The Rocky Mountains are home to various plants, animals, and…mountains.
There’s a ton of activities you can do while up in The Rockies, including hiking, biking, snowboarding or skiing, hunting, and more.
And there’s also a ton of cool facts about The Rocky Mountains.
In today’s post I put together 10.5 things you didn’t know about The Rocky Mountains.
Here they are in no particular order!
The Rocky Mountains form the longest mountain range in North America
The Rocky Mountains cover an area of approximately 3,000 miles.
They essentially stretch all the way down the West Coast of North America.
The range starts up near Alaska, travels down through British Columbia in Canada, and ends all the way down in New Mexico.
That’s quite the mountain range!
Compare that with the Appalachian Mountain range on the east coast of North America at just 1,500 miles.
The Rocky Mountains travel through 8 states
Well, actually they travel through eight states, two provinces, and two territories.
Those states include: Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Alaska.
The provinces that the mountain range passes through are Alberta and British Columbia.
‘The Rockies’ are made up of over 100 mountain ranges
Instead of one continuous mountain range, The Rockies is made up of over 100 different mountain ranges.
I will now attempt to tell you all of them by memory… in alphabetical order.
Just kidding!
Generally, the mountain range is broken into four parts:
- Canadian Rockies
- Northern Rockies
- Middle Rockies
- Southern Rockies
They all piece together to form this large range.
The Rocky Mountains form The Great Divide
The Great Continental Divide is actually one of many continental divides in North America.
But the reason it’s so significant is because of its high altitude, with some points reaching higher than 14,000 feet!
The Great Divide is what separates precipitation from either flowing into the Pacific Ocean on the west side or the Atlantic Ocean on the east.
Interested in going for a hike along the divide?
Check out the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, which runs from Mexico all the way to Canada.
The climate ranges from snowy tundra to desert heat
With altitudes ranging from just a couple thousand feet to over 14,000 feet at certain peaks, there’s bound to be some differing climates along The Rocky Mountains.
This, of course, makes for a wonderful variety of hiking trails, camping trips, fishing, birdwatching, and more.
You’ll be able to experience frozen tundra in one area and dry desert heat in another.
But it also means you can experience many different micro-climates along the way!
These climates are vastly different among themselves, and differ even more as the seasons change.
And just for another cool fact to add to the climate talk: the highest ever recorded temperature in the Rocky Mountains was 95F, and the lowest was -38F.
How crazy is that?
While you are planning your trips around the mountain range, be sure to keep the varying temperatures in mind.
While a light jacket might be okay to wear around some parts, you’ll need a much thicker coat in others.
This, of course, is mostly pointed at the backpackers and long-term hikers of the group.
Plan accordingly!
The highest paved road in the U.S., The Trail Ridge Road, is located in The Rockies
Sitting high up in the mountains in Colorado lies the highest paved road in the United States: The Trail Ridge Road.
This beautiful stretch of road runs 48 miles through the Rocky Mountain National Park.
Nicknamed the ‘highway in the sky’, The Trail Ridge Road peaks at 12,183 feet.
A large portion of the road is above the tree line as well, giving you jaw-dropping views of the other mountains nearby.
And don’t forget to look at the various wildlife along the way!
The road is also between Estes Park and Grand Lake, two amazing towns with views like no other.
If you’re more of a car traveler than a hiker, The Trail Ridge Road is definitely one to add to the books.
And if you’re a hiker you might as well make that the place where you rest up and catch some amazing views while planning your next adventure!
Colorado hosts the highest peak of The Rocky Mountains
Not only does Colorado host the highest peak, but “of the 100 highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, 78 (including the 30 highest) are located in Colorado…” (source).
If you are looking for high altitude views on The Rockies, Colorado should be your first stop.
Colorado is home to Mt. Elbert, the highest peak of The Rockies and the second highest peak of the 48 contiguous states (Mt. Whitney in California takes the cake).
Mt. Elbert peaks at 14,439 feet.
And the cool thing is no technical rock climbing or mountaineering skills are needed to reach that peak.
So get climbing!
The home of Pikes Peak is in The Rockies
While Mt. Elbert is the highest peak, the most popular visiting place of The Rockies is actually Pikes Peak.
In fact, Pikes Peak is the 2nd most visited peak in the world.
So while you’re on your way to see the tippity-top of The Rockies, take a trip a few hours Southeast and see why Pikes is so popular.
The Lewis & Clark Expedition travelled through The Rockies
The Lewis and Clark Expedition took place between 1804 and 1806.
It was the first American mission to explore the Western United States.
Lewis and Clark started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and traveled all the way through The Rockies to the Pacific coast.
The trek is said to have paved the from the East Coast to the West (source), and helped European-Americans to establish a presence in the West.
I just have to wonder: did they stop at Pikes Peak on the way? 😉
The Rockies contain 250,000 acres designated as ‘wilderness’
In an attempt to help maintain the natural beauty of The Rocky Mountains, Congress designated 250,000 acres to remain ‘wilderness’.
The decision was made in 2009.
And if you would like to explore any of the land, you must follow Leave No Trace principles.
Regardless of where you are, you should follow the LNT principles.
It’s a way to preserve the wilderness for not only the wildlife but for the next visitor to pass through.
Fact #10.5: The Rocky Mountains were the 2nd mountains I ever went snowboarding on
But no one cares about that so I’ll finish this post out with tears in my eyes!
Are there any facts we should add?
So there you have it!
10 (10.5 if you like me) facts about The Rocky Mountains.
I hope you, at the very least, learned one new thing about this amazing mountain range.
There are probably a ton of cool facts I left off this list.
Are there some you think should be included?
Let me know and I’ll be sure to add them!