History Of Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park has a rich history, dating back hundreds of years. Since Rocky Mountain National Park opened in 1915, its history has been inextricably linked with the history of Grand Lake, which was founded in 1881.

• In 1803, as part of the Louisiana Purchase, the United States government acquired most of the land that now makes up Rocky Mountain National Park.
• On January 26, 1915, Congress introduced Rocky Mountain National Park as the tenth national park in the United States. Today, there are 58 national parks.
• After the Rocky Mountain National Park Act was passed in 1915, the National Park Service went to work. Private land was purchased, and buildings, roads, and fences were removed. Today, Rocky Mountain National Park spans 265,769 acres, some of which were restored to look more "natural."
• During the Great Depression, as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, the Civilian Conservation Corps built trails, roads and buildings in Rocky Mountain National Park.
• In July 1932, Trail Ridge Road opened, after six years of construction.
• Because Grand Lake Cemetery opened in 1892 (before Rocky Mountain National Park was formed), it has the distinction of being the only active community cemetery inside a U.S. national park.
• Prior to 1978, when the Park Service relocated 24 moose from Wyoming, there were very few moose in Rocky Mountain National Park.

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