Stormy Weather Closes Trail Ridge Road 2 Days After Opening For Season
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (CBS4) -- After opening for the season on Friday, Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park closed again on Sunday due to stormy weather and poor visibility. The road remained closed on Monday and Tuesday.
"Trail Ridge Road remains closed at Rainbow Curve on the East side and at the Colorado River Trailhead on the West side," park officials tweeted Monday. "Plows are out working on the roads."
Park visitors are encouraged to call the park's Trail Ridge Road recorded phone line at (970) 586-1222 to check the status. When open, a timed entry permit is required to travel on Trail Ridge Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. No reservations are required on Trail Ridge Road outside of that time period.
There are two types of reservations available. One permit is for the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which includes the entire corridor and access to the rest of the park. This reservation period is from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. The second permit is for the rest of Rocky Mountain National Park, excluding the Bear Lake Road corridor, and includes Trail Ridge Road. This reservation period is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Permits issued using the reservation system will allow park visitors to enter the park within two-hour windows of availability.
To learn more, visit: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm
Trail Ridge Road historically opens on Memorial Day weekend; last year the road opened on June 3, due to a late May snowstorm.
Trail Ridge Road did not reopen after October 21, 2020, when the East Troublesome Fire ran 18 miles in one day, jumping 1.5 miles of tundra on the Continental Divide and causing major evacuations in the Estes Park community. After the fire, a major snowstorm caused the road to be closed for the season.
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.