Trail Ridge Road
Highest paved through road.
Frank Schulenburg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · DXR — CC BY-SA 4.0 · DXR — CC BY-SA 4.0 · DXR — CC BY-SA 4.0 · DXR — CC BY-SA 4.0
Rocky Mountain National Park protects about 1,074 square kilometres of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in north-central Colorado, about 89 km in a straight line north-west of Denver, between the towns of Estes Park to the east and Grand Lake to the west. The Continental Divide runs through its centre, and the headwaters of the Colorado River rise in its north-west. The park was established in 1915 and is one of the highest in the country, with elevations from 2,396 m to 4,346 m at the summit of Longs Peak. Trail Ridge Road, built in the 1930s, is the highest continuously paved highway in the United States at 3,713 m, and in 1976 UNESCO named the park one of the first World Biosphere Reserves. The landscape climbs from pine forests and meadows such as Moraine Park, where elk graze, to treeless alpine tundra and snow-streaked peaks. Overlooks along Trail Ridge Road, such as Forest Canyon Overlook, look across deep valleys to the high summits, and alpine lakes and trails draw hikers in summer. Entry is paid, and from May to October most visitors also need a timed-entry reservation. Trail Ridge Road is usually closed by snow in winter, and the thin air at altitude tires you quickly, so drink plenty of water and take it slowly.
Highest paved through road.
Meadows and elk.
Above the tree line.
Front Range, north-central Colorado, United States
Yes, timed entry from May to October for most visitors.
Usually late spring to autumn; snow closes it in winter.