Pa.s.sengers holding transcontinental tickets via Denver & Rio Grande Railroad may obtain stopovers at Grand Junction on the standard-gauge line, or at Montrose on the narrow gauge line, and make side trip to Mancos at the following rates:--
Grand Junction to Mancos and return via Telluride, $23.30.
Montrose to Mancos and return via Telluride, $18.90.
Pa.s.sengers holding transcontinental tickets via Denver & Rio Grande Railroad may make the trip between Denver and Grand Junction by way of Mancos on payment of $20.00 additional.
Automobile Routes
From Denver the best route is by way of Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Walsenburg, Alamosa, South Fork, Durango, and Mancos; distance, about 400 miles. Permit for an automobile costs 50 cents for a single trip or $2.00 for the season. The speed limits range from 10 to 15 miles per hour.
Camp
There is only one camp in Mesa Verde National Park, at Spruce Tree House. This camp is maintained by O. L. Jeep, and the rates are $3.00 per day. Guides and camping outfits may be obtained at Mancos.
Trips
There are no regular tours in this Park, as trips to the ruins are made on foot from the camp near Spruce Tree House. The distance to the important ruins are as follows:
_Distance and direction_ Spruce Tree House 1/4 mile W.
Cliff Palace 2 miles S.E.
Balcony House 2-1/2 miles S.E.
Community House 2 miles S.E.
Poole Canon 4 miles S.
Peabody House 3 miles S.W.
Long House 2-3/4 miles S.W.
Tunnel House 6 miles S.
Sun Temple 2 miles S.
The three princ.i.p.al ruins are Spruce Tree House, Cliff Palace, and Sun Temple.
Clothing
Ordinary clothing may be worn, as there are no extended trips or hard climbs. As the nights are cool, a sweater or light overcoat will be convenient. As the auto stages carry only 50 pounds of baggage free, arrangements should be made to store all heavy pieces at Mancos. Such pieces may be taken to the Park by special arrangements with the auto stage company.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Location: North-central Colorado. Area: 358 square miles. Season: June 1 to October 1. Address of Supervisor: Estes Park, Colorado.
Railroad Connections
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK is the easternmost of the great scenic Parks and the most accessible to persons in the East, as its eastern border is only a few hours from Denver.
The town of Estes Park, which is just east of the National Park, and which is the starting-place for all points in the eastern portion of the Park, may be reached from Denver by automobile or by train and automobile. The trip may be made by motor in one direction and by railroad and automobile in the other. The fare is $9.60 for the round trip by any of the routes. The railroad routes are by the Union Pacific to Fort Collins or Greeley, thence by automobile; by the Colorado & Southern to Boulder, Loveland, Longmont or Fort Collins; and by the Burlington by way of Longmont or Lyons. The western portion of the Park may be reached from Granby, on the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad. Round trip from Denver, $8.10. From Granby stages run to the town of Grand Lake, which is just outside the Park. Round trip fare from Granby, $3.50.
Tourist rates to Denver are as follows: From Chicago, $32.50; from St.
Louis, $27.50.
Automobile Routes
From the Lincoln Highway the best route is by way of Greeley and Loveland. Distances: Cheyenne to Greeley, 55.2 miles; Greeley to Estes Park, 54.5 miles. There are two routes from Denver--via Longmont and Lyons, 69.3 miles, and via Boulder, Boulder Canon, and Lyons, 73.3. The best scenery is along the Boulder route.
[Ill.u.s.tration: MAP OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Prepared by R. B. Marshall, Chief Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey Eastern boundary corrected to include addition in 1917]
Hotels
All the hotels in the Park are along the eastern boundary near the town of Estes Park; there are also other hotels outside the Park and near the town. The camps within the Park and the rates are as follows:--
Lawn Lake, Bradley & Patrick $3.25 a day Bear Lake, A. E. Brown 2.50 a day Glacier Basin, A. E. Sprague 2.50 a day Fern Lodge, F. W. Byerly 2.50 a day On Thompson River, Byerly and Rogers 2.50 a day At timber line on trail to Long"s Peak, Enos A. Mills 3.25 a day
The address of all these camps is Estes Park, Colorado.
The rates at the hotels near Estes Park are as follows:--
Brinwood Hotel $2.50 to $3.50 a day; $12 to $20 a week Brown Tea Pot Inn $2 to $4 a day; $12 to $25 a week Columbines Hotel $3 a day; $14 to $20 a week Elkhorn Lodge $3 a day and up; $16 a week and up Fall River Lodge $2.50 to $4 a day; $12 to $25 a week Forks Hotel $2 a day; $10 a week Hewes-Kirkwood Ranch $2 to $3 a day; $14 to $18 a week Horizon Hotel $2 to $3 a day; $12 to $18 a week Horseshoe Inn $2.50 to $4 a day; $12 to $25 a week Hupp Hotel $3 a day; $12 to $15 a week Lester Hotel $2.50 to $3.50 a day; $12 to $20 a week Lewiston Hotel $3 to $5 a day; $20 to $35 a week Long"s Peak Inn $3.50 to $6.50 a day; $15 to $40 a week Moraine Lodge $2.50 a day; $12 to $20 a week Park Hotel $2 to $3.50 a day; $10 to $20 a week Rockdale Hotel $2 to $3 a day; $11 to $20 a week Stanley Hotel $4 a day and up Stead"s Ranch and Hotel $11 to $16 a week The Crags $2.50 to $5 a day; $14 to $35 a week
The following hotels are at Grand Lake near the western boundary of the Park:--
Lehman"s Hotel $2.00 a day Langles Hotel 2.00 a day Kauffman House 2.50 a day Narwata Hotel 2.50 a day The Rapid Hotel 2.50 a day
Trips
There are no scheduled trips in this Park and special arrangements must be made. Horses cost $2.50 a day. The most important trips are the following:--
_Miles_ From Estes Park to Hallett Glacier 11.25 Lawn Lake 8.8 Specimen Mountain 20.2 Fern Lake 10.25 Sprague Glacier 13.5 Bear Lake 8.5 Black Lake 12.0 Flat-Top Mountain 11.2 Loch Vale 10.5 Glacier Gorge 10.2 Long"s Peak 15.5 Chasm Lake 13.4
From Grand Lake to East Inlet (Lake Verna) 7.5 Flat-Top Mountain 12.5 Specimen Mountain 16.5 Nanita Lake 8.25
Fishing
There is good fishing for native, Eastern brook, and rainbow trout in the lower portions of all the streams and in some of the lakes, although the fish are small. The best lakes are Lawn, Fern, and Odessa. Early in the season during high water the fish will take worms only. The flies generally used later are the coachman, royal coachman, brown hackle, and gray hackle. Gra.s.shoppers are used when they can be obtained. Fishermen must obtain Colorado fishing license costing $1 for residents of the State and $2 for non-residents.
Licenses may be obtained in Estes Park.