Peak-to-Peak Scenic Byway - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 413

Rte.112westtowardthePeaksWildernessArea,atwo-mile-highwonderlandofdeeppine
forests and alpine lakes where snowdrifts linger through July.
3. Brainard Lake Recreation Area
SoonthedrivereachesBrainardLakeRecreationArea,wheretwolooking-glasslakes(Red
Rock and Brainard) offer fine trout fishing. Take the short, paved trail to Long Lake Trail-
head for splendid views of peaks haloed by clouds. But beware in winter, for the area's
serenity is sometimes shattered by the roar of a distant avalanche.
4. Peaceful Valley Campground
BackonRte.72,theroaddropsintoavalleyalongadancingcreekandhairpinsattheaptly
named Peaceful Valley Campground, where it's not unusual to see a bear lumber by. From
here the drive descends into a tunnel-like canyon walled by granite cliffs and then turns
west onto Rte. 7.
5. Scenic Overlook
With the new road comes a change in scenery, including verdant valleys, wooded ravines,
willow thickets, and meandering creeks. Three miles past the junction, a scenic overlook
faces north to Mt. Meeker and the Wild Basin in Rocky Mountain National Park. The
largestnational parkinColorado,this265,000-acrepreserveboastsanabundanceofnatur-
al sky-scrapers—114 named peaks that soar above 10,000 feet, 78 of them topping 12,000.
AboutfourmilesnorthofAllenspark,the14,255-foot-tallprofileofLongsPeakcomes
into view to the west. Its summit, visible to half of Colorado's population, long served as a
landmark to westward-bound pioneers.
6. Longs Peak Trailhead
To reach Longs Peak, continue north until you see a spur road to the west, which leads
to the Longs Peak Trailhead. The 15-hour round-trip hike to the summit is strictly for the
hardy but well worth the effort, offering a grand vista of the rugged beauty of the Central
Rockies.
Back on Rte. 7, continue north another half-mile to the Enos Mills monument, built to
honor the founding father of Rocky Mountain National Park, over which looms the craggy
silhouettes of Twin Sisters Peaks. In mid-September, when the aspens turn yellow, look for