The Rocky Mountain Conservancy-Field Institute offers a wide range of scheduled learning adventures for all ages. From hiking to bus tours, our premier educational experiences have something to offer for everyone. Can’t take a class or tour on a day that we have scheduled? The Rocky Mountain Conservancy-Field Institute offers a variety of classes and tours at your convenience, based on days you have available to explore. Flexible scheduling is available for most classes and tours, so check out the list of options below for ideas about customizing your educational experience. Call us at 970-586-3262 to book your adventure!
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July 2019
Journey to the Top! A Trail Ridge Road Bus Adventure
One of the premier attractions of Rocky Mountain National Park is Trail Ridge Road, the nation’s highest continuous paved highway. Trail Ridge Road meanders through various life zones on its way through the park and over one of the largest, most pristine stretches of alpine tundra in the lower 48 states. Participants receive a unique overview of the park’s history, flora, fauna and geology while viewing landscapes from the comfort of a 14–passenger mini-bus or 12–passenger van, with opportunities for…
Find out more »Kids’ Art in the Park
In this creative series, students can unleash their creative potentials through various art forms including photojournaling, painting, sketching, and crafting. These artistic activities will allow students to see the world through a new lens and discover that Nature is truly an artist. Each day will focus on a different art medium, offering a new perspective and skill set. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of our world’s most beautiful places, and this is an opportunity to take home your very…
Find out more »Rocky Mountain Survivor: Kids’ Survival Basics!
Thunderstorms? Bears? Trails that lead to nowhere? Learn to prepare for whatever nature throws your way! IKids can learn the basics of outdoor survival, from what to pack for a hike to how to survive a night alone in the wilderness. Learn to make a fire and build a shelter from materials found outdoors. Meets at the Moraine Park Discovery Center
Find out more »Journey to the Top! A Trail Ridge Road Bus Adventure
One of the premier attractions of Rocky Mountain National Park is Trail Ridge Road, the nation’s highest continuous paved highway. Trail Ridge Road meanders through various life zones on its way through the park and over one of the largest, most pristine stretches of alpine tundra in the lower 48 states. Participants receive a unique overview of the park’s history, flora, fauna and geology while viewing landscapes from the comfort of a 14–passenger mini-bus or 12–passenger van, with opportunities for…
Find out more »NEW! Wildlife of Rocky: An Educational Adventure by Bus
Whether you’re gazing skyward through conifer branches or peering down into valleys below, Rocky Mountain National Park is a beautiful and curious place teeming with wild life. Often when visiting the mountains, we allow ourselves to be swept up by the high-country views and forget about the inhabitants that make this area so unique. In Wildlife of Rocky, join our naturalist-guide on a 14-passenger mini-bus or 12-passenger van as we seek out the critters of Rocky Mountain National Park, both…
Find out more »Who Pooped in the Woods? A Mammal Mystery
Who doesn’t love a good mystery? This program will have kids solving real-life mysteries from start to finish. They will learn to recognize different animal signs like scat (a fancy word for poop) and tracks, and make a cast of an animal track to take home. Meets at Lily Lake
Find out more »Hummingbirds: Field Research West of the Divide
Marking individual hummingbirds remains essential to assess population size, migration corridors and survival. Genetic and statistical analyses are complementing and expanding understanding of these important migratory pollinators. Learn about Rocky’s hummingbird populations and their habitats while observing field ornithologists as they safely capture and band these remarkable birds. Visit typical habitats, observe and identify types of food sources, and learn about factors influencing hummingbird survival. Meets at Trail River Ranch near Grand Lake Instructors: Tena & Fred Engelman
Find out more »Kids’ Fly-fishing & Stream Ecology
Fly-fishing is a sport that dates back centuries, and it draws beginners and seasoned anglers alike to Rocky Mountain National Park. Kids have a unique opportunity here to learn what fly-fishing is about — what lives in the riparian ecosystem, the aquatic food web, fly-casting techniques — and, finally, to dip their lines. (All fly-fishing gear will be provided.) Entrance into Rocky Mountain National Park is included in the registration fee. Ask for details when you register. Meets at Moraine…
Find out more »Old Fall River Road Trip: An Educational Adventure by Bus
Travel in Rocky was not always as simple as it is today. Join us from the comfort of a 14–passenger mini-bus or 12–passenger van as we switchback through time to traverse the park’s oldest road up to the Alpine Visitor Center and back down to Estes Park via Trail Ridge Road. Old Fall River Road (built in 1914) will bring us to the hard-to-reach regions of the park to see spectacular waterfalls and historic buildings. View the handiwork of our…
Find out more »Sunset Safari: An Educational Adventure by Bus
Take a sunset safari over Trail Ridge Road to experience the changing light, active wildlife, and the calmness of dusk with an ascent in elevation from 7,522 feet in Estes Park to more than 12,090 feet. Along the way, a professional education guide will lead interpretive walks and talks to discuss geology, flora, fauna and the cultural history of Rocky at a number of pullouts, before arriving at Rock Cut to view the sunset over the Never Summer Mountains. Participants…
Find out more »NEW! Glaciers in Rocky
During the ice ages, glaciers moved down the valleys of the Fall River and the Big Thompson. Glaciers carved U-shaped cross sections into formerly narrow stream valleys and left natural dams of glacial debris at their terminus. Striated and grooved bedrock, glacial erratics, and ridges of debris along valley walls are some of the other calling cards of ice. The ebb and flow of glacial advance is controlled by astronomical phenomena: the eccentricity of the earth’s orbit, the tilt of…
Find out more »Painting the Kawuneeche: Intermediate Watercolor Class
This two-day class will take you several steps beyond the basics to a deeper understanding of aerial perspective, linear perspective, simplifying shapes, linking values and more exciting compositional choices to challenge you and take your paintings to the next level. We will paint using the glorious Never Summer Mountains as a backdrop for our inspiration. Time will be spent developing the art of seeing abstractly for more dynamic and stronger compositions. Expect to work with analogous, complementary and discordant colors…
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