Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR · March 3, 1849] UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Stewart L. Udall, _Secretary_ NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Conrad L. Wirth, _Director_ _NATURAL HISTORY HANDBOOK NUMBER THREE_ This publication is one of a series of handbooks explaining the natural history of scenic and scientific areas in the National Park System administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. It is printed by the Government Printing Office and may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C., 20401 Price 35 cents ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK · COLORADO By Edwin C. Alberts [Illustration: Bighorn sheep] NATURAL HISTORY HANDBOOK SERIES NO. 3 _Washington, D.C., 1954 (Revised 1963)_ [Illustration: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE · DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR] NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Natural History Handbook Series No. 1. Olympic National Park No. 2. Badlands National Monument No. 3. Rocky Mountain National Park No. 4. Saguaro National Monument No. 5. Great Smokey Mountains National Park Administration Rocky Mountain National Park, established on January 26, 1915, and containing about 410 square miles, is administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The National Park System, of which this park is a unit, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, and historic heritage of the United States for the benefit and enjoyment of its people. A superintendent is in immediate charge of Rocky Mountain National Park, with headquarters in Estes Park village on the east side of the park. Address communications to the Superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park, Box 1086, Estes Park, Colo. America’s Natural Resources Created in 1849, the Department of the Interior—America’s Department of Natural Resources—is concerned with the management, conservation, and development of the Nation’s water, wildlife, mineral, forest, and park and recreational resources. It also has major responsibilities for Indian and territorial affairs. As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department works to assure that nonrenewable resources are developed and used wisely, that park and recreational resources are conserved, and that renewable resources make their full contribution to the progress, prosperity, and security of the United States—now and in the future. Contents