Trail Ridge Road Summit [Suggest Edits]

Description

This road is closed for winter (usually mid-October through late-May). Please check the road status website before embarking on a scenic drive.

Covering the 48-miles between Estes Park on the park's east side and Grand Lake on the west, Trail Ridge Road more than lives up to its advanced billing. Eleven miles of this highway travels above treeline, the elevation near 11,500 feet where the park's evergreen forests come to a halt. As it winds across the tundra's vastness to its high point at 12,183 feet elevation, Trail Ridge Road (U.S. 34) offers visitors thrilling views, wildlife sightings, and spectacular alpine wildflower exhibitions, all from the comfort of their car. More ambitious visitors to the park may decide to ride their bicycles to this gem!

This is a great way to have a unique experience while traveling from the park's more highly-visited east side to the less-visited (and Gem-filled) west side.

On the Road: Summer Only. Drive west on US 34 out of Estes Park, or east from Grand Lake.

Gem Type: Viewpoint