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• Edgy Veggie

Camping in Rocky Mountain’s finest clear cuts

 

Beelte-kill trees at Timber Creek Campground | NPS

Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park means time to commune with nature, relaxing around the campfire, stargazing and long hikes.

And this summer, for two of the park’s five drive-in campgrounds, it also means views. Lots of them. Great vistas that are now totally unobstructed by the trees that used to be there.

That’s the positive spin that park Superintendent Vaughn Baker tried to put on the unfortunate fact that Timber Creek and Glacier Basin campgrounds have literally been clear cut to remove trees killed by pine beetles.  The campgrounds used to have plenty of shade, he said. Now they have plenty of views, but campers should provide their own shade.

From the park’s Website:

The removal reduces risk associated with falling trees. Always be aware of your surroundings, particularly during times of high wind. …

Glacier Basin and Timber Creek Campgrounds look extremely different than they have in the past. …

Timber Creek Campground sits in a lodgepole pine forest where the majority of trees have been killed by the beetle outbreak. Many trees in the campground and along the perimeter of the campground next to Trail Ridge Road were sprayed with Carbaryl over the past three years. However, the scale of the epidemic is enormous and it was not possible to protect all of the trees in the campground.

Read more about camping in the park here.

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Like what we're doing? Got a spare sawbuck? Help us pay for site maintenance and reporting and we'll think happy thoughts about you sometimes. $100 gets you a personal, paperless thank-you video from Dave and Laura! $500 gets you... five personal, paperless thank-you videos from Dave and Laura and a tote bag!