Trail Ridge Road-Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

Coast to Coast, America has an incredible number of scenic drives. From dusty desert byways to rugged coastline highways, they make getting to your destination secondary, and certainly a lot more fun. Some drives, such as those located in National Parks, are destinations unto themselves. For those who don’t have the time or energy to actually explore a park, these roads offer an excellent overview of the area. Consisting of sinuous curves and scenic overlooks, the Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is without a doubt one of the most stunning park drives in the country.

Many of these roads, such as Trail Ridge, have their origins in Roosevelt’s New Deal; built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, these large and complicated projects were used to employ young men during the dark days of the depression. Constructed during the summer months between 1929 and 1932, the 48 mile Trail Ridge Road connected the east and west park entrances, allowing visitors to easily traverse the park. Climbing over 4000 feet, this “highway to the sky” made it possible to travel from meadow to tundra in a few short hours.

Over 80 years later the drive is still magnificent, and should be part of any park visit. If you are not camping in the park, stay at the Stanley Hotel. The impossibly charming historic hotel is only a few miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance, and was the inspiration for Steven King’s book The Shining. So, you should really stay there. Truthfully, Estes Park is little more than a crowded tourist town, but you can’t beat the location. Well, unless you are camping in the park, but camping isn’t for everyone.

In addition to being Trail Ridge Road’s starting point in the park, the Beaver Meadows Visitors Center is itself a destination. Completed in 1967, it was designed by Taliesin Associated Architects, a firm founded by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was one of their most significant projects after Wright’s death, and certainly bears many of the hallmarks of his design aesthetic. At 7840 feet elevation, it is one of the lowest points on the road; it’s literally all uphill from here. Well, at least until you reach 12,183 feet, the highest point on Trail Ridge Road. Make sure to dress in layers, or you absolutely won’t be getting out of the car. What’s comfortable at the base will be woefully inadequate in the alpine environment above.

One of the first major overlooks as you march up the mountain is Many Parks Curve. This is also as far west as you are going after mid-October, so plan your trip accordingly. At 9640 feet elevation, it offers sweeping views of both Long’s Peak and Deer Mountain, as well as several parks below (Estes, Beaver Meadow, Horseshoe).

Climbing another 1000 feet brings you to the Rainbow Curve overlook. From this point you have a sensational view of several surrounding peaks as well as the sub-alpine forests below. Anything above this point is considered an alpine environment. Take this opportunity to bundle up, because your next stop will not be as pleasant- at least not in the early summer.

The Forest Canyon Overlook at 11,716 feet still had significant snow cover on Memorial Day. The trail was clear however, and the views of the surrounding peaks were magnificent. Overlooking craggy peaks, deep valleys, and alpine lakes, this panoramic overlook is not to be missed. There is only a short walk involved, so it does tend to get a bit crowded. Conditions here can be harsh, so people tend not to linger long.

At 12,050 feet, the road travels through a solid rock window, accomplished by repeated blasting during construction. It is certainly one of the most dramatic and scenic stretches of the road.

At this point the road actually dips a bit at Iceberg Pass, before climbing once again to the Lava Cliffs stop. At this turnout, you have an excellent view of the eponymous cliffs, a wall of volcanic tuff formed from an eruption 29 million years ago. Molton ash traveled over 8 miles from the drearily named Never Summer Mountains to this location, where it finally cooled enough to hardened into solid rock.

You are now only a labored breath away from the highest point on the road, located at 12,183 feet. Far above the tree line, vegetation is non-existent, and feet of snow remained in late May. The Alpine Visitor’s Center was still completely consumed by snow, and storm clouds threatened to add more to the mix. This is a good point to turn around if you are not traveling the complete length of the road, although several notable curves and the Continental Divide lay west of this location.

While the road can become a bit congested at times, and the turnouts a bit crowded, the scenic vistas are well worth any inconvenience. If you are able, detour off the main road and explore some of the lower park areas, which offer pleasant hikes long before the higher altitudes thaw.

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