Rocky Mountain National Park

This is one special place. Rocky Mountain National Park is a treasure trove of scenery no matter the time of year.

Streams of endless water flow from high in the mountains the the fields and meadows below. The one shown below is on the way to Dream Lake.

A little further up the 2 mile trail, and you reach the headwaters of the stream. It originates at Dream Lake, which is just about 100 yards further up the trail from this point.

The next couple photos were taken late at night. The scenes are lit by moonlight, which tends to cast a very cool blue across the landscape.

Back towards the beginning of the trail is Nymph Lake. What I didn't realize is lily-pads grow in the mountain waters. For some reason, I thought they grew in warmer climates. Not high in the Rocky Mountains.

The views are big. There aren't a whole lot of places where you can see this much land without the man-made distractions. Although there is a road running through the valley, there are no houses, no oil/gas operations, or tall structures like cell towers or utility poles.

One of my favorite lake thus far is Dream Lake. It's about a 2 mile hike one-way, but well worth it. There are many other lakes throughout the park, but many of the hikes are very long and tough. Especially with 40 lbs of camera gear.

Mountain streams like the one below can be found al throughout the park. The water weaves through, over, and around anything that gets in the way.

... and if you wait a bit longer ... it can look like this ...