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Over the next week or so I will be posting hike reports from my recent trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Each report will include highlights and photographs from each hike, including the Keyhole Route on Longs Peak, Sky Pond, and the Wild Basin area, among other stunningly beautiful hikes. This posting launches the series with an overview of the park.

With nearly 360 miles of trails, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado is an absolute hiker's paradise. Trails range from flat lakeside strolls to steep mountain peak climbs. Check out my hike reports & photos from the Keyhole on Longs Peak, The Loch, Odessa Lake, the Old Ute Trail, Sky Pond and Bluebird Lake.

"In years to come when I am asleep beneath the pines, thousands of families will find rest and hope in this park." - - from Enos Mills, the man commonly referred to as the "father of Rocky Mountain National Park". Will you fulfill his prediction this year at Mills Lake.

Located on Trail Ridge Road at more than 11,500 feet above sea level in Rocky Mountain National Park, the Old Ute Trail is an excellent hike that allows you to enjoy high alpine and tundra scenery without having to do a lot of climbing.

Photographic tour of hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park

Our hike to Odessa Lake began from the Bear Lake Trailhead in Glacier Gorge, one of most beautiful areas in Rocky Mountain National Park.

As we approach the late spring season, I just wanted to remind hikers not to pass up the excellent opportunity to see the incredible displays of mountain laurel at Spence Field, located on the Appalachian Trail near Thunderhead Mountain.

From the shore you'll have outstanding views of Ypsilon Mountain, including the snow-filled Y-looking couloirs, from which the mountain derives its name.

Sky Pond, at an elevation 10,905 feet, sits at the bottom of an amphitheatre of sheer cliff walls that box in the lake on three sides. This an incredibly beautiful setting. One person we met said that the Cathedral Spires that ring the western shore of the lake reminded them of Switzerland.

"Are we out of this godforsaken Boulder Field yet?" The famous trek to the Key Hole on Longs Peak requires a difficult slog through the Boulder Field, a rugged section of "trail", roughly 2/3 of a mile in length and climbs about 800 feet. The incredible views on the other side makes it all worth it, as you can see by the pictures.