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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August 2020
NEW! Wildflower Photography: Panorama to Close-up
This course will help you learn to create images of wildflowers you’ll be proud to share! Participants will learn to use the creative controls on a camera to capture beautiful images of flowers from panoramic views to close-up details. Delve into the software tools for focus stacking (allowing nearly unlimited depth of field) and discover the amazing world of wildflower photography. Part of getting great images is using the best natural light. Participants will do field work at the beginning…
Find out more »Phantoms: The Hidden History of RMNP
Roam the park with award-winning writer Mary Taylor Young, author of the park’s centennial history Rocky Mountain National Park: The First 100 Years. Discover traces of park history that lie hidden beneath the surface and off the beaten path. Uncover the history of places and events that are generally not interpreted by the park but are apparent when you know where to look. Participants will see billion-year-old rocks, discover Apache Fort, visit the location of the 1915 Rocky Mountain National…
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 »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 »Grand Lake Safari: An Educational Adventure by Bus
Rocky Mountain National Park contains breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife viewing, and opportunities to connect with the past along Trail Ridge Road, the awe-inspiring byway across the Continental Divide. Participants will 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. Stops include Rainbow Curve, the Alpine Visitor Center, Milner Pass, Holzwarth Historic Site, and the historic town of Grand Lake. Both lunch and entrance into…
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 »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 »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 »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 »Aquatic Mammals of Rocky: Beaver, Muskrat & Moose
Explore the eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park's lakes and riparian habitats and learn how beavers have shaped Rocky and why they have declined. We will also look for muskrats who are the largest voles in the world and see how they cohabitate with beavers in our lakes. August is also a great time to try to find moose who are visiting our beautiful lakes for aquatic vegetation. Meets at the RMC Field Institute Instructor: Jared Gricoskie
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 »NEW! Hike with a Naturalist: Ute Trail
Participants will get to experience each life zone within Rocky Mountain National Park as they hike down from the tundra, along the historic Ute Trail, through pine forests into lush montane meadows. The focus of this hike will be on the cultural and natural history of the area including information on the Ute people who once called RMNP their home. Each life zone will bring new information and chances to view the plants and animals which inhabit these areas. Meets…
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