those and you might see trees, some of them huge, that they used in construction. Black bears, the only bear species in Colorado, live in Rocky Mountain National Park. Because they are very shy, the odds of seeing a bear on any given park visit are actually pretty low, but some people do see a bear on their first visit. Most of the black bears spend the majority of time in the lower forests of the park. You might see a bear at any time of day, but they are most active during morning and just before dusk. If you’re one of the lucky ones to see a bear, DO NOT run-- stand tall, make noise, and slowly back away. Park regulations require bear proof food bins to be hung at least 10 feet high and four feet from a tree to help prevent these Rocky Mountain National Park animals from getting too comfortable around campgrounds.
The coyote thrives in the sanctuary of Rocky Mountain National Park. The large number of coyotes make for a good chance of spotting one. They tend to travel alone or in pairs and prefer ponderosa pine woods and exposed meadows. In urban areas, coyotes are most often viewed around nighttime, but here in the park they can be seen during the day. Their howling can often be heard in the morning and during the evening in Rocky Mountain National Park. This is one Rocky Mountain National Park animal sound that is unmistakable! You have a very good chance of seeing elk. They're the most common large mammal in the park, with numbers somewhere around 1,000 in the winter. These North American elk are plentiful in the summer with a population of up to 3,000. During the winter many of them migrate to lower elevations outside the park. While there are less elk in Rocky Mountain National Park in the winter, it might actually be easier to see them near the park's main roads because their are less people and traffic during winter than there are during warmer weather. Visit during the coldest months of the year, and you can usually see herds of elk in the town of Estes Park!
In the fall, the elk are commonly found in groups in Moraine Park, Upper Beaver Meadows, and Kawuneeche Valley. They can be seen on roadside clearings in the morning and evening. Before you know it you’ll have a camera full of elk pictures! There is probably no better easily accessible place in the world to see elk than Rocky Mountain National Park. The marmot (AKA Woodchuck or Groundhog) is one of the more abundant Rocky Mountain National Park animals and can be found near areas of grassy vegetation in the sub alpine slopes. To keep warm they dig burrows that are interconnected. They are easily seen outside their burrows getting sun during mid-morning and late afternoon from May until September. Standing over 6 feet tall when fully grown, moose are a favorite for visitors. The best place to see a moose is in the Kawuneeche Valley on the west side of the park. There, they enjoy the willow undergrowth along the Colorado River. Sightings occur here almost daily during the summer, and sightings during other times are not unusual. You best chances of seeing one of these magnificent Rocky Mountain National Park animals are during dawn and dusk. Mountain lions and bobcats are certainly among the most elusive of Rocky Mountain National Park animals-- it is extremely rare to see one of these cats. Your best chance of spotting one is in forest meadows or rocky cliffs and canyons from dusk to dawn. The same black bear rules apply for mountain lion encounters: DO NOT run-- stand tall, make noise and slowly back away.
Mule deer are most easily spotted between dusk and dawn in open shrubbery filled land. During the summer these animals are abundant at or above the treeline around the forest perimeter. Currently there are several hundred mule deer in Rocky Mountain National Park. Pikas are small rodent-like mammals that are related to rabbits. Their home is in the tundra, tucked away in rocky crevices. During the winter, pikas spend most of their time under the snow. The snowshoe hare is mostly nocturnal, spending its days hiding in bushes. They can be found in the forests of the park. Various chipmunks and squirrels are common here. The Abert’s squirrel are active during the day and are found primarily on the eastern side of the park at 8500 feet. The chickaree (AKA pine squirrel) can be found during the day at middle elevations. The Wyoming ground squirrel prefers open land with dry soil. The least chipmunk and golden-mantled ground squirrel live in rocky areas across the park. New! CommentsHave your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
