Side Tracks

Rocky Mountain High

 

Colorado’s Rocky Mountain
National Park Offers A Horseman’s Paradise
Even If Just For A Few Days

 

The Colorado Rockies stand like a sentry guarding our U.S. history and maintaining the ways of our western heritage. The words Colorado and Horse are synonymous in a way every cowboy understands.

 

After three back-to-back matches outside Denver, Lucinda and I decided to take a Sidetrack to Rocky Mountain National Park. Our destination was the Winding River Resort, a horse-friendly campground at the entry of the park just outside the Village of Grand Lake. The drive from Denver to Grand Lake is spectacular. Although a bit hilly in some places the grand vistas as you climb in elevation are breathtaking and the scenery just gets better as you drive deeper into the Rockies.

 

Nestled at the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, the Village of Grand Lake is one of Colorado’s unspoiled hideaways. Surrounded by breathtaking beauty and Colorado’s largest natural lake, Grand Lake has preserved its western heritage and remains a quiet, quaint, charming mountain town to this day.

 

Grand Lake is year-round resort town filled with bars, restaurants, convenient shopping, galleries and unique shops, with a few ice cream parlors and coffee shops along the way. As its name indicates, the village sits at the waters edge of Grand Lake and makes a nice respite for dinner after a long day on the trail.

 

The Winding River Resort is one and one-half miles north of Grand Lake and is nestled among the pines just on the parks edge. Entering the grounds on the immediate left lay the barn and the resort’s string of rental horses. At Winding River Resort you can set up your own camp, or stay in lodge rooms and cabins. Horse pens are available on your campsite or at the barn. Barn runs are 16’ x 24’ and site runs are 16’ x 32’, large enough for two horses. The cost is $15 per run (includes 1 horse), and $5 per each additional horse. We opted for our own campsite and two pens for our horses. Like any good campground, Winding River Resort has all the amenities including laundry, showers, gift and sundry shop and transportation into Grand Lake.

 

We were assigned an excellent site within the horse friendly portion of the campground. We had water and 50 amp hook-ups for our 40 footer and were able to detach our bumper pull trailer right next to the coach. Across from our site was a lush meadow complete with shade trees and a running stream just perfect for the resident grazers of horses and the occasional moose and elk.
At check in we were provided with detailed trail maps of the park as well as the surrounding area. Several times a day the resort takes guests on their string of horses on one and two-hour excursions into the park. On our first day we decided to follow the pack on their two-hour ride to get acquainted with the surroundings and when they turned to head back, we kept right on going ending up at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center where we had a cold drink, used the potties and picked up a more detailed map than was given by the resort.

 

The following day brought a more adventurous ride and a much more challenging expedition. Big Meadows at an elevation of 9400 feet was our destination and our route was the Tonahutu Creek Trail by way of the Green Mountain Trailhead approximately 2 miles from Winding River Resort. The route, part of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, was filled with spectacular scenery through dense forest, steep inclines and heart thumping drop offs. Chato and Galan, our two Spanish Barbs took the trails like the rock horses for which they are known, bearly loosing breath and eager to move along. Reaching the peak we then dropped in elevation into the enormous lush meadow. Knee high grasses along the running Tonahutu Creek were hard to resist for the horses so we gave them their reward of a cold drink and a light lunch while we had ours, gazing across the green expanse surrounded by the spectacular Rocky Mountains. After lunch we continued along the trail south in a loop back to the Kawuneeche Visitors Center then back to camp. The ride took all of six hours and treated us with moderate to challenging terrain and even a brief hail storm that bounced peanut sized ice balls off Chato’s noggin.

 

Be sure to pack a lunch and bring plenty of drinking water because once you enter the park, you are pretty much on your own. Although the trails are very well marked, be prepared for detours caused by fallen trees and slides. At several points we had to make tight detours and had to step over fallen debris. It is important to remember that park elevations range from 7,500 to over 12,000 feet. Even very fit individuals coming from lower elevations may experience altitude problems. Although you may not feel thirsty, the “thinner” air at high elevations actually results in increased water evaporation from your lungs. Drinking extra water may prevent a bad headache or other altitude symptoms.

 

Horses have been part of Rocky Mountain Park’s tradition since its designation as a national park in 1915.  With your own horse, you have access to approximately 260 miles of trails, which makes up about 80% of the total trail network in Rocky Mountain National Park. Recreational pack animal use is balanced with other recreational uses such as hiking. Horse use is managed so as to maintain the natural resources and unique ecosystems in the national park.

 

Sidetracks to horse-friendly destinations help to make for a well-rounded and healthy traveling horse. Colorado is dotted with horse camping, dude ranches and other horse friendly activities. Not only did we enjoy the beautiful mountain environment and the exciting day excursions from camp, Chato and Galan also had a good time and were rewarded with the great outdoors and a welcome respite from the arena and their jobs as Western Shooting Horses.

 

A few things you must know

 

Horses are permitted at established backcountry campsites designated for stock use.
All horses must remain on existing trails. Travel off trail and cross-country is not permitted.
Horses are not permitted in picnic areas and front-country campgrounds.
Riding of Horses at a speed greater than a trot is not permitted.
Only certified weed free forage (hay, straw, mulch) can be used in the park. No forage can be taken beyond a trailhead into the backcountry. Pelletized feed, hay cubes and grain products can be used in the backcountry. Grazing of horses is not permitted.

 

The following are trails recommended for recreational stock use.
Big Meadows (9,400’ starting elevation). Trailheads: Green Mountain, Onahu Creek and Tonahutu (Haynach Lake Trail is closed to all stock except llamas).

East Inlet Trailhead (8,391’): East Inlet.

Lawn & Ypsilon Lakes Trailhead (8,540’): Lawn Lake.

Lost Lake Trailhead (7,960’): Dunraven Glade, US Forest Service

Thunder & Finch Lakes Trailhead (8,470’): Wild Basin; Finch Lake.

 

For more information visit:
www.nps.gov/romo/
windingriverresort.com

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