You can enter the park at the entrance station on US 34 or begin the tour off 34 shortly before Sheep Lakes. Turn onto the Endovalley road. The huge assembly of boulders the road crosses is a reminder of the 1982 Lawn Lake flood. A dam, built prior to the creation of the park, burst one July morning, releasing a flood that turned the Roaring River into a tree-ripping torrent and deposited boulders, mud, and debris as far as the main street of Estes Park.
Pull over at the alluvial fan trailhead and take a few minutes to stroll the short paved pathway over the debris—up to 44 feet [13.4 meters] thick—and observe how nature recovers: Young aspens and dozens of species of willows and grasses are claiming the area, as are a wide variety of birds and other animals. Walk back to your car along the trail, not the road.
As you drive on, note the scars on the aspens: Elk and other animals gnaw the bark, which then becomes infected with the black fungus you see; given enough damage, the aspens eventually die. Some observers cite the extent of aspen damage within the park as evidence that elk have reached or exceeded their population limit here. At Endovalley, continue on to the one-way Old Fall River Road with your self-guiding leaflet. Join Trail Ridge Road at Fall River Pass.
