Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park

About this drive

Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest continuously paved road in the United States, reaching 12,183 feet at its maximum point and staying above the treeline for about 11 miles. The road was completed in 1932 and replaced a former Ute and Arapaho trail across the Continental Divide, following a ridgeline that stayed above the deep valley snow while providing passage across the mountains for more of the year than the valley routes. The drive crosses from Estes Park on the eastern side to Grand Lake on the west, covering 48 miles through three distinct mountain ecosystems: montane forest below, subalpine forest in the middle zone, and the alpine tundra above the treeline. The tundra section is the most striking — a landscape of cushion plants, sedges, and exposed rock that functions similarly to an Arctic environment, with a growing season of less than 45 days. Elk are almost always visible from the road, particularly in the meadows near the valley floors at either end. The road is only fully open from late May through mid-October; snow can close the highest sections at any time of year. The Alpine Visitor Center near the road's high point explains the tundra ecology in a way that makes the drive more legible.

Stops along the way

• 📸 Alpine Visitor Center · Scenic Viewpoint

  The highest visitor center in the US National Park system, just below Fall River Pass.