If you’ve never heard an elk bugle during the fall, you haven’t lived life to its fullest. Like the searching yodel of a loon or the mournful howl of a wolf, the macho bugle of an elk is truly one of the iconic calls of the wild. I remember the first time I heard an elk bugle. I was in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) in September 2011. It was my first visit to this 265,873-acre wildlife sanctuary about 60 miles north of Denver, Colorado. I heard the elk before I saw it. The reverberating sound touched something deep in my soul.

I was in RMNP to photograph elk. Colorado boasts the largest elk herd in the world, with more than 300,000 of them roaming its meadows and mountains. Up to 3,000 elk shelter in RMNP at any time during the spring, summer, and fall. It’s a refuge, not only for elk, but also 65 other mammals, including bighorn sheep, moose, mule deer, and endangered pika, which is why it’s a mecca for wildlife watchers and photographers like me.

Just after entering the east side of RMNP near Estes Park, I paused by a large field on the side of Trail Ridge Road, the 48-mile route that travels from Estes Park over the Continental Divide to Grand Lake on the west side of the park. In the middle of the field, an enormous bull elk tended his harem of a dozen cow elk. The cows grazed on the golden grass while the bull kept watch, bowing its head now and again to push a cow back to the herd if it strayed too far.

Then I heard the bugle again. As I steadied my camera, the bull stretched his neck and released a haunting bellow. It started low and gravelly, as steam from the 1,000-pound animal’s hot breath wafted into the near-freezing air. As the bull exhaled, his cry surged in volume and pitch, filling the valley. At the height of it, the bull made three staccato grunts, then his air ran out, leaving a moment of dead silence as far as the ear could hear.

Bull elk bugle from about mid-September through mid-October in the Rocky Mountains. It’s a mating call used to attract cow elk and to tell other bulls to keep away. It’s an evocative, unforgettable sound. Maybe that’s why I keep going back to RMNP.

History of the Park

The United Stated government acquired the land that’s now RMNP in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase, but early explorers and fur trappers largely skirted the region due to the wall of 12,000- to 14,000-foot mountains at its core. Even Stephen Long, the explorer for whom Longs Peak (14,250 feet), the highest point in the park, is named, avoided the inhospitable snowcapped barrier during his 1820 expedition.

In 1868, John Wesley Powell and several local guides made the first-known ascent of Longs Peak, the most northern 14,000-footer in Colorado. Shortly after that, as the West was settled by homesteaders, miners, and loggers, tourism steadily increased, too. An array of small-time innkeepers built roads and trails into what’s now RMNP, which they used to lead visitors into the high country. In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Rocky Mountain National Park Act, formally creating the national park.

After World War I, the small mom-and-pop lodges that speckled the foothills could no longer handle the influx of people. Park rangers upgraded what paths and facilities they could, but it was the formation of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s that finally gave the park the buildings, trails, and roads that are there today, including Trail Ridge Road, the park’s signature drive.

Trail Ridge Road

Driving Trail Ridge Road is an experience just for the diversity of ecosystems it passes through, from the lowland meadow where I heard my first bull elk bugle, up through aspen groves with their golden autumn glow, and then into the alpine zone. The road climbs 4,000 vertical feet. It’s the highest fully paved road in the United States, with 11 miles above tree line and cresting at 12,183 feet above sea level.

“It is hard to describe what a sensation this new road is going to make,” said Horace Albright, director of the National Park Service in 1931, during the road’s construction. “You will have the whole sweep of the Rockies before you in all directions.” And you’ll see elk.

Watching Wildlife

I visited RMNP for the second time during the summer of 2013 with my fiancé Jack. From Estes Park, we drove up Trail Ridge Road into the alpine, stopping periodically to take photos of elk and other wildlife. As I ogled the rugged Rockies that welled up around us, Jack suddenly veered into a pullout. “Grab your camera!” he urged with excitement. A herd of cow elk with their calves was coming over a ridgeline. We clicked joyfully at the scene, then continued upward.

Before long, we parked again. This time we stayed in the car, which is normally the best place to watch wildlife. The animals are less likely to spook or become aggressive. This time a small group of bull elk, their antlers covered in velvet, the protective fuzzy tissue that provides the blood flow for antler growth, grazed placidly on the tundra. Two of the bulls playfully practiced sparring with each other, then pulled apart to nibble the low-growing plants. “They won’t be quite so friendly to each other in September,” observed Jack as he pulled back onto the road. 

Less than a mile later, we pulled over yet again, this time by a large patch of leftover snow from the previous winter. Several other young bulls sparred with each other, kicking up snow as their antlers briefly locked. We felt like proverbial flies on the wall, but in this case, it was a massive, windswept plateau. What a treat to witness such strong, regal creatures doing what they naturally do!

Horseback Riding in the Park

Jack and I are now married. We return to RMNP every couple of years to photograph wildlife, especially elk. Sometimes the weather is spectacular. Other times, it’s snowing. Regardless, having a peek into the elk world is always a memorable experience.

Our most recent trip into RMNP was just last spring. It was my first time entering the park from Grand Lake on the west side of park. It was also my first time driving the entire length of Trail Ridge Road. It was an unplanned opportunity. In the past, we had always used the east entrance and turned around near the Continental Divide to head back the way we had come.

In late May, we were guests at Arapaho Valley Ranch, a comfortable basecamp for mountain- and water-based outdoor adventures near Grand Lake. Trail Ridge Road was still closed for the winter when we arrived. We hadn’t planned to visit RMNP on this trip to Colorado. Instead, we packed our schedule with fly-fishing, boating on Grand Lake, hiking, and horseback riding.

To my surprise, I spent my afternoon on a horse in RMNP. The outfitter, Winding River Resort, was permitted to run trail rides in the park. It was the typical guest ranch ride, with eight pokey horses ambling nose to tail on a well-trodden path. Our route went through an area burned by wildfire in 2020. Though the forest floor was green, the blackened trunks of limbless trees surrounded us, some still standing and others fallen in a haphazard jumble.

“Hey, in the back! Get ready with your camera,” shouted our guide. “There’s a baby elk calf lying next to the trail.” I was on the horse at the back of the string. I readied my camera as I searched the spaces between the charred fallen timber. Click! I only had time for one shot as my horse passed by a newborn elk calf curled up in its log crib only inches from the path. It was nearly invisible, thanks to its spots and silky brown fur. Mother elk hide their newborns to feed or to evade predators. The calf, which is believed to have virtually no scent, instinctively knows to lie still. What a rare opportunity!

The next day we got word that Trail Ridge Road was open. For the first time, I had the chance to drive the entire length of it. Ironically, we didn’t see elk, but we did see mule deer, coyotes, and songbirds. The wildflowers at lower elevations colored the vistas with yellows, reds, and blues. Mother Nature never disappoints in RMNP. Perhaps that’s her way of inviting us back in the fall to hear the elk bugle again. 

For More Information

Rocky Mountain National Park:
nps.gov/romo

Arapaho Valley Ranch
(lodging near Grand Lake):
arapahovalleyranch.com

Winding River Resort
(horseback riding in RMNP):
windingriverresort.com