While going through hundreds of slides of photos from the 1950s and 1960s, I was amazed at the beauty that appeared on my slide scanner's screen when I put these slides labeled "Estes Park" in. I couldn't wait to upload and share these! In the short slideshow video below, you can witness what I'm sure is just a tiny sampling of the magnificence of this place.
Estes Park is a Statutory Town (similar to a village), in Larimer County, Colorado, just a few miles east of Rocky Mountain National Park. It was named after Joel Estes, a native of Missouri, who founded the community in 1859 and moved his family there in 1863.
Estes Park sits at an elevation of 7,522 feet above sea level. The Big Thompson River runs through it and although I'm not sure which mountain is which, there are several surrounding the town. To the east is Mount Olympus, to the southeast is Kruger Rock, to the south is Prospect Mountain, to the southwest is Eagle Cliff Mountain, to the west is Deer Mountain, to the northwest is Castle Mountain and McGregor Mountain, and to the north is The Needles, Triangle Mountain, and Crosier Mountain...just to name a few.
You can also tour the area virtually on Google Maps Street View:
Have you been to Estes Park? Can you identify any of the locations in the photos? Do you notice any changes to the landscape? Share your observations in the comments below!