Sizable snow-removal equipment renders both the Alpine Visitor Center and the Trail Ridge Store closed to pedestrians and their vehicles during winter. In 2021, Trail Ridge Road officially closed for the season on Oct. Pedestrians and bicyclists are still able to travel on the road. The earliest it has opened was May 7, 2002, and the latest was June 26, 1943. Since 1999, Trail Ridge Road has opened after Memorial Day six times. The last time it opened late was in 2017. The road is closed each fall-historically sometime in October-because of the difficulty of maintaining a safe path. The delayed opening of Trail Ridge Road is not uncommon, according to Patterson.

Rising more than 12,000 feet at its tallest point, Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous highway in the U.S. On May 14, 2015, the eastbound plow met the westbound plow on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. The road typically opens on or around Memorial Day. The road’s earliest opening ever occurred on May 7, 2002. In 2012, after a memorably snow-filled winter, the road had a late opening on June 6. In 2017, it opened Wednesday, May 31, after late snowstorms dumped three feet of snow in the park in mid-May. The opening and closing of the road depends on the weather. Related Article: Drive Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park Spring Opening of Trail Ridge Road This message is updated with any changes in the road’s status and is available 24 hours per day. The road, which connects the west and east entrances of Rocky Mountain National Park, closes each year due to snow accumulation.Ĭall the park’s Trail Ridge Road recorded status line at 97 for current conditions. Trail Ridge Road is generally open and ready for travel from the end of May through October. Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the United States, climbs to 12,183 feet and connects the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake, Colo.

Trail ridge road opening 2019