Spring Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park

View of Horseshoe Park in RMNP

This weekend trip took us to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) where we camped in the Moraine Park Campground.  The unseasonably warm Spring has afforded some nice camping opportunities in places where snow and mud are sometimes more the norm this time of year. 



One of the many great things about camping in RMNP is that you will often get the opportunity to see deer or elk wandering through the campground in the early morning or late evening.  It makes for some great photo ops even from your camper window.
 

Furry morning visitors

Mule deer in Moraine Park Campground

One of the weekend highlights was a hike to the summit of Deer Mountain (10,013 ft.), not far from our campground.   It was a 6 mile round trip hike with a net elevation gain of 1100 ft.   It was a gorgeous day and the views of Long's Peak, Estes Park, and Horseshoe Park were stunning.

Estes Park from Deer Mountain Summit

Long's Peak and Moraine Park from Deer Mountain Summit

This time of year, campsites in RMNP are all first come first serve, so I was a little anxious about arriving late in the day after work without a reservation.  We got to the campground around 7:30 p.m.,  there were only a few sites left to choose from, and the locations with the best mountain views were already filled.  Nonetheless, we were fortunate to get the site (#170) that we did.  It was a nice location in the trees with plenty of space for the Bambi, and it wasn't crowded next to other campers.

Campsite #170 in Moraine Park Campground

This was a nice spot that wasn't crowded too close to other sites, and it included an additional tent pad.