ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

While massive glaciers shaped the meadows and peaks, Rocky was an inhospitable land. It was not until some 11,000 years ago that humans began venturing into these valleys and mountains. Spearheads broken in the fury of a mammoth's charge and scrapers discarded along a nomad's trail tell us little about the area's early native peoples. Even though it was never their year-round home, the Ute tribe favored the areas green valleys, tundra meadows, and crystal lakes. The Utes dominated the area until the late 1700s.

In the 1970s, Park Superintendents began to manage crowds in the park through assigned backcountry campsites and shuttle buses. Rangers educated park visitors to be good stewards of the park through signs, campground talks, and seminars. Superintendents learned more about the resources through scientific research.

Today, an interdisciplinary staff of education rangers, law enforcement rangers, carpenters, mechanics, biologists, administrators, engineers, resource specialists, and volunteers manage Rocky Mountain National Park. It is their goal to keep the park in good condition for you and for future generations.