Just a Flooded Meadow

 

Just a flooded meadow near Grand Lake

This spot, tucked away near Grand Lake on the western side of Rocky Mountain National Park, doesn’t have a name—at least, not one that I know of. It’s just a quiet meadow, temporarily transformed into a shimmering expanse of water during the Spring runoff. Though Grand Lake itself has a fascinating story, one tied deeply to the water supply for the Front Range, this isn’t about Grand Lake. This is about a hidden place, one we might never have found if not for a chance encounter.

During the Summer of 2023, we were staying at an Airbnb when we met a preacher from Louisiana who was there with his family. I saw him working on his daughter’s car in the driveway, struck up a conversation, and before long, we got to talking about our time in the mountains. He pulled out his phone and showed me a picture of this meadow, taken just a few days before. Something about it caught my attention—the stillness, the way the water mirrored the sky, the way it felt like a secret only a few had stumbled upon.

Within the week, we made the drive across the Rockies, over the Continental Divide, and down the Western Slope. The hike itself was nothing—just about a mile past Adam’s Falls—but the moment we stepped into that flooded meadow, it felt like we had uncovered something special. No name, no grand story, just a fleeting, beautiful moment in a place that felt untouched, waiting to be found.

3 hours and 23 minutes from here