Fall River Road

Fall River Road connects the Fall River Entrance, also near Estes Park, to Trail Ridge Road. Old Fall River Road also begins off of this road. 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.

Mile 0 – Fall River Entrance

The road enters the park past the Fall River Entrance Sign at the Fall River Entrance Station. The park entrance fee must be paid or a valid pass shown.

Mile 0.1 – Aspenglen Campground

The road immediately passes by the Aspenglen Campground. As with all campgrounds in Rocky Mountain, this is an extremely popular place to stay. For more information, see Rocky Mountain Camping.

Mile 1.8 – Sheep Lakes

The Sheep Lakes area is on the left. This is a great place for wildlife viewing, particularly elk and bighorn sheep. For this reason the area is often closed and you are not allowed to leave the road during these times.

Mile 2.2 – Old Fall River Road

Old Fall River Road heads off to the right. This road is paved the first couple of miles, and then turns to gravel as it climbs very steeply to the Alpine Visitor Center. This road is not recommended for low-clearance vehicles, and is only open early July through September.

Before the pavement ends is the beautiful Alluvial Fan area, which includes Horseshoe Falls, shown here. NOTE: This area was heavily damaged by the September 2013 floods and no longer looks like the photos on our site.

Mile 3.2 – Horseshoe Park

A small parking area is on the left for an overlook of the Horseshoe Park area.

Mile 4.0 – Trail Ridge Road

The Fall River Road ends at its intersection with Trail Ridge Road.