Buckley Space Force Base Airmen and Families Backpack Into Rocky Mountain National Park
A three-day trek to Lake Verna brought Space Force families above 10,000 feet for a weekend of hiking, wildflowers, and conversation on the trail.
In June 2026, National Park Trust funded a backpacking trip into the backcountry of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, for a group from Buckley Space Force Base. The three-day outing was led by Jenna Levy, the base’s Outdoor Recreation Programmer. The group was made up of active-duty members, veterans, and spouses.
The adventure kicked off with 7 miles of steady elevation gain before the group reached their campsite near Lake Verna, situated just above 10,000 feet on the west side of the park. After a quick dinner, the tired hikers turned in for the night.
On the second day, the group split. Half the crew opted for a layover day, settling into hammocks by the lake to rest. Levy set off with one of the trip’s military spouses for Fifth Lake, adding another 6 miles round trip and climbing to roughly 10,800 feet.
“The clouds rolled by while we chatted about everything from what it’s like for her to be a military spouse,” Levy said of the hike to Fifth Lake. “We admired the fields of wildflowers and steep granite cliffs surrounding the upper lake before heading down to find the rest of the group.” Because the trip fell on the weekend of the summer solstice, the group had a pleasantly long evening of daylight to enjoy back at camp before turning in.
The next day, the journey back brought its own trail talk. A rock formation the group had nicknamed their “cave,” where they had stopped for lunch on the way up, became a running joke: one hiker was convinced it was just around every bend, when it was, in fact, 5 miles down the trail. Once the group passed the cave on the way out, the finish line felt close.
“Once we passed our lunch cave, we knew we were home free, and the group genuinely raced the final .5 miles back to the car, knowing that the promise of a relaxing car ride and a bed lay ahead,” Levy said.
Between the climb to Lake Verna and the quiet hours by the water, the trip gave this group something hard to come by on base: unstructured time outdoors together. It’s the kind of experience National Park Trust’s Military Family Programs are built to create.
What Are National Park Trust’s Military Family Programs?
National Park Trust’s Military Family Programs connect service members, veterans, and their families to the parks, public lands, and waters they have helped protect. Outings like the Buckley Space Force Base trip to Rocky Mountain National Park give military families the chance to build community and experience the physical and mental benefits of time outdoors together.
In 2025 alone, National Park Trust partnered with military installations and military- focused nonprofits to connect over 1,200 individuals from 350 families through 50 outdoor outings nationwide.
Learn more about our Military Family Programs.
How Can You Support National Park Trust’s Military Family Programs?
National Park Trust believes parks have the power to bring people together. Your support helps fund outdoor experiences like this one, giving military families the chance to build lasting memories and connect with the lands they’ve served to protect.
Learn about ways to support our mission.
About National Park Trust
National Park Trust is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has protected national park land since 1983, acquiring missing pieces of our national parks and benefiting 58 national park sites nationwide. Our mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow.
Our youth education and family initiatives — Buddy Bison School Programs, College Ambassador Program, and Military Family Programs, along with National Kids to Parks Day — connect tens of thousands of people to the outdoors each year.
We believe public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed, and preserved by all, for current and future generations. Learn more at parktrust.org.
