Near Estes Park in Larimer County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Ancient Paths, Ancient Peoples

— Rocky Mountain National Park —

Photographed by Connor Olson, August 25, 2020

1. Ancient Paths, Ancient Peoples Marker

Inscription. Whose feet walked here first? As you walk this trail, imagine walking with you are other visitors, very different from those you would see today. They carry all their necessary gear: tools, food, clothing, and shelter.

Rocky Mountain National Park has been home to Native Americans for at least 12,000 years. Hidden Valley was a travel corridor for them, leading to the high country.

Today, we find very little evidence to mark their passing. Stone projectiles or points, rock-walled game drives for hunting, and sacred places for worship are all that remain of these early visitors. The mountains still speak these peoples’ languages with peak names like Mount Wuh (Arapaho for grizzly bear) and Mount Neota (Arapaho for mountain sheep’s heart). Trail Ridge, visible above the forest here, is named for the ancient path which remains, still walked upon by today’s visitors.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 40° 23.595′ N,

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105° 39.438′ W. Marker is near Estes Park, Colorado, in Larimer County. It can be reached from Hidden Valley Road 0.4 miles west of Fall River Road (U.S. 34) when traveling west. Located on the Hidden Valley Trail about 115' west of parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Estes Park CO 80517, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Front Range.

It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Changing Times Bring Changing Uses (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Horseshoe Park (approx. 0.6 miles away); Rocky Mountain’s “Parks” (approx. 1.4 miles away); Animals in Flux (approx. 2.2 miles away); The Woodpecker Army (approx. 2.4 miles away); Roger Wolcott Toll (approx. 3.8 miles away); Trail Ridge Road at Rock Cut (approx. 4.2

Hidden Valley Trail image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Connor Olson, August 25, 2020

2. Hidden Valley Trail

miles away); Trail of Aspens (approx. 4½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Estes Park.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 8, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 7, 2020, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 405 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 7, 2020, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Wide shot of marker in context with surroundings. • Can you help?