![]() ![]() ![]() Our starting point was from Estes Park, the Fall River entrance to ending at the Kawuneeche visitor center in Grand Lake. It takes between 2-4 hours depending on the number of stops you make. At this time, Trail Ridge Road is closed between the Colorado River Trailhead and Grand Lake Entrance to all uses.įor more information about Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206. Trail Ridge Road runs 48-miles crossing the continental divide at Milner’s Pass at an elevation of 12,183 feet. On December 1, both of these roads will revert to "winter trail status" which means that bicycles and leashed pets are no longer permitted beyond the closed gates but pedestrians are. That is as far as RMNP opens Trail Ridge Road to vehicles before the road is officially opened for the season. The Rainbow Curve Overlook is about 12 miles from the east side entrances. Cyclists and pet owners may utilize the roads at their own risk. Weather conditions permitting, Trail Ridge Road is sometimes open to the Rainbow Curve Overlook (10,829 ft.) by mid-May. In the last 15 years, Trail Ridge Road has opened on that Friday 7 times, opened after that Friday 5 times, opened on the Thursday before Memorial Day 2 times, and opened on during the historic drought. Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road will remain open to bicycles and leashed pets through November 30, re-opening on April 1, except during road maintenance operations and emergency closures as posted. The park aims to open Trail Ridge Road entirely by the Friday before Memorial Day. Old Fall River Road has also closed for the season. This year Trail Ridge Road opened on June 4. Trail Ridge Road normally opens the last week in May, weather permitting. Winter conditions of drifting snow, high winds and below freezing temperatures often occur above 10,000 feet. Trail Ridge Road was not designed to be an all season road, with 11 miles above 11,500 feet, few guard rails and no shoulders. Currently Trail Ridge Road is open to Many Parks Curve on the east side of the park and to the Grand Lake Entrance on the west side of the park, due to safety issues related to the East Troublesome Fire impacts along that lower western portion of Trail Ridge Road. Today, Tuesday, November 17, Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park officially closed for the season to through travel. They do allow links if you ask your question on the TripAdvisor Rocky Mountain National Park travel forum which is a better place to get helpful information.Contact: Kyle Patterson, Public Affairs Officer, 97 TripAdvisor does not allow links in these answers. Alpine Visitor Center and Trail Ridge Store are scheduled to open tomorrow, Saturday, May 29. Park staff will update the recorded line when/if the road status changes. I will send you that link in a private message. Park visitors should be prepared to adjust travel plans accordingly and are encouraged to call the park’s Trail Ridge Road recorded phone line at (970) 586-1222. However, this former route is still open today, offering a scenic drive from Estes Park toward Grand Lake, meeting back up with Trail Ridge Road at the Alpine Visitor Center. Would you want to be caught on these winding roads during a blizzard Yeah, me neither. When Trail Ridge Road was finished in 1933, it replaced the need for Old Fall River Road, the park’s previous only route across. ![]() While the Rocky Mountain National Park is open all year long, Trail Ridge Road is only open from May to October and is usually closed during the wintertime due to the harsh weather conditions. The Rocky Mountain Conservancy wrote a really nice blog for Visit Estes Park a couple of years ago about the best scenic drives in winter. The Trail Ridge Road is only open for a short time. You can even walk, snowshoe or cross country ski on the closed sections of Trail Ridge Road. Several side roads like Endovalley Road past the Alluvial Fan, Wild Basin Road to the Wild Basin Trailhead, Upper Beaver Meadows Road and Fern Lake Road to the summer trailhead are closed in winter but are great places to walk or snowshoe in the winter. All other main roads other than the dirt Old Fall River Road on the east side of RMNP are open year round. Recorded Trail Ridge Road status: (970) 586-1222. Even when Trail Ridge Road is closed for the season, the road is open as far as Many Parks Curve weather permitting. Rocky Mountain Conservancy Nature Stores are open at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, the Fall River Visitor Center, and Kawuneeche Visitor Center. The east side of RMNP has more roads and more areas to explore than just Trail Ridge Road. On the west side of RMNP, Trail Ridge Road is basically the only road into RMNP. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |