North Park Meander

This 2 frame panorama features a view from Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge looking south down the Illinois River towards Rabbit Ears Range.

At one time the North Park basin was teaming with bison, which the Ute Indians would come in the summer to hunt. It was referred to as "Cow Lodge" and "Bull Pen." Today, it's still an incredibly wildlife rich intermountain glacial basin that is clearly one of the ecological treasures of Colorado (and one of the easiest places to see moose in the state).

From the US FWS ( http://www.fws.gov/arapaho/ ) :

In 1844, Lieutenant John F. Fremont traversed the park from Northgate to Willow Creek Pass and recorded the following in his journal:

"The valley narrowed as we ascended and presently divided into a gorge, through which the river passed as through a gate - a beautiful circular valley of 30 miles in diameter, walled in all around with snowy mountains, rich with water and grass, fringed with pine on the mountain sides below the snow, and a paradise to all grazing animals."

PanoPanoramaParkIntermountainGlacialBasinColoradoNorth ParkArapaho National Wildlife RefugeNWRLandscapeNatureSinuousRiverStreamIllinois RiverMountainsRockiesWaldenGouldRocky MountainsHDRTotal of 12 Frames Usedperfect panoramasVision GroupVision 100First QualitySpecLandscapeNikonD300Michael Menefee