Place

Beaver Ponds on Trail Ridge Road

Rocky Mountain National Park

a river runs through bright yellow meadow
Beaver Ponds on Trail Ridge Road

NPS Photo / Kim Grossman

Quick Facts

At Beaver Ponds on Trail Ridge Road visitors can see, hear, and feel one of Rocky Mountain National Park’s wetland environments.

Take the 0.2 mile roundtrip boardwalk into the heart of a wetland environment. Beaver dams once blocked the stream that flows through this area. Silt and organic material accumulated behind the dam. In time, the dam decayed leaving behind rich soil over twenty feet deep. Sedges and grasses grow in the new soil and have created wet marshy areas. Wetland environments like this one become habitats for an enormous variety of insects, birds, and mammals. 

Last updated: November 13, 2020