The Roads of Rocky Mountain |
| The park's main road is Trail Ridge Road. It links the Beaver Meadows Entrance at Estes Park to the Grand Lake Entrance, a distance of 46 miles. Its route tops out above 12,000 feet, making it the highest continuous paved road in the United States. It provides the easiest access to alpine scenery in the national park system. Trail Ridge Road is closed by snow from approximately October to June. The Bear Lake Road leads south from Trail Ridge Road to Bear Lake, offering access to Glacier Basin and other areas along the way. Fall River Road connects the Fall River Entrance, also near Estes Park, to the Trail Ridge Road. Finally, Old Fall River Road is a road that begins paved, then becomes gravel as it leads steeply to the Alpine Visitor Center. It is closed by snow most of the year, and is usually open only early July to late September. |
(click map to open very large locator map of the sections below)
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Bear Lake Road | |
| Map Color | Yellow | |
| Start Point | Mile 0 - Trail Ridge Road Junction | |
| End Point | Mile 9.2 - Road End at Bear Lake | |
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Fall River Road | |
| Map Color | Green | |
| Start Point | Mile 0 - Fall River Entrance | |
| End Point | Mile 4.0 - Road end at Trail Ridge Road | |
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Trail Ridge Road Part 1 | |
| Map Color | Red | |
| Start Point | Mile 0 - Beaver Meadows Entrance | |
| End Point | Mile 22.0 - Alpine Visitor Center | |
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Trail Ridge Road Part 2 | |
| Map Color | Blue | |
| Start Point | Mile 22.1 - Alpine Visitor Center | |
| End Point | Mile 43.6 - Grand Lake Entrance | |
