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Beaver Meadows Visitor Center
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Colorado
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Inside Rocky Mountain National Park
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Beaver Meadows Visitor Center
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Today, we encourage you to take a moment to appreciate the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. Look at the Cor-ten steel that makes up its structure. It weathers to a rich red color that matches the trunks of the ponderosa trees nearby. The architect of this building, E. Thomas Casey, chose Cor-ten "so that the structure of the building itself becomes its primary architectural expression." Cor-ten was a new material in 1967, when Beaver Meadows Visitor Center was constructed. In addition to exposing the structural steel, Mr. Casey designed the horizontally-oriented building to fit into its surroundings and wanted people to connect with the park through architecture. Mr. Casey told us "this is the way [that] architecture ought to be. You know, that what you see is what you get." If this kind of passionate talk about architecture sounds familiar, it is because Mr. Casey was a fellow of Frank Lloyd Wright. Through the visible stone, steel and glass construction, the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is an example of the continued influence of Wrightean design principles and mid-20th century modern architecture in national parks. This building is also a National Historic Landmark!
Stories of the Moon & Stars at Moraine Park Discovery Center
~2 min drive
<h3>Stories of the Moon & Stars</h3> <p>The moon and stars have inspired humans and their stories for thousands of years. Join us on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park at the Moraine Park Discover Center Parking Area for an evening under the stars. This program begi…
Tuxedo Park Picnic Area
~3 min drive
<p>Picnic by the river!</p> <p>Descend from the parking area to reach a quiet picnic area next to a shady stream. Feel free to sit and relax, have a good meal, or go fishing with the correct permits and knowledge of regulations. A short trail can be accessed from this location…
Hollowell Park
~5 min drive
<p>A relaxing destination with many picnic tables and excellent views of Mill Creek Basin below Longs Peak.</p> <p>Enjoy a short easy trail that leaves from the parking lot. Pit toilets available but no trash cans. Pack out what you bring in.</p> <p><strong>Tables: </strong>10…
Sprague Lake
~7 min drive
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Horseshoe Park
~7 min drive
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Alluvial Fan
~8 min drive
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North Boundary
~10 min drive
4.9 mi · Hard
Bear Lake
~10 min drive
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Bear Lake Trail
~10 min drive
0.7 mi · Easy
Fern Lake Trail
~10 min drive
15 mi · Moderate
