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Colorado 2021

Red rocks, sand dunes, and the Rockies — July 2021

91Photographs

8Days

3Places

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Mile-high and then some

A week in Colorado in high summer — the red sandstone of Red Rocks and the Garden of the Gods, the long view from the top of Pikes Peak, the deep cool of the Cave of the Winds, the improbable Great Sand Dunes, and then Rocky Mountain National Park: moose in the lakes, elk in the meadows, marmots on the tundra, and the jewel-blue alpine lakes under their jagged peaks. Tap any photo to enlarge it, or open the map.

Day 1

Sat 17 Jul

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakRed Rocks rising straight out of the plains.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakThe sandstone fins of the Garden of the Gods.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakPikes Peak country, fourteen thousand feet up.

Day 2

Sun 18 Jul

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak · Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand Dunes

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakThe view from the summit, half of Colorado below.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakAncient cliff dwellings tucked into the rock.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakRed Rocks rising straight out of the plains.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakThe sandstone fins of the Garden of the Gods.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakPikes Peak country, fourteen thousand feet up.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakThe view from the summit, half of Colorado below.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakAncient cliff dwellings tucked into the rock.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakRed Rocks rising straight out of the plains.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakThe sandstone fins of the Garden of the Gods.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakPikes Peak country, fourteen thousand feet up.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakThe view from the summit, half of Colorado below.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakAncient cliff dwellings tucked into the rock.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakRed Rocks rising straight out of the plains.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakThe sandstone fins of the Garden of the Gods.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakPikes Peak country, fourteen thousand feet up.

Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak — Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods & Pikes PeakThe view from the summit, half of Colorado below.

Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand Dunes — Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand DunesDeep inside the Cave of the Winds.

Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand Dunes — Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand DunesCave formations a hundred thousand years in the making.

Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand Dunes — Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand DunesThe Great Sand Dunes, the tallest in North America.

Day 3

Mon 19 Jul

Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand Dunes

Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand Dunes — Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand DunesAn ocean of sand against the Sangre de Cristos.

Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand Dunes — Cave of the Winds & the Great Sand DunesWind-rippled dunes running up to the mountains.

Day 4

Tue 20 Jul

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National Park, peak after peak.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA moose standing belly-deep in a mountain lake.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkBull elk grazing the meadows in the evening.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA marmot sunning itself on the alpine tundra.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkTrail Ridge Road, up above the treeline.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkEmerald Lake under its ring of jagged peaks.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA waterfall coming down through the pines.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkSnowmelt streams and wildflower meadows.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National Park, peak after peak.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA moose standing belly-deep in a mountain lake.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkBull elk grazing the meadows in the evening.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA marmot sunning itself on the alpine tundra.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkTrail Ridge Road, up above the treeline.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkEmerald Lake under its ring of jagged peaks.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA waterfall coming down through the pines.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkSnowmelt streams and wildflower meadows.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National Park, peak after peak.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA moose standing belly-deep in a mountain lake.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkBull elk grazing the meadows in the evening.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA marmot sunning itself on the alpine tundra.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkTrail Ridge Road, up above the treeline.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkEmerald Lake under its ring of jagged peaks.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA waterfall coming down through the pines.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkSnowmelt streams and wildflower meadows.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National Park, peak after peak.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA moose standing belly-deep in a mountain lake.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkBull elk grazing the meadows in the evening.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA marmot sunning itself on the alpine tundra.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkTrail Ridge Road, up above the treeline.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkEmerald Lake under its ring of jagged peaks.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA waterfall coming down through the pines.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkSnowmelt streams and wildflower meadows.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National Park, peak after peak.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA moose standing belly-deep in a mountain lake.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkBull elk grazing the meadows in the evening.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA marmot sunning itself on the alpine tundra.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkTrail Ridge Road, up above the treeline.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkEmerald Lake under its ring of jagged peaks.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA waterfall coming down through the pines.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkSnowmelt streams and wildflower meadows.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National Park, peak after peak.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA moose standing belly-deep in a mountain lake.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkBull elk grazing the meadows in the evening.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA marmot sunning itself on the alpine tundra.

Day 5

Wed 21 Jul

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkTrail Ridge Road, up above the treeline.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkEmerald Lake under its ring of jagged peaks.

Day 6

Thu 22 Jul

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA waterfall coming down through the pines.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkSnowmelt streams and wildflower meadows.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National Park, peak after peak.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA moose standing belly-deep in a mountain lake.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkBull elk grazing the meadows in the evening.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA marmot sunning itself on the alpine tundra.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkTrail Ridge Road, up above the treeline.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkEmerald Lake under its ring of jagged peaks.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA waterfall coming down through the pines.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkSnowmelt streams and wildflower meadows.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National Park, peak after peak.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA moose standing belly-deep in a mountain lake.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkBull elk grazing the meadows in the evening.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA marmot sunning itself on the alpine tundra.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkTrail Ridge Road, up above the treeline.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkEmerald Lake under its ring of jagged peaks.

Day 7

Fri 23 Jul

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA waterfall coming down through the pines.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkSnowmelt streams and wildflower meadows.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National Park, peak after peak.

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkA moose standing belly-deep in a mountain lake.

Day 8

Sat 24 Jul

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park — Rocky Mountain National ParkBull elk grazing the meadows in the evening.

Where we wandered