A Weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park with TAPS

From Friday, July 19th to Sunday, July 21st, the National Park Trust, National Park Service, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and USAA partnered to bring 26 survivors to Rocky Mountain National Park for a weekend of camping, hiking, and connection in nature. National Park Trust and TAPS have formed a meaningful partnership that creates healing outdoor experiences for families who have lost a loved one due to military service. These experiences offer a chance to revitalize their outlook on life and connect with their local communities by getting outside, being active, and having fun.

Camping at Glacier Basin Campground, participants met and shared their experiences of grieving and healing with fellow community members around the evening campfire, quickly developing friendships and connections that will last long after the trip.

The group took a guided NPS bus tour of the park on Saturday, complete with hikes at Hidden Valley and Alpine Meadows visitor centers. The group enjoyed magnificent overlooks and being sworn in as Junior Rangers, earning a badge and handshake in the process!

After the tour, the group took time to reflect and remember loved ones while on a silent, meditative hike to Sprague Lake, where two moose were spotted feeding on the lake’s vegetation and cooling down in the glacial melt water. 

This event at Rocky Mountain National Park is the fourth of five events at national park sites, taking place in 2024. The four other event locations were Sequoia National Park in California, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.