![]() ![]() In some years, Trail Ridge Road is closed more than it is open from late September to mid-October. On the TripAdvisor Rocky Mountain National Park Travel Forum, local participants like myself keep a topic each year in the fall about the saga of Trail Ridge Road's unpredictable status. RMNP rangers also post updates on Twitter. The 24 hour Trail Ridge Road status line is 97. With that holiday falling on October 14 this year, I would not be surprised if rangers close the visitor center before that date. The Alpine Visitor Center along Trail Ridge Road is usually open through Columbus Day providing Trail Ridge Road is open. Once officially closed, Trail Ridge Road is open about 8 miles from the east side entrances to the Many Parks Curve Overlook and about 10 miles from the west side entrance to the Colorado River Trailhead. Trail Ridge Road is usually "actually" closed several days before rangers declare it "officially" closed. This road used to access the Rattlesnake trailhead, but now dead ends 7 miles. Temporary closings to the Alpine region occasionally occur in early June or late fall because of snow. ![]() A Timed Entry Permit is required to drive over Trail Ridge Road between 9am and 2pm from May 26 to Oct 22, 2023. These temporary closures can be for several hours, overnight to mid-morning or even for several days. This is a fine hike on a well maintained, albeit busy trail through a cool. It is open to vehicle traffic from around Memorial Day weekend until the Park Service closes it in the fall. Beginning as early as late September, Trail Ridge Road can be temporarily closed as a through road due to snow and ice at higher elevations. The closing of Trail Ridge Road is entirely weather dependent. Trails are open to registered Class II ATVs less. Over the last 10 years, the last date that you could drive all of Trail Ridge Road has been as early as October 4 and as late as November 13 (rare). The 1,800-acre Dancing Ridge Disabled Sportsperson Area is available year-round to disabled ATV operators. To get the road open, plow operators begin clearing the large masses of snow in mid-April, starting on both sides and meeting in the middle at the Alpine Visitor Center, located at 11,796 feet, which is the highest elevation for a visitor center within the National Park Service.The average last date that Trail Ridge Road is entirely open as a through road between Estes Park and Grand Lake is usually around October 20. Its earliest opening on record was May 7, 2022, while the latest was June 26, 1943, according to the park Trail Ridge Road, which connects the east and west sides of the national park and climbs to 12, 183 feet in elevation, historically opens on Memorial Day weekend. ![]() ![]() The Alpine Visitor Center will open on Saturday, and the Trail Ridge Store will have limited services over the holiday weekend, according to the release. Friday for the season, but advised visitors to be prepared for icy conditions due to the potential for melting snow to freeze, according to a release.Īt this point, the park does not plan to close Trail Ridge Road at night, but officials explained that the weather could change rapidly at higher elevations, so visitors should be prepared to adjust their travel plans if necessary. Rocky Mountain National Park announced Thursday that the road would open at 6 a.m. (Courtesy of Rocky Mountain National Park) The road will open to traffic Friday, while the visitor center will open on Saturday. Trail crews dig out the Alpine Visitor Center along Trail Ridge Road on May 23, 2023, a Tuesday. on Friday, and reserved timed entry permits will be required to enter the park. Trail Ridge Road will open for the season at 6 a.m. ![]()
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