You Earned It In Rocky Mountain NP!

Collecting trail tags is a rocky mountain tradition.
by Jamie Palmesano, Brownfield’s
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Nicolette Sowder once said, “Children deserve to grow and learn in a place, and alongside a force, that is as wild and alive as they are.” Wild and alive is a perfect description of Rocky Mountain National Park! There is almost nothing as precious as watching the little feet of a child hike these rugged Rocky Mountain trails, outfitted with a tiny backpack, a cute ball cap, cool sunglasses, and their special water bottle.

They skip and jump, climb on rocks, talk incessantly, look for treasures, and remind us of true childhood wonder. The trails of Rocky Mountain National Park are filled with children of all ages experiencing the joy of nature and a sense of adventure. Though the journey itself is satisfying, there is something powerful about a small incentive to help those little legs reach the destination. The reward is called Trail Tags.

In 1972, Lyle and Marge from Lincoln, Nebraska, founded the company called LYMA and began creating Trail Tags, which are commemorative patches, to give hikers the perfect souvenir. Out of a sincere love for hiking the Rockies, they started a business to give hikers a literal badge of honor. Trail Tags are high quality, custom designed, hand-sewn embroidered patches for popular hiking trails. Each patch features a special graphic as well as a border color that signifies the distance of the hike.

Lyle and Marge fell in love with Estes Park and became passionate about hiking.  They believed hiking was a great way to create life long memories for yourself, your family and friends. The Trail Tags gained in popularity over the years. In the 1990’s, they sold their business to Mary Conway who continued the tradition. In 2005, Brian and Mary Shaw moved from California to Nebraska and bought the business. They have been hiking the trails of RMNP ever since and have brought many new Trail Tags to the collection.

The Shaws have updated numerous tags as well as continually added new destinations based upon customer feedback and requests. Mary said, “We love reading emails from customers who have been buying tags for years and are now passing down that tradition to their kids.”

Earning Trail Tags for Rocky Mountain National Park and surrounding destinations has become quite a hobby for many people. One local mom has used Trail Tags as a great incentive to get her little hikers on big hikes. Laura Reese grew up earning Trail Tags sporadically when they vacationed to Estes Park and wanted to make sure her kids got a Trail Tag for each hike they completed.

Their family became serious about earning and collecting Trail Tags when they moved to Estes Park six years ago. The kids love the colors around the edges of the tags to indicate the length of the trail.  The Reese family has pretty strict rules about earning Trail Tags. Laura said, “In our family, to earn a Trail Tag, you have to walk to the destination and back on your own two feet. You can hold a parent’s hand, take as many “breathers” as you want, and fuel yourself on lollipops, but you can’t be carried.”

With the incentive of badges, these kids have become great little hikers.  “Our oldest two kids did Flattop and Hallett at the ages of six and eight, which is almost a 10-mile round trip hike. The longest hike our now 6-year-old has done was Sandbeach Lake, which is almost 9 miles round trip. Our youngest just turned 2, and her longest hike was Alberta Falls, which is 1.6 miles round trip. Our oldest two hope to earn their first gold Trail Tag this summer,” said Reese.

Ways for displaying trail tags is almost as diverse as the hikes themselves. For the Reese family, each kid has his or her own bulletin board. Eventually, Reese hopes to sew them on a Rocky Mountain National Park Pendleton blanket for each child so they become a keepsake that is not outgrown. From bulletin boards, to backpacks, to bucket hats, jackets, picture frames, and pillows, countless people proudly display their Trail Tags.

There is a lot that goes into planning hiking adventures, especially with little ones, so earning a patch is a reward for the whole family.  Good shoes are necessary to keep kids safe while hiking. Camelbak backpacks or fun water bottles are a great way to encourage good hydration. Sunscreen and lip balm are essential in these Rocky Mountains. Bug spray is recommended, especially if a lake is your destination. A ball cap or bucket hat and jacket are always a great idea, as weather can change rapidly in the mountains. Be sure to be weather wise, always checking the forecast and finishing a hike before the threat of a storm. Keep in mind, the temperatures drop as you increase in elevation. This is known as the lapse rate, and you can expect an average of 3.5 degrees drop in temperature for every 1,000 feet of elevation gained.

Collecting Trail Tags isn’t just for kids, though. Adults love the challenge as well.  Charlie Garcia became passionate about earning Trail Tags at the age of 22 when he started working at the YMCA of the Rockies. Today, Charlie has earned 113 of the 124 currently available.  Just last week, Charlie walked into Brownfield’s with a big smile on his face and headed straight for the Trail Tag wall.  He completed the last of the blue and gold hikes, which of course, are the most strenuous. When asked, Charlie said the Trail Tag that was the hardest to earn was by far “Mummy Kill.” In order to earn the Mummy Kill patch, the hiker traverses six peaks in the Mummy Range, which is roughly 16 miles and over 5,600 feet of elevation gain.
 
Trail Tags range in price from $1.00 - $2.00 each, depending on where you purchase them. There are numerous establishments selling these wonderful RMNP souvenirs throughout Estes Park and Grand Lake. If you want to start a fun tradition for your family, consider collecting Trail Tags. They are a small, inexpensive way to tell a big story about your Rocky Mountain adventures.  Happy hiking!

​You can purchase RMNP Trail Tags from these retailers:
Brownfield's, Estes Park Mountain Shop, Kirk's Fly Shop, Estes Village, Never Summer Mtn Products, Outdoor World, Rams Horn Village, Scot's Sporting Goods, Village Store, and YMCA of the Rockies.

Trail Tag Display Ideas:
https://shopbrownfields.com/pages/trail-tag-ideas