Day 2 — Rocky Mountain National Park

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Time Zone Change

Clocks fall back 1 hr on I-70 in far western Kansas, near Goodland.

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Weather forecast

Sun, Jun 21

Start

Hays, KS

80° 64°

💧 97% · 0.35″

En route

Estes Park, CO

77° 49°

💧 7%

Overnight

Laramie, WY

73° 46°

💧 8%

Forecast via Open-Meteo

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Rocky Mountain National Park

Jr. Ranger Badge

Junior Ranger badge — Beaver Meadows VC closes 6:00 PM

Game Plan

Arrive ~11:50 AM MT — plenty of badge time before the 6 PM close. Pick up books immediately, turn them in before you leave.

Sprague Lake (0.9 mi loop · flat) — Easiest big-payoff walk in the park; wheelchair/stroller friendly with mountain reflections.
Bear Lake (0.7 mi loop) — Iconic — but inside the Bear Lake Road timed-entry corridor; only if you booked that permit tier.
Moraine Park meadow (out-and-back, any length) — Wander from the Cub Lake trailhead; best odds of elk in the afternoon.
Many Parks Curve & Rainbow Curve overlooks on Trail Ridge Road (paved pullouts, no hiking)
Big Thompson Canyon on the drive in — dramatic river gorge

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Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour

Sunrise

5:32 AM MDT

Sunset

8:36 PM MDT

Be set up by (sunrise)

5:02 AM

Be set up by (sunset)

8:16 PM

Sunrise spot — Sprague Lake, Rocky Mountain NP — flat, paved, accessible before the VC opens. Faces east across still water with the Continental Divide behind you. Glacier Gorge trailhead also works.

Sunrise 5:32 AM MDT — if the kids are game, Sprague Lake pre-dawn is magic. Back for 7 AM breakfast, still wheels-rolling by 7:30.

Sunset spot — Estes Park: Lake Estes dam overlook or US-34 pullout heading east, silhouetting the Flatirons. Or catch it driving US-287 through the Laramie Basin — any pullout at mile ~40.

You depart Estes Park by ~4:30 PM, driving through the Laramie Basin right at golden hour. Stop at any US-287 pullout between Tie Siding and Laramie.

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Heads Up

Reservation required — book at the release time: RMNP uses timed-entry vehicle reservations in summer (recreation.gov), in two tiers (park-wide and the Bear Lake Road corridor). Additional tickets are released on June 20, 2026 at 7:00 PM MDT — be online and ready to book the moment they drop.

Sunday in late June = peak crowds. The 11 AM–3 PM window is busiest; badge first, hike second.

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Trip Journal — Day 2

👨 Jason

📝 Day summary

Overlookssprague lakewildlifecanyon drive

Memory of the day

I love the mountains. Day one was spectacular. God is so good, and I love enjoying his creation.

Grateful for

Michelle’s vision for adventure

🎹 Sunrise / sunset moment

We saw the last embers of light as we crossed into Wyoming, but the fading light behind the mountains against the contrast of a lightning infused storm cloud was pretty cool.

Notes

📷 Photos

👩 Michelle

📝 Day summary

Memory of the day

Jason has always said he feels closest to the Lord when he’s in the mountains, and to his defense, today’s Rocky Mountain National Park adventure (in Colorado) revealed God’s magnificent glory in such grand splendor. The Aspens pointed their branches heavenward, the lakes danced in twinkling worship, the wildlife displayed His amazing craftsmanship. God was there when we splashed in the lake, climbed boulders, played “I Spy” with the animals, and stood in awe atop the mountains at the beauty below. It was the perfect backdrop to celebrate Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day to our beloved, adventurer Jason and to all our loved fathers, and may our Heavenly Father be glorified!!

(P.S. - The Junior Rangers unlocked their 2nd badge of the trip today!)

Notes

🚂 Elijah

📝 Day summary

Grateful for

I fell in Sprague Lake and got soaked

🙂

“The best part of my day is I might have seen a moose!”

★★★★★

🏅 Badge earned

Notes

💜 Nevaeh

📝 Day summary

Grateful for

Hiking with my purse, putting my hands in the lake water, seeing a momma deer with her two babies

🙂

“The best part of my day was walking in Sprague Lake. It felt so good!”

★★★★★

🏅 Badge earned

Notes

🏎️ Greyson

📝 Day summary

Grateful for

I got to see Elk

🙂

“The best part of my day was playing in the water”

★★★★★

🏅 Badge earned

Notes