Have you ever wondered which are the rocky mountain cities? As we all know, the United States of America has a diverse natural landscape. This country has everything present in different parts from mountains to beaches to forests.
One of such wonders of the beautiful natural landscapes is the rocky mountains. The Rocky Mountains are the largest mountain stretch in North America. It has a stretch of more than 3000 miles. Along with that, this mountain range is spread over six North American states.
Needless to say, this mountain range attracts thousands of mountain enthusiasts every year. These include hundreds of outdoor activity lovers, mountain bikers, skiers, and mountain lovers.
Although many people are aware of the rocky mountains, many people are unaware of the hidden rocky mountain cities. Well, many beautiful cities cover the range of the rocky mountains. You can also call them the sleepy mountain towns.
Keep reading the article to know the unique features of rocky mountains, what the rocky mountain cities are, and more.
Table of Contents
Which are the Rocky Mountain states
The Rocky Mountains are popularly known as the Rockies. This range is the main range or the backbone of western North America.
The rocky mountain elevation is around 4,401 meters or 14,440 feet. This mountain range covers around 265,807 acres or 415 square miles of land. Along with that, it covers 8 states of North America.
Let us look at what those states are before we get into the details of the rocky mountain cities. The states that the rocky mountains covers are:
- Montana
- Utah
- Colorado
- New Mexico
- Arizona
- Wyoming
- Nevada
- Idaho
The Rocky Mountains spread over eight states certainly hold many characteristics that people are unaware of. Let us thus have a look at some of the unique characteristics of the Rocky Mountains that you must know about.
What are the characteristics of the Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains have some unique facts and characteristics. Let us look at what those are before jumping to know the rocky mountains cities.
It hides a supervolcano within it
Did you know that there is a supervolcano hiding in the Rocky Mountains? That is right. A supervolcano is hiding beneath the Rockies present at the Yellowstone National Park. The name of the volcano is Yellowstone Caldera.
When and if you visit Yellowstone National Park, you will notice certain things because of the supervolcano. For one, the whole national park smells like phosphor. Secondly, there are many geysers.
But the good thing is that we would not have to go through the trouble of witnessing a supervolcano in our lifetime. That is because supervolcano occurs millions of years apart.
The Mountains are millions of years old
The Rocky Mountains were formed during the time of the Laramide orogeny. The Laramide orogeny is referred to the period when the mountains of Northern America were formed.
Hence, it is guessed that it was at this period that the Rocky Mountains were formed. Along with this range, some other mountains were also formed. They were the Black Mountains and the Laramie Mountains.
If we believe that the Rocky Mountains were formed during the Laramide orogeny period, then these are millions of years old. One could say that these are around 55 million to 80 million years of age. That sounds crazy, does it not?
These mountains have huge sand dunes
If you love dunes, you must visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park in North America. Thanks to the Rocky Mountains, North America has some huge dunes. You can visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park to witness these and even climb them.
There were many lakes in this valley that later dried up. What these lakes left behind was a lot of sand. Over tens of thousands of years, the wind transported these sands to create the sand dunes we see today.
You would be amazed to learn that some dunes are almost 750 metres in height. That surely is a wonder of nature that anyone would want to witness.
We are now aware of some of the unique features of the Rocky Mountains. Let us thus jump to some of the most beautiful rocky mountain cities and towns that are a must-visit.
Which are the most beautiful Rocky Mountain cities?
Here is a list of the must-visit rocky mountain cities and towns:
Taos, New Mexico
The town of Taos lies in the region of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico’s north-central part. You could say that the Sangre de Cristo Mountains is the subset of the Rocky Mountains. This town is located at an elevation of 6,969 ft and has a population of around 7,000 people.
The town of Taos ly a desert region. Along with that, it is also one of the best ski towns to go to, especially during the winters. Taos proudly flaunts four places for skiing; they are Angel Fire, Sipapu, Taos Ski Valley, and Red River.
Apart from this, there are also a couple of activities that you can do here during the winter season if you are not a fan of skiing. Some of these are snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and ice fishing, amongst others. Hence, if you are planning a trip to this beautiful town during the winter season, be prepared to face a lot of crowds.
This town is located just an hour and thirty minutes away from the state capital Sante Fe. Hence, reaching this place is no mess. Apart from just the beautiful landscapes, this town is also known for how it has preserved history and art.
Park City, Utah
Another beautiful town that flaunts the Rocky Mountains is Park City in the state of Utah. This gorgeous town is located at an elevation of 7,000 ft and has a population of more than 8,000 people.
Well, this town is quite proud of a couple of things. To begin with, the first thing is that this town flaunts two ski resorts.
They are the Park City Mountain Resort and the Deer Valley Resort. Both of these resorts hosted some major activities during the Winter Olympics in 2002. The United States Skii team belongs from this very town.
Secondly, the town of Utah hosts the biggest film festival in the nation. It is referred to as the Sundance Film Festival. Many fresh storytellers and listeners gather to share new ideas, voices, and perspectives at this film festival.
Estes Park, Colorado
When we talk about rocky mountains cities, Estes Park tops the list. That is certainly because this place has a lot of crazy things to offer to its visitors.
This town is located at an elevation of 7,522 feet and has a population of around 7,000 people. This town sits at the Rocky Mountain National Park’s eastern entrance. If you are traveling to this town from Denver, then this place would take you around an hour and thirty minutes to reach.
This town is huge and covers a total area of 5.9 square miles. It is a heaven for all the nature lovers out there, and thus it is certainly a must-visit. This town is located along the banks of the Big Thompson River.
Along with that, it offers a perfect view of Lake Estes and Olympus Dam. The whole town is wrapped under the hues of lush forest. This makes it one of the prime tourist attractions. People flock here to enjoy the views of the lakes, rivers, mountains, and forests.
Apart from just the natural beauty, there is also another spooky thing that attracts a large number of tourists here. That is the Sterling Hotel. This hotel has its name in the National Register of Historic Places. This hotel is rumored to be one of the most haunted hotels in the US.
The hotel grabbed more eyeballs when Stephen King wrote a book inspired by the hotel in 1977 called ‘The Shining.’ If you want to visit this hotel, it is about five miles away from the park.
Jackson, Wyoming
The town of Jackson sits at an elevation of 6,237 ft and has a population of over 11k people. There are a couple of reasons to visit this town.
First and foremost, it is one of the best spots for skiers. This town boasts three ski resorts. They are Grand Targhee Resort, Snow King Mountain Resort, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
Apart from that, the National Elk Refuge nests here. It is one of the largest elk shelters in the area. When you enter the town, you will encounter many arches made of elk antlers. That is one of the unique features of the city.
It just does not end here. This town also houses some famous parks in America. The Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Therefore, this town is a must-visit.
Bozeman, Montana
The town of Bozeman is located at an elevation of 4,820 ft and has a population of around 50,000 people. Bozeman is the fourth largest city in Montana. This city has the lowest elevation compared to the others and holds a higher population than the rest.
It attracts a large number of tourists during the winters. This is for the fact this city boasts many ski resorts. Apart from that, there are also a couple of museums and parks that you can visit when in this town.
It is one of the rare towns that has its international airport. It is also home to Montana State University, one of the best universities in the US.
Here is a fun fact: It is in rumors that Bozeman might host the Winter Olympics of 2026.
Where are the Rocky Mountains located on a map?
Listed above are some of the main rocky mountain cities that are too good to miss. Let us now look at the location of rocky mountains on US map.
On a physical map, rocky mountains cover 4,800 km or 3,000 miles. It stretches from British Columbia in the South, to Alberta in the north to New Mexico.
The Great Plains lies on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. On west Canada’s Coast Mountains and Interior Plateau and United State’s Basin and Range Province and Columbia Plateau.
Final Thoughts
The United States of America is home to a variety of natural beauties. From mountains and forests to beaches, you can think of everything in this place. Although many people are aware of most of the things, many people may not be aware of the best rocky mountain cities.
In this article, we have thus jotted down five of the best rocky mountain cities that are must-visit. These towns elevate the beauty of the Rocky Mountains in the best way possible. Apart from just the fact that these towns are home to a part of the Rocky Mountains, they all have features that make them unique.
Hence, it would be a loss to miss out on visiting these towns.
