Farther to the west, two of the most popular photo destinations are found at Rainbow Curve (10,875 feet) and the tundra protection area of Forest Canyon (11,758 feet). Next up, Hidden Valley (9,325 feet) has a visitor center that is now open year round and attracts both downhill and cross-country skiers. Traveling from east to west, Deer Ridge Junction (8,978 feet), at the eastern portal, offers access to hiking trails with views of Longs Peak, Moraine Park Valley, and the Mummy Range. There are several notable photo and recreational opportunities along the road. Finally, Trail Ridge was designed to incorporate frequent pullouts and parking areas as it winds over Milner Pass. Unlike the one-way Fall River Road, Trail Ridge Road facilitates two-way travel. Impressively, Trail Ridge Road scales the Continental Divide at Milner Pass without ever exceeding grades of 7 percent, roughly half as steep as the steepest grade on Fall River Road. Now part of US Highway 34, the road offers motorists sweeping views of the Mummy Range to the north, the Front Range peaks to the south, and the Never Summer Mountains to the west. Many cyclists test their stamina on Trail Ridge Road, reveling in the challenge of pedaling one of the world’s foremost mountain roads.ĭesignated as an All-American Road by the US secretary of transportation in 1996, Trail Ridge Road is an American Byway, one of eleven such roads in Colorado.

Wildflower blooms from late May through the early summer draw a host of nature enthusiasts, as do the elk herds that come annually to mate in the area in September and October. Stretches of road can be covered by up to twenty-five feet of snow in winter months, especially on the wetter western half, where sudden blizzards are typical. Trail Ridge Road boasts eleven miles of road above 11,000 feet, as well as four miles topping out at more than 12,000 feet. Final touches, including paving and rock work in the higher-elevation portions of the road, would continue for the next several years. Lawler of Butte, Montana, completed the western half of the road by connecting through to Grand Lake (8,369 feet). In 1932 Colt completed his stretch of road, spanning just over seventeen miles, between Deer Ridge (8,937 feet) and Fall River Pass (11,794 feet). Construction on the eastern portion was overseen by C. A. Lafferty oversaw general construction of Trail Ridge Road, but the road was actually built in two sections, each by a different contractor. More typical winter weather in the following years dampened such expectations.

Construction of the road provided steady employment in the region for several years, insulating the area from the harshest effects of the Great Depression.Ī relatively mild winter in 1929–30 increased expectations among the public and park officials that the road would be completed ahead of schedule. Congress appropriated $450,000 for Trail Ridge Road in April 1928, and construction began in 1929. Wanting to provide the public with a safer and more enjoyable way to drive through the park, engineers from the US Bureau of Public Roads chose a route that emphasizes the area’s stunning beauty. However, the narrow, one-way road was not paved, suffered from numerous snow slides and deep snow, and had only limited access to scenic overlooks. Fall River Road opened in 1920 as one of the first auto routes in Rocky Mountain National Park. Building Trail Ridge RoadĬonstruction of Trail Ridge Road was motivated by the shortcomings of Fall River Road. Hailed by the Rocky Mountain News as a “scenic wonder road of the world,” Trail Ridge Road continues to draw millions of visitors annually during its open season from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. Trail Ridge Road reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet, making it the highest continuous paved road in the United States. Planned and built from about 1929 to 1938, the road provided a safer route across the Continental Divide for the park’s growing number of visitors. Trail Ridge Road snakes roughly fifty miles across Rocky Mountain National Park, from Estes Park to Grand Lake.

Open roads to estes park