Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail Ridge Road

A summer crossing above the trees, reaching 12,183 feet between Estes Park and Grand Lake.

00 ratings

Open full route Directions to start Open bicycle directions

Photo: Unsplash CC0 archive · Wikimedia Commons

Distance48 miles

Wheel time2 hr

Road demandHigh attention

ShapePoint to point

Why this road

The drive in one breath.

The landscape compresses from pine forest to open alpine tundra in less than an hour. Weather can change even faster, and the exposed high road rewards an early, flexible start.

Route outline

Estes Park, CO to Grand Lake, CO

Directions to start

Estes Park, CO

Start

Many Parks Curve

A broad look back toward the Front Range.

Forest Canyon Overlook

A short path to a deep valley view below the tundra.

Alpine Visitor Center

The highest visitor center in the National Park Service.

Grand Lake, CO

Finish

Built with no more than three route anchors so the Google Maps handoff works reliably on mobile.

When to go

Good light and low traffic are not the same thing.

Best views

Morning before afternoon storms

Normally open late May into fall, weather permitting.

Quietest window

Weekdays at first light

Timed entry may apply; visitor center parking fills early.

Worth pulling over for

3 stops, chosen on purpose.

Many Parks Curve

A broad look back toward the Front Range.

Forest Canyon Overlook

A short path to a deep valley view below the tundra.

Alpine Visitor Center

The highest visitor center in the National Park Service.

Community road notes

What the drive felt like lately.

0.0 0 ratings

Loading road notes…