Lawn Lake Flood
At 5:30 am on July 15, 1982, the Lawn Lake Dam, built in 1903, gave way.
Plan Around Lawn Lake Flood
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Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Lawn Lake Flood Details
At 5:30 am on July 15, 1982, the Lawn Lake Dam, built in 1903, gave way, releasing a 220-million-gallon flood that raced down the Roaring River. Alerted by a trash collector, park rangers were able to safely evacuate 200 campers at Aspenglen Campground. A little more than two hours after the initial dam failure, the surge of water caused the Cascade Lake Dam to collapse, producing another flood that killed two campers who had returned to the campground to retrieve their gear, thinking the danger had passed.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
Region
East Side
Nearby Parks Around Lawn Lake Flood
Compare nearby parks around Lawn Lake Flood when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Lawn Lake Flood
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Lawn Lake Flood while the map context is still fresh.
0.1 mi away
Alluvial Fan
The 1982 dam collapses inundated Horseshoe Park leaving a 42-acre alluvial fan of debris.
0.1 mi away
Alluvial Fan
The 1982 dam collapses inundated Horseshoe Park leaving a 42-acre alluvial fan of debris.
0.4 mi away
Creating a National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park was established on January 26, 1915.
0.6 mi away
West Horseshoe Park/Horseshoe Inn
Glaciers carved this valley and deposited the sands that became the meadows of West Horseshoe Park.
0.7 mi away
Elk Exclosures
A lack of natural predators has led the elk to overgraze the lower meadows and forests.
