Trail Ridge Road Reviews

Our multi-generational family,all 8 of us, squished into one car to make the schlep up Trail Ridge Road, so we could climb the Alpine Ridge Trail. Jaw dropping views of snow-capped mountains and impossibly-blue skies welcomed us at every turn, even the crazy S-turns (6, potentially nauseating turns!). The one thing we were all leery of and curious about was why are the road's side barriers just short, little, brick retaining walls and, only occasional?! The cliffside drops on the side of the road were enough to make any driver keep their hands firmly on the wheel and their eyes firmly on the road, NOT the beautiful scenery. The views and the bone-chilling, windy hike up to the Alpine Ridge Trail (see my attached pictures) made this road worth every mile.

Make sure you know about the timed entry permit system , be prepared to pay $30, and check for road closure ( depending on the time of year). We were visiting at the end of September so we had to be careful that the road was going to be open. It closed for a few hours the week before we arrived but we were blessed with unusually warm weather. We went to Beaver meadows entry station around 8:10am and it was a 10 minute wait to enter. The road is well paved and with good visibility it was not dangerous or concerning in any way. We were able to park at all the places we chose to stop although some were getting busy.
The views of the mountain ranges are beautiful but my favourite stop was the Tundra Community Trail near the Rock Cut. This short trail was difficult for me as I was feeling wobbly due to the altitude but I loved the bleak, exposed landscape. It was pretty chilly up there too! Bring warm clothes. Alpine Visitor Centre is a a great stop with good views, nice merchandise, a cafe, rest rooms etc. We reached the Colorado River Trailhead around 12:30pm where we had a picnic and a walk along the river before heading to GrandLake.

This was exhilarating! Everyone should experience the Rocky Mountain National Park, but try to stay longer than our schedule allowed. The scenery constantly changes. Driving from the bottom to the top takes you through several microclimates. There is plenty of wild life to be seen. There are plenty of tourists too & folks not respecting the landscape or possibly unable to read, that is sad. It is beautiful, breathtaking, & exhilarating, All at once....

This highway ( Highway 34) runs through the RMNP connecting the eastern and western sections (Estes Park and Grand Lake). This is a fabulous scenic route and is about 3 hours one-way. There are many view points (some with bathrooms) along the way and the Alpine Visitors Center is located along the route towards the western side. It is paved but has some hairpin turns. We took it in mid August and it was great. As of early November it is closed for the season which generally runs from Memorial Day to late September — pls check ahead.

My family visited here early October and drove Trail Ridge from Estes Park to Grand Lake. It's a 48 mile drive and well worth it, the scenery was breathtaking. We were there while the visitor centers were still open and with decent weather, it was about 30 degrees. We made our trip early in the am and the traffic was worse as we were leaving the park with a backup of about 2 miles. This is a beautiful park that takes you back in time and was well worth the trip. Unfortunately we didn't see any wildlife but there were plenty of Elk in Estes Park. Our trip took about 2 hours with plenty of stops and picture taking and just enjoying the scenery. I would not want to visit during the summer but this time of the year worked out well.

Gorgeous views! We were able to see a herd of elk grazing which was a definite highlight. When you can find a parking space, take it. Even though it was busy on July 4th, it was a great way to celebrate Independence Day. It will remain a much remembered and talked about July 4th.

Indescribable. Views that will take your breath away. A MUST SEE in the Rockies! Make sure you have warm clothes with you at all times of year as at that elevation and with the wind it gets chilly!! And make sure you have a good driver because the road winds and has BIG drop offs. But paved and maintained well. Not too be missed. You will see mountains like you can't elsewhere in the park.

We visited the Rocky Mountains in July during our National Parks summer road trip. We had stayed in Boulder and made the 45-50 minute drive to the park. We had a 10:00 am check in and there was no wait at the check in point. There are so many spots along the way to get out and enjoy the scenery. The views were absolutely amazing. If you are concerned about crowds or having to wait to get into the park, reserve your two hour timed entry permit with plenty of advance notice. That way you can get one of the early slots and get started on a beautiful day of driving or hiking without wasting time in line. Also tip - if you are driving the scenic drive FILL UP your vehicle! There is no where to fill up in the park. This should be an obvious thing to do, but we actually saw someone who had run out of gas at one on the higher elevation points. He was struggling to find any way to get someone to bring him gas or tow him down.

A scenic drive not to be missed. Absolutely stunning views. Easy drive high into the mountains. Build in some time because you will want to pull over a dozen times.

Playing in the snow in July? Seeing elk at 10,000 feet? Standing at the top of 12,000’ and seeing forever? This was just as I remembered it from 25 years ago as a kid. It was a great way to split our road trip home - and gave us lots of ideas to come back and check out again. The west entrance is beautiful and has so many things to do. We will return some day!

The road showed off the mountain range’s beauty wonderfully! There were also many places to pull off and admire the mountain’s stunning beauty. We even saw a couple of marmots in the wilderness!

What I thought was going to be just a "touristy" drive exceeded expectations, between the alpine views and wildlife sightings.
Trail Ridge Road is about 48 miles of US 34 between Kawuneeche Visitor Center to Fall River Visitor Center, driving across the mountain ridges above 11,000 feet to the top of the Rockies in alpine environments, as the highest paved road in Colorado.
I would allow a full day to do the drive plus the many places to stop along the way, we spent around 8 hours. In mid September the colors had just turned gold and weather felt amazing.
One interesting thing to observe along the drive is the wooden poles that mark the edge of the road the spring snowplowing (and the height of the poles show how deep the snow gets!).
We started from Grand Lake and did stops within the Kuwaneeche Valley. Coyote Valley trail was an easy 1 mile roundtrip easy flat trail that follows the beginning of the Colorado River, was very peaceful and enjoyable. Allow about 45 minutes. Holzwarth Trail was spectacular for us only because we got to spot moose in a nearby pond! Along with some marmots at the cabins at the end of the trail. Was another 1 mile roundtrip easy flat trail through the meadow, again allow about 45 minutes. [If you're looking for a GOOD hike on a second day in the valley area, check out the 11-mile Granite Falls hike from Green Mountain trailhead.]
Within the mountains, our favorite overlooks were Farview Curve and Many Parks Curve.
We also stopped at Rock Cut to do the 1 mile roundtrip trail at over 12,000 feet (aka the Tundra Communities trail) with amazing 360 views of the mountain range. Be careful and bring water and warmer clothes because of such a high altitude, but its worth it to walk among the peaks.
Another great stop for us was the Alpine Visitor Center. There are two great stores and bathrooms (along with apparently some food options). It's the highest point in the entire National Park system. There is an optional 1 mile roundtrip trail that goes to a nearby peak for more amazing views. I'd allow 1 hour total for checking out the stores and doing the trail hike.

This was an amazing drive to take and I recommend everyone do it. I think this was the highlight of our entire day. They have many places to stop and take pictures. I went with a tour and was thankful I didn’t have to drive.

Drove all the way across the park from Grand Lake to Estes Park. Recommend doing the full drive. Tons of pulloffs and visitor center at top was great.

Luckily, the road was less crowded than I expected. I started driving from Estes Park and exited via Grand Lake Entrance. The driving experience is fabulous. There are a lot of overlooks/pullouts where you can stop for overlooking the park and take decent photos. Some wild animals can be also spotted, mainly deers. The road was very well paved, and the space was enough so despite not being a great driver, I did not have any issue.

Very pretty drive up the mountain. Saw some beautiful mountain lakes and stopped at the tundra. Thought I’d see more animals, but maybe earlier in the season.

If you are fortunate enough to visit CO during the few months when Trail Ridge Rd is open...GO!!!! It is an absolute stunning drive with unmatched beauty of all things nature.

Nice paved road with various lookout points and short hikes. We drove to the Alpine Visitors Center via Fall River Road and did Huffers hike. We drove TRR back to Estes Park

Reading the reviews of driving on this road made us dubious about going to the Alpine Centre. Rangers said that if we drove on English country lanes we would be fine so we took their advice and spent some hours stopping off at various view points. In good weather it is a wide well maintained road with no more scary bits than driving in mountain areas of Europe. Definitely not to be missed.

This is the paved route to the Alpine Visitor’s Center and through the park. Views are breathtaking; however, due to high volume of visitors it was difficult to find parking at various overlooks and parking at the Alpine visitor’s center was impossible. Also, there is a lot of road construction now so plan time accordingly. Best advice is to go very early.

We never timed our trips to CO right in order to drive the pass of Trail Ridge Road, but we got it right in 2019! The road opened 2 weeks prior to our trip and did not disappoint! The road is a windy one, but breathtaking at all all turns. Elk were out in masses, snowbanks lined the non existant "shoulder" of the road. When I say snowbanks...I mean 8 feet plus of packed, carved, melting snow! To think that plow trucks navigate this windy road just amazes me! Be patient and have a half day to make this trip. Depending on traffic, it takes some time to summit, but is well worth the views and sense of accomplishment.

From the Alpine Visitor Center to Estes Park, we drove the Trail Ridge Road for the first time, after having taken the Old Fall River Road from Estes Park to the Alpine Visitor Center.
Some stops on the Trailridge Road are not signposted at all or only for a short time, so you should just head for any parking lot that catches your eye. Actually, there really is always something to see!
At the very end, we even saw a bathing moose! That was great!
The next day, we drove back to the RMNP and drove the Trailridge Road first from east to west and then back. 3x Trailridge Road sounds like a lot, but I could drive there 300 times, it's just so beautiful!
That day, we even saw a lot of deer, walking along the side of the road with a ranger.
My favorite viewpoint is perhaps the Rainbow Curve Overlook and/or the Forest Canyon Overlook.
However, you have to book a time slot in addition to the entrance fee if you want to enter the park before 2 p.m. I can only recommend this, because in the afternoon the Trailridge Road is completely crowded, so it's definitely worth starting early!

Truly great experience! Loved the drive. Made a day out of it. Great Mnt views and the bright yellow aspen trees were glorious. At the end of the day we saw several cars all heading towards one little direction so we followed and found a herd of elk! Wow!! Saw about 50 hanging out in a meadow and heard the males “bugle” call. Spectacular experience!

I've been visiting Estes Park and RMNP for over 50 years. I never miss taking a day to drive Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitors Center and sometimes over the divide to Granby and Grand Lake. Nature is abundant and the views are truly breathtaking. I've traveled many places around the world, yet the Rocky Mountains are surely one of the greatest reminders of nature's majesty. Pictures never do it justice, but I'll share a few anyway!

First of all, I am afraid of heights. We live in a very flat part of the country and I was terrified of driving Trail Ridge Road. Actually, my 23 year old daughter drove it with me trying to keep my fears to myself. It really wasn’t too bad. We both recommend driving it from east to west rather than vice versa as you are mainly on the inside lane closest to the mountains. There are lots of pull outs and a fair amount of bathrooms. The scenery is spectacular!!!! If you are also from an area at sea level, you might want to purchase a can of oxygen to take with you and be cautious of altitude sickness. At the Alpine Visitor’s Center at the top, they are very kind and helpful. The food at the cafe there is quite good and there is a wide variety of things to buy.

This was actually our least favorite part of RMNP. Don't get me wrong, the views were incredible and we loved watching the marmots at Forest Canyon Overlook, but the driving was terrifying. Have these people never heard of guard rails?

Also, when we arrived at the Alpine visitor's center at 9 am, the parking lot was full of people....all waiting for the visitor's center to open. It didn't open until 9:30 and the gift shop didn't open until 10. Both needed to be open earlier based on the number of cars in the lot.

I stayed in Estes Park to explore RMNP and my best friend and I drove TRR for our first day. You can enter the park for this without a reservation before 9am. We spent all day driving from Estes Park to Grand Lake and back again. We had an amazing time stopping at all of the pull offs. So many incredible sites to see and views to enjoy. We also bravely did the Ute pass trail off the side of the road. We weren't exactly prepared for hiking a tundra but it was a great experience nonetheless. The Alpine Visitors Center has a great gift shop and beautiful scenery but I could definitely feel the effects of the high altitude there. We did not walk the stairs as we were pretty wiped out from our 4 mile tundra hike.
As evening approaches the wildlife came out to say hi and we saw many elk, deer and a moose posing by a lake! Grand Lake was an interesting town but definitely not the highlight of our day.
The road was a bit scary at times but WELL WORTH the all day drive and exploration. Highly recommend!

This was the most terrifying drive of my life. After reading about it in a guidebook, I thought this would be a fun way to return to our hotel from the other side of RM National Park. The clouds began to blow in and there was ZERO visibility (like being in an airplane in the middle of clouds)..I had two little kids in the car and there were NO GUARD RAILS. It was June but the temperature dropped below freezing and there were snow flurries....no cell service and I feared we'd freeze to death if we just stopped, or get rear ended by whoever might come upon us from behind and not see us as we were socked in with the clouds. There should be warning signs on this road that it can be very dangerous and should not be attempted unless one has adequate gear to spend the night if visibility becomes an issue, and certainly no one with children in the vehicle should ever go on this road. I don't think I'll ever get over it. Still can't think about it without almost having a panic attack.

Be sure to include a drive across Trail Ridge Road in your plans to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. Both the kids and adults in our family loved it. Although you could probably make it end to end without stopping in less than two hours, plan on a minimum of 3-4. Besides pulling off to enjoy the many breathe taking over looks, get out of the car and explore. Tundra Communities Trail was one of our favorite stops. It's fairly short and family friendly with lots of wildlife along the way. We saw marmots, pikas, and ptarmigans. We also enjoyed the Holzwarth Historic Trail on the Grand Lake side. Again an easy hike and family friendly with preserved historic cabins, displays and "vintage" hands on games. My kids loved trying to rope the stick cow. Finally, be sure to stop at the Alpine Visitor Center. They have a great little lunch/snack bar with both grab and go and hot items like soup, chili, and hot dogs. Plus there's an amazing gift shop with a better and nicer selection than anything we saw in Estes Park and for about the same price. Travel tip, if you're military they offer a discount at both places.

We have driven this road several times in the summer months and you can't beat the views. The wildlife is abundant, especially elk, moose, chipmunks, deer and Big Horn Sheep. This past summer we stayed in Estes Park and was 3 minutes from the entrance to Rocky National Park so made many trips in the 4 days we stayed. Definitely worth the drive.

Breathtaking vistas! If you drive the entire way to the Grand Lake entrance you have to double back to entrances on the East side or it’s a 4 to 5 hour drive to get back to the Estes hotels.

The extent of Trail Ridge Road is amazing. I loved watching the changes in the vegetation as the elevation changed. I did not expect the park to be so large, so it was mind-blowing. The effects of last year's forest fires were seen first hand.

This drive is not easy. If you are a passenger who tends to carsickness, there are many twists and turns. If you are a driver OR passenger with a fear of heights, limit yourself to other areas of the park or wear your brown pants. Check the map before you plan your trip - the two entrances are about 2.5 hours apart. If you don't turn around inside the park, you will experience a very log unintended drive. to return to your desired finishing point.

Trail Ridge Drive is one of the highest paved roads in America. Sections of Colorado 50 and Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park are also about as high. For $80.00 you can buy an annual National Park pass and see amazing things.

Lots of spectacular views on this scenic drive. We did not have a timed entry, find this challenging but we were able to access the drive after the 2 p.m. deadline. Line up was a bit crazy but traffic flowed quite quickly once we got going. Lots of wildlife along the way, keep your eyes peeled, saw lots of elk and moose and deer. Winding road and need to be attentive especially at times of other drivers but wonderful.

Drove from Steamboat Springs to Estes Park through RMNP. The drive and stops for the spectacular views in the park took over six hours. First beautiful stop is Granby and Grand Lake. Then enter RMNP and witness all of nature's gifts. If you see a bunch of cars stopped at the side of the road it usually means some animal sighting or a good trail is nearby. Non-stop opportunities to get out and take the MOST beautiful pictures and see some wildlife you don't see every day. We saw elk, moose, and a herd of male bighorn sheep right off the side of the road. Be respectful of the animals and keep your distance. Stop at the Never Summer Mountains for jaw-dropping views. Stop at the Continental Divide to learn something interesting about our waterways. Wear layers as it can get chilly in the early morning or late afternoon hours. Take lots of pictures and enjoy the ride!

Cold and windy morning above tree line. Wind blew so hard it moved the car. When sun came up wind calmed down.

Gorgeous drive, lots of places to stop and reflect. Takes a couple of hours or more. Well worth the drive.

This was my second visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. I was here in 1982 also. Trail Ridge road is, at it's highest point, the third highest paved road in North America. Only Pikes Peak (2nd) and Mt. Evans (highest), both also in Colorado, are higher. I don'd think it is possible to drive through this park without seeing lots of wildlife. The highlight for me was seeing three full grown male Elk, sunning themselves on a hillside about a hundred fifty yards off the road. Of course, the mountain scenery in this park is second to none on a clear sunny day.

Despite the heavy Labor Day traffic, this drive from Estes Park was fantastic! Best example of high elevation, Rocky Mountain morphology. The views were breathtaking. Felt like we were on top of the world. We stopped at Alpine Visitor's Center and took the hike to the summit which was 12,005 feet elevation. The air was thin so we took breaks going to the top. Another bucket list item crossed off!

Just Go! Drive carefully. Don’t drive at night.
So much beauty to be seen.
Only bad point, the people who feel entitled to do what they want to ruin the nature, feeding animals even though 1 million signs tell you not to and why. Walking on fragile tundra eco systems so they can get a picture of them selves throwing snow. I hate people.

Stupendous beauty, but if you’re afraid of heights like I am, avoid at all costs. There are plenty of places to go in RMNP that are just as stunning, but you don’t have to worry about accidentally driving over a cliff. You go so high up that you can only see sky over the cliff and there’s no guard rail and hair pin turns.

If you’re not afraid of heights, this is just as stunning as the rest of the park.

When some of the reviewers say bypass Rocky Mountain Park because it’s too crowded, they are telling you to miss one of the highlights of Colorado. My timed entry was for 1 PM and I kept stopping for pictures because the scenery was so awesome. When I saw a number of cars stopped I looked down the hill and there were a number of bighorn sheep feeding. Then a young elk was feeding right beside the road oblivious to cars. Don’t miss this park and the drive along Trail Ridge Road because it really is something special!

Trail Ridge Road is magnificent! If it's open for the season, you will want to drive it. Drive careful, there are very few guard rails and it's a curvy road, but worth it.

Driving this road was gorgeous! The views you have are spectacular. Take the time to stop at the pull-outs for great vistas. The top of the road is not for the faint of heart—you are on top of a steep ridge with drop-offs. Just be aware and drive slowly!

This drive is spectacular. I will say, my youngest daughter had to practice looking up, not down in the areas with now shoulder! So much beauty!

Trail Ridge Road is a must-do when visiting RMNP. Our family has done the drive twice. As other reviews say, there are places where there are no guard rails and the drop is sheer. One member of our family has a fear of heights and was highly agitated. Just make sure the driver isn’t bothered by heights. The road is wide on both sides. Take your time and enjoy the spectacular views of the mountains and valleys. We saw two herds of elk, and other individual elk close to the road, so obey the speed limits. Alpine Visitor Center at the top is wonderful! Something to keep in mind is the elevation. We live in Colorado in the mile-high area. Some of us had a touch of elevation sickness at the top (lightheaded, headache, shortness of breath). But nothing major and absolutely worth it. The views are unforgettable!

Wow! Since I'm a senior I bought a national parks pass for life for about 80 bucks. Used the card to go through the south entrance rather than waiting in a long line for those buying tickets for the day. It's a very twisty turny drive but the road is nicely paved and will take you to the top where you are above tree line (about 12,000 feet altitude). There is a visitor's center and another shop for buying tons of souvenirs. There's also a food area where you can eat in the souvenir shop. Bathrooms are a walk across the parking lot. If you have the stamina, you can also go up the mountain on a trail that will take you to the very top. Remember that this can be a windy place and can get quite cool if not downright cold even in August and September. Plenty of elk to see but never approach an elk for any reason. It's illegal to feed them and if you get too close to one you may get stomped to death. These guys don't fool around.

We drove the road over the high pass. There are some great views. Stop at the Visitors center up top for a cup of hot chocolate. We saw lots of elk in the Moraine Park area on the east side of the park. We usually see lots of wildlife on the lower west side of the park in the early morning or late night hours.

This drive had stunning views. There are several pull offs that offer breath taking world class views. Also keep in mind that while you are taking in these views you are driving on the edge of a mountain with no guard rail and a long way down. If you can get past that part you'll love the ride! Make sure to dress in layers. When we entered the park it was in the low 70's, when we got to the top it started to flurry and temperature was in the 40's. A great experience, well worth the price of admission!

Wow...just wow!!!

We drove the Train Ridge Road from Estes Park to Grand Lake on a beautiful clear Thursday in September. We purchase the timed entry pass + Bear Lake access on August 1st for our September visit. The timed entry pass was $2 and the one day vehicle pass was $30. Our timed entry pass was for 12-2pm and the entry to the park was super easy. Our first stop was Beaver Meadows Visitors Center to grab a map (cell service is spotty in the park) before hopping on TRR.

Based on some reviews that said Bear Lake gets super crowded and parking is difficult, we opted to not drive there and instead stopped at Sprague Lake (you will still need the Bear Lake pass to access Sprague Lake). We walked around the lake (.75 miles) and had lunch at the many picnic tables by the parking lot. Parking was easy and it was a lovely stop. There are also bathrooms available. (It is worth noting that we went in September after school started so the crowds were probably very different than the summer months).

Along TRR, there are tons of spots to pull over and soak up the views. Our favorites were Many Parks Curve, Rainbow Curve, Forest Canyon Overlook, and Medicine Bow Curve.

The Alpine Visitor Center is close to the half way point of TRR. Sitting at 11,796 feet above sea level, it is the highest elevation visitor center in the National Park System so definitely worth the stop! There is a gift shop, cafe, and restrooms. Alpine Ridge Trail starts near the Visitor Center and consists of short but super steep hike that includes 225 stairs. At the top you will be standing at an elevation of 12,005 feet! We are in relatively good shape but it took a bit to reach the top since the air is so thin that it makes breathing extremely difficult. Also, the wind was so strong and cold it nearly knocked us off our feet! They sell canned oxygen at almost every convince store/gift shop around the park and being from Minneapolis with an elevation of about 800 feet, we bought a can and felt it gave us an extra boost to help with breathing.

We continued our drive from the Visitors Center to Grand Lake (IMO, that leg of the drive was a bit less spectacular). During our time in the park, we didn't stop for hiking (other than Sprague Lake) but did pull off at the many lookouts mentioned above. In total, we probably spent 5-6 hours in the park but it is so huge and based on your activity level, you could spend multiple days there.

Rocky Mountain National Park is truly a treasure and the TTR is the best way to see it!

Absolutely Beautiful and breathtaking views. From whichever way you come from the east or the west, you will not be disappointed. Take a hike on easy or hard trail, just drive to the Alpine visitor center at the top, or just drive for a bit and sit and take in the views from a pull out on the side of the road. Make sure you bring your camera, and make sure you have an extra memory card or two. Bear Lake trail head parking fills up very very quickly, there is a separate parking area with a shuttle bus over this also fills up very very quickly in the AM. If you go a little later in the later morning, early afternoon you are most likely find a spot to park even though the signs going to say bear lake trail head parking full.

Loved the drive through the RMNP. Saw LOTS of wildlife including a fox, a moose and it’s baby, lots of elk. Tip: if you see people parked on the side of the road looking in the same direction, stop! It’s probably a moose or some other wildlife. We were SO CLOSE to a moose. The park ranger said it was about a year old. It does get chilly when up in the mountains so bring a light jacket and lots of water. Altitude sickness can strike anyone regardless of how “fit” you are. You do pay to get in, but for seeing all the wildlife and the views, it’s well worth it.

This is an amazing drive through the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park. It tops out at about 12,000 feet, and there are a lot of steep drop-offs, so it could be a little harrowing if you're averse to heights.

The tundra is a wonderfully unique environment, and it was awesome to check it out on the short Tundra Communities Trail. There are a number of other stops you can make, including the Alpine Visitor Center.

An unforgettable drive!

We drove from Estes Park to Grand Lake, and then back again.

It was foggy at the top both coming and going, which was a bit surreal. And a bit scary!

We saw a large herd of elk on the tundra. We also saw a few marmots at one of the overviews.

This was a wonderful drive! The pictures included in these reviews show you the pure majesty of this park and the views of this drive. My review is mostly for those with fear of heights. I have been up pikes peak and also the northern pacific coast highway. I cried on those drives, but this is nothing close to that. There are a couple scary spots, but you can do this! The shoulders are pretty good and there are rocks and rails in other places. Do it!

Beautiful park! We had a blast! Saw tons of elk! I wish there were more restrooms and that more visitor centers were actually in the park itself, but it’s definitely a “must see”!

We entered the park from the Grand Lake Entrance on a mission to drive Old Fall River Road (which was closed when we got there). We drove as far as the Fall River Visitor Center. Of course, the road is scenic! There's many places to stop along the way to do a hike, see wildlife and gasp at the beautiful overlooks. There are more moose on the Grand Lake park side if that's what you are looking for. We saw loads of moose and elk each time we went into the park. This ride gives you a great overview of the entire park. Along with the park map, you can then determine which sites you want to explore further. As you drive through the Alpine Visitor Center area of the park, you'll definitely notice a chance in temperatures. We were there in July and it was windy and quite chilly due to the higher elevations. Beautiful to see.

Beautiful scenic drive. The road is paved and safe. There are plenty of pull-offs if you have someone behind you who would like to go faster than you are comfortable. Incredible views and observation areas. Make plenty of stops along the way to check out the views and acclimate to the altitude. We saw lots of little critters like pikas and marmots. It was super cute.
Remember, you need to reserve a time to enter the park and TRR is within the park. You can go in before 9 and after 6 without a reservation but in between you need a reservation. Plus you pay the fee for the park which is $25 for the day or $35 for the week. You can easily get the pass online but get them in advance. You cannot get them at the park entrance.
We drove from Estes Park to Grand Lake and it was stunning. I would do it again.

This is a true Colorado Mountain Experience. With hair pin turns and some steep drop offs once you get to the tundra, it is a driving adventure. You can take breaks in pull offs or at the Alpine Visitor Center. There's food, coffee and a huge gift store at Alpine. There are little hiking trains off the road to get that you that much higher. The views are stunning. Traffic can get bad on weekends so drive it earlier or later in the day in high season. The wildlife up at the top is amazing: marmots, elk, moose on west side, birds, deer pikas if you are lucky. The summer flowers are so sturdy, delicate and beautiful. Respect the tundra. Stay on the trails.

We did the trail in the morning before there was too much traffic on the road. We got as far as the Alpine centre, but the road was very open and there was a gale blowing, we couldn't even open the car doors, so we didn't go any further. Made me a bix anxious with the drop offs on the road, no barrier and the wind blowing the car about. Lovely views across the mountains. A few pull outs on the way up which are worth doing.

Let me start with the how you feel at the end of the drive first: nerves shot but also a big sense of accomplishment, and joy. I drove up pikes peak 10 years prior, which I recall being nervy at times, but also prior to 3 kids. On our (myself, wife, and 6,8,10 yr old) trip from Estes Park to the Alpine VC, there were views that I would consider absolute must sees. Which leads me to my point, if you consider yourself a good, tenured driver and can trust that this is simply keeping two hands on a wheel and going the speed limit, probably 5 mph below at the hairpin, no guardrail areas, which of there are only a few, then you will be just fine. Also, it is fun to describe the experience to family and friends. Just do it and have a cocktail later.

This is an amazing drive! We entered from the East side of RMNP and drove up to the Alpine Visitor Center and then on to Grand Lake and back. The views were amazing and we were able to see lots of elk as well as a lone moose in a field. There are LOTS of great photo ops all along the ride. This was a great final day activity for our vacation!!

We drove West to East, as we were driving from Steamboat Springs to Denver, it wasn't much out of our way, although it was off the beaten path.
We had driven up Mount Evans near Idaho Springs last week and started our trip with views that couldn't be beat, but this road was spectacular as well.
The traffic was light except midway where there was a lane closure. We did have a thunderstorm chasing us the whole ride, but it never quite caught us. My daughter enjoyed snapping pictures of the wildlife while I enjoyed the snow. We had a picnic at Hidden Valley and only did brief stops at pull outs along the way. There was one point where you could take a one way road (Old Fall River Road) and come out quite a distance from where it started, which meant an even longer repeat trip over the mountains, but we had a limited time frame.
We ended at Estes Park and went down Route 7, 72, and 119 into Boulder where we drove up the Flatiron Mountain, again being followed by a thunderstorm, and again, never getting wet.

This is an amazing park, with beautiful views! We did all driving, no hiking, and enjoyed the park for 2 days! We saw lots of animals in several different areas! We entered the first day thru the Kawuneeche Visitor Center and drove thru the park, enjoying beautiful scenery! The elk were at the Sheep Lake area! Then we exited thru theFall River Visitor Center. The next day we entered thru the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. The Bear Lake area was too busy....parking lot was full! We drove to Endovalley....saw a waterfall from the road in the rockslide area! Exited thru the Fall River Visitor Center....went into Estes Park, and out Hwy 7...by Lily Lake, then up to Longs Peak, and back into Estes Park! Beautiful scenery

My wife and I entered the road from the west side and went as far as the visitor's center, which is about half of the road. We did a few hikes early on, and then drove up to the top. It is a bit of a scary drive, with narrow roads, sharp switchbacks, no guardrails, and the temptation to look at the stunning views - but take it slow and there are plenty of places to stop and admire nature. An absolute must-do.

Where can you drive yourself to 12,183 ft. elevation ??? This is GOD's creation unadulterated (except noisy interference by self-centered me-me a-holes from amoung thousands of visitors) ! At this elevation one must marvel in creation and the Mountain Majesty before you ! Nothing in America can equal the experience of standing at the high point more than 2 miles above sea level at high point hike up Alpine Ridge Trail !! Take notice of how close you get to jet con-trails !! Rock Cut Tundra Communities is a high country education for the uninformed. Visitors who need to be informed and responsible for their actions in a protected environment and not plead ignorance ! This is a National Treasure --- respect and treat it appropriately !

Absolutely spectacular place with incredible views of the Rocky Mountains, wildlife, stunning meadows and lakes, alpine forest and mountain tundra. A must see for anyone who loves nature.

This was a beautiful drive. I didn't realize we would get to the top of the mountain. The view is absolutely breathe taking not only of this mountain but of the surrounding ones. Couldn't believe it when we reached the top and saw rocks that people were climbing up on.
The other great experience was that on the way up, we had stopped for a picture and an Elk came running up the road behing us and went into the woods. We got a great picture of it.

This is a great ride with spectacular scenery. We started at the Grand Lake end and exited at Estes Park, and left wishing we had more time.

We had no flexibility in our schedule and had to go on a Sunday in July, when the park was especially crowded. If you can avoid peak periods like this, you will save yourself some frustration. In our case, we experienced viewing areas clogged with cars, a visitor center where the rangers turned us (and many, many others) away because the parking lot was full, and a 45 minute bumper-to-bumper traffic jam caused by a very poorly managed spot where two lanes were choked down to one and cars going in opposite directions had to alternate use of that one lane (lousy job, construction crew!) But despite the annoyances, the ride was still well worth it.

The weather mostly held up okay for us, but be aware that on a rainy day visibility might be poor, and unfortunately the weather here can be unpredictable. Also, don't expect to buy food in the park; bring your own sandwiches because the is almost nothing available in the park.

As for wildlife, keep your eyes open and you will almost certainly see elk and other animals.

Very scenic, but at certain heights it was TOO scary for me to drive (especially when the edge of the road was minimal and a sheer drop). I had my wife drive that portion (she has no fear!) Besides that, it is a beautiful road leading through Rocky Mountain National Park, with gorgeous views.

Awesome views and tons of wildlife early in the morning with limited traffic. We drove from the west side to the east side. We are from Texas, and there are no hills or mountains. For us, especially my husband who was driving, he was white knuckled for five or so miles. We drove this to go from Grand Lake where we were staying to the Bear Lake area. While it was a little nerve wracking for me, but husband was so shook up we had to take the 3 hour return trip south back home. I’d like to try it again, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get my husband to. If you are used to driving mountain roads, you’ll probably be fine, but if it’s not something you are used to, and have a fear of heights, you may want to pass, or just be aware what you’re getting yourself into. Plan to go early, take your time and make multiple stops.

If you are afraid of heights, have someone else drive. I was nervous as a passenger, but it was manageable. There are lots of pull offs, so go slow and pull over if someone behind you wants to go faster. The views are mind-blowing. All of the overlooks are worth stopping at and we found that getting out of the car and walking around was a nice way to literally and metaphorically take a breath. The altitude is no joke so take your time. Even if you don’t get true altitude sickness, you will definitely feel different than at lower elevations. We were fortunate to not have any problems, but we definitely noticed that we were moving more slowly. Bring plenty of water (more than you think you need) and snacks. We found that trail mix and (weirdly) Honey Nut Cheerios really did the trick for us. We saw elk near the Fall River entrance, but no other wildlife. I wanted to see a marmot and we both wanted to see big horn sheep, but no luck. It by no means was a dealbreaker for enjoying the day, the animals would have been icing on the cake!

You rarely get to be above the tree line without hiking up there. this road is not for the faint of heart as it is windy and steep in sections with drop offs and no guard rails. This best part of this road is you can take some short hikes. We saw and heard some elk bugling and I heard a pika also.

This high-ridge road tops just over 12,000 feet in altitude, and offers incredible views. Here is a quick summary of what you need to know....

1. Go early. Be in the park by 7 am. All these pull-offs and parking lots will be overloaded by 10 am, and you may find it difficult to park, if you can at all, or be blocked in by those trying to jam their way into a lot. We got to stop at all the ones we wanted because of the early rise.

2. Weather. The mountain snows help make their own clouds, and winds, especially if it is west to east, will cause rain and lighting threats by afternoon and evening. Mornings are mostly clear. Take advantage of this by going early. Visitors centers do have weather information. NWS site for northeastern Colorado has a link to Rocky Mountain National Park forecast. Be ready for lows in the 30s, or 40s early, with winds possible.

3. Animals. They are active more in the mornings than later. Elk may park right beside the road. Look for marmots (sort of looks like a groundhog, or gopher) at the Forest Canyon overlook.

4. Take water and breath slowly if you start suffering from altitude sickness. Walk slowly to overlooks. Some curves have sharp drop-offs and no rails.

It's beautiful to see, but go early to get the most of it is my best advice.

I had a ton of questions before starting on to this trip but hand to gather all the info from multiple sources so hoping I can give a complete account here.

First of all, if you are looking forward to driving through the best of the best mountain trails then it doesn't get better than this. I have been a steady driver but must admit, I had never driven through hilly roads too much. I have no vertigo either so that helped but for me this drive turned out to be a sheer pleasurable experience and I would think that if you are a good driver with no experience in mountains, you could still go for it

Now the most important thing, the timed entry permit, its the new normal and definitely looks like is here to stay, fortunately enough we knew about it and over a week before booked a slot for 4-6 pm slot ( only spot available at that time), I don't really think its a good time to enter because the weather gets worse towards afternoons moreover it would give you little time to see this awesome gift of nature. So the trick is try at exactly 5 pm, the day before when you want to go and get a $2 pass for any of the early morning slots, 7-9 is most popular followed by 5-7, we got a 7-9 and they all finished in 4 minutes for a weekday. Yes, that's how popular they already are and that is because it is the only way you get to enter the park, period. The national park passes are different and even if you have a season pass for all NPs, that wouldn't let you in.

Next the trail itself is a big enigma, especially about when is it closed, when open how much snow to expect, is driving in there reasonable. Well all valid questions as the answers vary. The park typically opens towards the end of may but this year it opened and was closed for 2 days before it opened again on 2nd June when we went. The roads are great, paved and safe, of course, they are in high altitude so there are crests and troughs. Do check in the nps website about the latest although you can expect to be surprised pleasantly or otherwise, we started thinking it was closed but they opened it up in the afternoon. We also found good amount of snow up there but none on the roads for sure. We also spotted a ton of wildlife like mouse, mountain goats, Elks, wild deers and several birds.

You can go all the way to the Alpine visitor center for a stop for pictures with several other parking spots along the way to get great photographs. We followed the path all the way to Grand lake for over 20 miles to complete the whole loop but many people returned back from Alpine as from Grand lakes you either come back to estes park in the same route back or take a longer route to get back to estes park or Boulder based on where you are staying.

In a nutshell, don't miss this if you are here but do plan ahead to make the most of the drive. It is even better on weekdays if you are crowd averse.

We did the whole trip, took us about 7 hours with a lot of stops for short walks and picture taking. What a stunning place to be. Took our breath away ... literally because of the elevation . Can highly recommend this tour .

It is all a matter of personal opinion, of course, but I've driven the Blue Ridge Parkway and Lake Shore Drive in Chicago and the 17-mile Drive in California and the Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys, all of which are regarded as being more scenic than Trail Ridge Road in Colorado. I don't agree. Decide for yourself. Trail Ridge Road, also known as Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway, is a stretch of U.S. Highway 34 that traverses Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park in the east to Grand Lake in the west. It is America's highest continuously paved road with overlooks that offer spectacular views of mountain peaks ranging from 12,000 to over 14,000 feet and the highest paved road in Colorado that crosses the Continental Divide at 12,183 feet near Fall River Pass. Trail Ridge Road, which is 48 miles long, was opened in 1932 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. We started at the Fall River entrance west of the popular tourist town of Estes Park. Marvel at Longs Peak, Pagoda Peak, Chief's Head and Mount Terra Tomah. Stop at the Alpine Visitor Center near the highest point on the road and the Kawuneeche Visitor Center at the park's west entrance in Grand Lake. Be on the alert for changes in weather conditions. We have encountered snow in July. Remember, 11 miles of the route are above the tree line in the alpine tundra. Trail Ridge Road is closed during the winter and often remains closed until late spring or early summer.

We drove from Grand Lake to Estes Park on September 1, 2020 and back again. It was a beautiful day. Make sure you take a warm jacket and even a wool hat as it can be cold and windy on top. Plenty of places to pull off and take in the views. Lots of bathrooms along the way. You also must make reservations for a Timed Entry Pass through Government.gov - find Rocky Mountain Park and get a pass! You won't be able to drive the road without it during Covid. Beautiful drive - well worth the trip. Well maintained road. Take your time and you will enjoy. We spent 8 hours going both ways, stopping along the way for views and short view hikes and spending 1.5 hours in Estes Park.

This is an amazing trail. When cloudy or stormy however visibility is almost nonexistent! Also we thought reservations were a must. The only time slot was 4pm so we waited. We later found out by park staff we could have came before 9am and not needed a reservation. Also we were able to get into the park earlier than our time just could not go into bear lake until our time slot!

Obviously this road is going to need maintenance, so I wasn't shocked to find them resurfacing after the summer rush. We did experience delays, but nothing too bad. I mean, who cares... roll the windows down and relax- you can't beat the view.

This is the second time I have taken the Trail Ridge Road in 3 years and I was just as impressed as the first time.

Worth the drive. I wish we had gone earlier in the day but midday is early with teenagers! The roads were in good shape. Stopped for lunch beforehand at hidden valley.

This is a beautiful drive from Estes Park to Grand Lake. There are many scenic stops with explanations of what you are looking at. Going above treeline is fun. There is usually snow along the road year round.

The drive is a little intimidating, but it's worth it. Don't rush through it. Stop at the overlooks. Especially the Forest Canyon overlook and the Alpine Visitor Center.

We were there in July 2019 and there was still a ton of snow! I thought nothing could beat the drive up Pikes Peak, but this is so much better. We will definitely be back.

you can see moose, mountain goats, elk, marmot and pika. Take your time. You can drive through in a day, stop at the alpine visitors center for some food. The chili is great. Then run to the top of Long's Peak for a great photo opportunity (and go buy the shirt).

Ignore the reviews that say it is a scary drive and enjoy the views. Just drove the road from Estes Park to Grand Lake and contrary to all the reviews saying it is the scariest drive, the drive itself is not scary at least not during the daytime. At no point was I any more scared to drive this than any other mountain road. It is like most mountain roads in that if you were to drive off the edge it would not be a good time. However, if you are paying attention and driving at or near the speed limit it is very safe. I read that the road grade never exceeds five percent so it is an overall easy drive to handle.

This road will basically lead you all the way through out the park from the south entrance to the east entrance. There are plenty of places to pull off and take in the scenery and/or start your hike.

From October through April the south end entrance to many parks curves is completely closed. So you can only travel about 8 mile on this road during this time entering from the east side.

Not a rush through drive. Stop along the way and enjoy the scenery. We saw some bighorn sheep at a distance. Lots of places to stop along the way.

We traveled from the Silverthorne area and entered the west side of Trail Ridge Road. The drive was fun, the views incredible. From the valleys, to the snow covered mountains, there was always a view around the next turn. Have a good camera taker in the front seat, so you can have both hands on the wheel. You will need it at times .

We did the trail ridge road in the early afternoon once the timed entry period ended. There was still plenty of time to enjoy the views and stop a few places. We went back the next day and explored places we missed the day before. Watch the time at the high altitude - affects some people. No cell service so your map will not work either.

It is a must do at the park

There are several amazing drives within the NPS system, but this may be the best Alpine experience. We drove the entire route, entering the park at Grand Lake and driving to our stay in Estes Park. You start with a great drive around the western lakes of the park before climbing up the Colorado River valley. Then your Alpine adventure begins as you climb over the Continental Divide. Your first great experience is a stop at Far View Curve to see the Colorado Valley and the Never Summer Mountains. Then you climb more to the Alpine Ridege VC and a great hike to 12,000 feet. From here the drive is the best along the ridge with several opportunities to experience the mountain top tundra. We visited both the Tundra Communities and Forest Canyon overlooks where we saw Elk and pikas. You then begin to descend to the east side with great stops at both Rainbow Curve and Many Parks Overlooks for great views of the mountains. We had an amazing day at RMNP and all of it was visits along this road.

We made the complete drive through the park June 27. I believe the road was only open one day before we arrived - which was fantastic for us.
We entered the park from Granby and immediately saw three moose lying in the meadow before we even drove 2 miles.
There were herds of elk all through the park.
If you see that cars all pulled off the road - prepare to stop because that is where you will see wildlife.
It was cool and windy at the top - of course - so make sure you have a jacket in the car even when the temperature is warm in Estes or Granby.
Take advantage of all of the pull offs to take pictures and enjoy the views.
Do not be in a hurry.
There is still plenty of snow in the high altitude parts of the park although the roads are clear.

What a gorgeous scenic drive this was! The road is of course narrow and winding but the scenery is well worth it and there are a lot of areas where you can pull off and take pictures. Be aware that at the top its *cold* even in August! It was 39 degrees at the top when we were there.

You must drive the Trail Ridge road when you go to Rocky Mountain National Park. There are great views along the was, as well as many spots to pull out to view them. Quite a few of them had bathrooms.

We didn’t see any wildlife, so that was a bit of a disappointment. There are several Visitor centers along the way. You do cross the Continental Divide, and send quite a few miles above the tree line.

Amazing! RMNP is full of beautiful mountian views, wildlife, and hikes. You can basically access all of the park from Trail Ridge Road. Drive from Estes Park on the east side of the park to Grand Lake on the South/West side of the park. A must for adventure seekers.We visited for a few days and were able to see everything and do a bunch of hikes. We saw hundreds of Elk, a couple Moose, some Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, etc. Be prepared for quick changes in weather/temperature durng the drive. When you get to the top, it's cold even in the summer. Then when you get down to the valleys, it's super hot. There could be snow and 35 degrees at the top, and 85 degrees with sunshine in the valleys.

Beautiful drive with many pull offs of overlooks for great views of the scenery. You can always tell where the wildlife is when there is a traffic jam. Get excited because something good is coming up! Bolo and get your camera ready. This drive has wildlife in abundance especially in the morning and evening. It is a special place to visit but much more crowded on the weekend. Sunday pm lots of folks and Monday much more enjoyable.

Simply stunning - possibly one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, definitely worth a visit (or more than one if you fancy a hike as well).

I was hesitant to plan a trip to RMNP during the busy summer months, but there are no other alternatives if you want to drive on Trail Ridge Road, which is only open during the summer. I am glad I did, especially because the Park was not crowded at all on the weekday afternoon and evening I was there.

Trail Ridge Road crosses the entire Park from East to West. It offers amazing vistas of the Rocky Mountains on one side of the Ridge and wildlife viewing on the other side, where I saw herds of moose on the plains. The Road is about 50 miles from end-to-end and has several shorter hikes and overlooks. I started late in the afternoon and in about 4 hours was able to drive most of the Road and do several hikes before it got dark. One full day would be enough to drive the entire Road and back and see most of what's on it.

I’ve been driving Trail Ridge road for many years and discover something new and different each time. There are amazing views all around- High mountain lakes, hikes, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, ptarmigans, marmots, deer-you name it. While you won’t see all of the wildlife all the time, usually you’ll stop with others and get out your camera for at least one of these critters. On the weekends, everyone else has the same idea to make the drive so it’s terribly crowded. There are three entrances with the Kawanuchee side the least crowded for entry. The Alpine Visitor Center is a cool place to relax and take in the Picturesque views and there is a museum there that covers the early geological and evolutionary history of the area. As you would imagine, there is a souvenir shop with trinkets and clothing as well as a concession area with food and drinks. Just a beautiful park you won’t want to miss!

No trip to Rocky Mountain National Park is complete without a drive along the Trail Ridge Road between Estes Park and Grand Lake. Stunning scenery is offered along with some heart-pumping "strolls" at the higher elevations. It makes for a great day to leisurely drive the Trail Ridge Road from Estes Park to Grand Lake (stopping in Grand Lake for lunch) before driving back to Estes Park. Of course, starting in Grand Lake and lunching in Estes Park works well, too. If you will be in the RMNP area for several days, try to choose a clear-sky day for your Trail Ridge Road trip--the vistas are absolutely stunning. Other considerations in choosing your day for the ride is the time of your timed entry and whether you will need a rest day between hiking days.

TIP: During covid-era, it is important to reserve your timed-entry reservations as soon as you know your dates--DO THIS BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME IF POSSIBLE.

Not much to say about this that hasn’t been said, other than you should add a trip on this road to your bucket list. It’s absolutely incredible.

This was an amazing journey through the Rocky Moutains. Glad we had time to enjoy the journey and stop along the way to see different vantage points. We started in Estes Park and drove all the way to Grand Lake. We did find out that the only way back to Estes Park is back through the mountains.

We drove the scenic ridge road from the eastern entrance to the Alpine visitor center and back. It was starting to get dark after that. Beautiful overlooks. Did the tundra communities trail and learned about tundra habitats. PLEASE read the signs and do not walk on the tundra just so you can get a shot for Instagram. You do damage that may me not recover!!! Drive slow and obey road signs and the drive isn’t that treacherous.

I almost let some of the reviews here talk me out of it. I’m a flatlander with a strong fear of heights. I actually froze up once on the PCH and turned around due to the drop offs along it. This is nowhere near as intimidating. Definitely a white knuckle drive but worth it for the awesome views. Gotta do it!

Took Trail Ridge Road after leaving Estes Park on our way out to Colorado Springs. There are a number of pullouts for great lookouts, and it's just a beautiful drive all around. If it's not closed when you're there, this is a must.

It's seems tough to find Trail Ridge Road open this late in the year, but we were fortunate enough to have beautiful weather and a perfect day to take in some of the amazing views. This is a MUST SEE. It's definitely a "two hands on the wheel" kind of drive with the twists and turns, but well worth it. Even with the smoke from the fires, the views were still magnificent.

Went for fall foliage in Denver. Excellent scenic drive to the ridge on route 34 !
You will need to get reservation prior to visiting the place!
Due to thin air at height be prepared to go slow when you are up there and trying to walk!
We took oxygen canisters so when we had the dizzy feeling we had couple of sniffs to recover.

Nothing beats the breathtaking views---driving along mountain cliffs and experiences only feet away from wildlife. The $25 entrance fee is well worth it. We spent the whole day driving slowly, taking in the sights, pulling off on the overlooks and catching a few short hikes. The bear lake trail was something we attempted at the end of the day but would recommend arriving early in the morning and doing bear lake first as the parking lot becomes extremely crowded and the hike has a lot of steep inclines. There are tons of trailheads along the road that vary in difficulty and length. If you get nervous on high mountain roads be mindful that there are no guard rails and at times there is no shoulder.

I had great expectations for this Park.I mean it IS RMNP, right? Everyone said "so beautiful and you WILL see animals!" Nope! Not ONE (we saw more animals at the Conoco station on the way to Estes Park... a bunny!) It is one of those drives that winds up and up, no side rails, sheer drop offs, frequent weather changes as you ascend (two were killed on consecutive days in 2014 by lightning near Rainbow Curve... Google it). Vault toilets are available at Rainbow Curve, BTW. We drove as far as the Alpine Tundra and my husband had altitude sickness and I had "terror sickness" and we turned around. The park is full of very rude people these days. One guy parked his truck sideways in front of ours (NOT in a parking place) at the Alpine Tundra lookout and locked it and started to walk up a hill. My husband yelled at him to come back and move his truck and not pen us in, he said, "Oh, are you leaving?" Well, we would sure like to BE ABLE to! For Pete's sake!! Unbelievable! People sitting on ledges to get selfies?! Crowded everywhere. After experiencing Dead Horse Point, and Gunnison Black Canyon (two of our favorites) this was a let down! I guess everyone should try it once but that did it for us. Not impressed. Beautiful photos of Mountains, though. Tried to post one but on the road and wouldn't upload!

A great way to enjoy the beautiful RMNP - drive, stop, get out, gaze, drive, repeat.

Things to keep in mind:
- Plan the entire day carefully. Unless you are staying in Estes Park / Grand Lake, this could be a 5+ hr end to end trip.
- Go the whole way. A lot of people turn around from Alpine Visitor center. The way to Grand Lake and the Grand Lake city are beautiful as well.
- Can get busy so drive carefully but definitely take your time to enjoy so if there is a line of cars behind you, park on the side and let them go so you don't feel rushed.

Oh, how I wish we could have visited in late Spring or Summer but what we did get to see was breathtaking and amazing. We could only go as far as Many Parks Curve but were able to see some incredible scenes regardless. Explore as much as you can as it is worth every minute.

I have not driven in the mountains for years and I think I have developed a fear of heights. The views are something, but not for the driver.
But we stopped at most of the sites with the many others. It was well worth it, but I would be at my wits' end driving that road during rain or snow. Though I have to attempt it was easy than most of the narrow roads I drove in the Alps.

Wish we would have done this both ways! Nice, easy and well maintained road from Estes Park to Grand Lake, CO. Take 4-5 hours and enjoy the scenic overlooks, a trail or two, and a picnic! Alpine Summit Visitor Center at the top/halfway point fills up early, so either plan on getting there by 10am, or skipping it!

Amazing views right now! Love all the snow on the mountains. Very busy with lots of traffic. We saw lots of elk and a few moose along the drive. So beautiful!

So many different beautiful mountain views, so much wildlife to see! We saw elk, a moose, and small mammals. Take water with you and get ready for cooler weather near the top.

My good pal drove me fron Denver all the way up and back to the alpine visitors centre at 12k feet up. Absolutely amazing scenery all the way up and back.
we also managed to see 3 marmots and a mouse on the way back to denver

Makes for a great day, with beautiful scenery. You just have to prepare to share it with thousands of other people. Leave very early in the morning and you will see more wildlife and battle less traffic. Stop at all the lakes, they are break taking.

We weren't quite sure if we were going to stop before going the distance on Trail Ridge Road. We decided to go for it and drove to the Timber Creek area then turned around and headed back towards Estes Park.

We almost didn't make it into RMNP as there was a significant amount of traffic where we went almost 1 mile in 90-minutes, while watching a multiple amount of cars turn around and leave. I understand the need to take care of the roads, but this was absolutely a nightmare for those going into the park. Once lunch came around - like magic, the traffic went smoothly when the road workers when to lunch.

This road will provide you with some unique and exciting driving experience with a few white knuckle areas that will get your adrenaline pumping.

A trip to RMNP wouldn't be complete without taking a drive along Trail Ridge Road. The views are incredible, the flora and fauna are magnificent and the geological history of the park is quite something. Several scenic overlooks are present along the way so visitors can enjoy the views from many vantage points and learn about the park's geologic past. Parking is available at the Alpine Visitor Center where one can further look into the park's history, and can also climb the staircase to complete the 12,000 foot trek in elevation. It's well worth it - just be prepared for a winding route!

Trail Ridge Road is another “can’t miss” in Colorado! Great road with turn-outs at popular scenic views. It was busy, but travelers were respectful. Beautiful scenery. We especially loved the continental divide. We drove Trail Ridge Rd from Hwy 36 in Rocky Mountain National Park to the Continental Divide and back to RMNP.

Great drive through the national park. We had 8 a.m. entrance, and there weren't too many people on the road. We entered from Grand Lake side and finished in Estes Park. Great views from multiple viewpoints. We also did a couple of short hikes.

You MUST travel trail-ridge road during the summer; the views are spectacular and slow down for the wildlife.

This is a must do in RMNP. The views were amazing! We drove this on two different days, going as far as Coyote Valley Trailhead on the second day. Really enjoyed the Gypsy Guide app for this park and this drive. Great COVID activity! Milner Pass is where you can get a picture with the sign for the Continental Divide. Drink lots of water to help with the elevation.

Driving from Estes to Grand Lake on Trail Ridge Road was beautiful. The scenery was great. I recommend starting right in the morning as parking can be difficult at some viewpoints. The alpine visitor center was a really busy place inside the the store and the visitor center. The is a restaurant is a nice place to get a snack and look out the window. The drive back from grand lake to Estes was nail-biting at some points by the alpine visitor center as there are no guardrails. Only a white line on the side of the road that has a straight drop. So drive super slow and pray.

The most beautiful drive I have ever taken. We are already booked to do it again before going back home to Oklahoma.

Get in before 9 without a pass and use the gypsyguide for the best tour. It will take all day if you go to Grand Lake but you cannot renter without a timed pass. Lot’s of places to stop along the way great scenery. Bring warm clothes for the top. It’s windy and cold at Alpine. Also good to bring food for a picnic. Sheep meadow was good for seeing moose. Visitor centerS were not that helpful

Rocky Mountain National Park (Fee for entry) is full of wildlife, sights, stops, views, camping, hiking and so on. This is the highest completely paved road in Colorado. It resides between Grand Lake and Estes Park. It's great for all large pickups and smaller vehicles. There are small parking lots and pull-outs along the way up and over. It is typically opened from Memorial Day to Labor day (Weather Pending) and parking can get full during peak periods. Among the various times we've visited, we've seen Deer, Elk, Moose,Big Horn Sheep, Marmots, Chipmunks, birds and more. If you aren't used to this high altitude, drink plenty of water and be prepared for rapidly changing weather. You can purchase food, clothing, etc before entering the park and at the top of the Trail Ridge Road. An alternative route in the park is Fall River Road (One Way from the Estes Park side) to the top. I've seen a Prius complete the trip, but recommend higher clearance vehicles, due to the dirt road and rough spots.

Be respectful of your fellow visitors and the wildlife there. It's a popular place for all. All or parts of the road can be closed as heavy snow falls. Get road reports if in doubt or check with the locals.

Fun drive up to 12700 ft then to visitors centres. Lots of places to stop and see the scenery. The alpine centre did a food bratwurst,soup and chilli. Was fun to see the hail come down at the top. Saw marmotts and eagles too. We turned round at the alpine centre so did not go all the way to great lake.
Be wary of the altitude and drink plenty of water. The high point definitely affects your breathing!

This is a must do while in Rocky Mountain National Park. It's the highest paved road in any of the national parks in the United States. It goes up to 12,183 feet and unfortunately, it does not have a sign when you are at the highest point. Down the road from the highest point is the Alpine Visitor Center which does have an elevation sign at 11,796 feet. Trees do not grow above 11, 500 feet, so it's insane once you finally get above the tree line. The scenery was nice, but I thought it would be better. The drive isn't any worse than any of the other higher mountain national parks. Traffic was not too busy on the morning we were in the park.

It feels like you are driving on top of the world. It is a long drive over one of the highest paved roads in America. They have lots of places to pull off for photo ops. It can get really cool at the top even in the summer so a jacket is a good idea. This is a must see and an all time classic attraction! Road goes from one side of the Rocky Mountain National park all the way to Grand Lake.

81 km from Estes Park to Grand Lake with many viewpoints of the Rocky Mountains. There is always the opportunity to observe wildlife along the way.

No doubt that this is a beautiful drive, but be aware that there are no guard rails while you are twisting and turning at the peak of this road. The drive from Estes Park to Grand Lake was terrifying enough, but coming back from Grand Lake to Estes Park is a heart-stopping, toe tingling, nerve-wracking, edge-of-a-cliff drive that will paralyze you with fear and have you confessing your sins. Please note - this review is from an Acrophobiac. But, for real, you should do it. Too much beauty to miss.

This drive is one of the highlights of visiting RMNP and should be part of any visit. We drove up from Estes Park and stopped along the various overlooks. Give yourself plenty of time as you will be making stops, may hit unpredictable mountain weather, and may make unplanned stops for wildlife. The Alpine Visitor Center at the peak of the highway makes for a good rest stop. On our drive, it did get very foggy as we neared the Alpine Visitor Center, but otherwise didn’t find the drive to be any more challenging than other mountain roads.

Driving Trail Ridge Road is a thrilling and spectacular experience. 48 miles separate Estes Park from Grand Lake. It takes 90-120 minutes to drive factoring in making stops at the numerous overlooks. I think the best overlooks are Rainbow Curve, Forest Canyon, and Gore Range. You should also stop at the Alpine Visitor Center and walk the trail. Even better is the Tundra Communities Trail near Rock Cut. Look for the marmots providing entertainment on the south side of the road across from the parking spaces. The Milner Pass area was quite beautiful at sunset and I saw many elk in the area at this time of day. The western portion of the Road is good for moose spotting especially near the Green Mountain Trailhead. The best part of the drive is between Medicine Bow Curve and Rainbow Curve in the alpine tundra zone.

This is a great way to get a feel for this National Park. There are frequent parking areas to allow you to take in the wonderful scenery. We drove from the Grand Lake side, but only went part of the way to Estes Park (due to the lateness of our entry ticket time). Please note you need to apply for an entry permit ahead of time on the internet--or you're probably not getting in. The scenery from the Alpine Visitors center is great; there is a popular hike here. It is at 12,000 feet, however, so it is important to be mindful of altitude effects. Due to the Covid problem, the interpretive parts of the visitors centers are closed. The ranger staff are very helpful and knowledgeable, however.

Trail Ridge Road connects Estes Park to Grand Lake, making it the highest continuous road in the United States, reaching a top altitude of 12,183 feet. Trail Ridge Road is closed during the winter season.

What a beautiful drive it was, the views are stunning with each elevation gain. We had very nice weather for driving in August. This drive travel above tree line with panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains, forested moraines, streams, and alpine tundra.

Among all scenic drive, we like Rainbow Curve Overlook most, with views of distant mountains and the twisting and turning lower portions of Trail Ridge Road itself.

There are no words to describe how beautiful this park is. We saw a moose, elk, and so many beautiful scenes. What an amazing experience.

This is a very scenic drive through Rocky Mountains. The road tops out at about 12,000 ft elevation. This road makes it possible for those unable to go on long hikes to see the different high altitude ecosystems. The views are simply amazing. Bring warm coats, hats and gloves as the weather is much different than in Estes park.

Be prepared for the most white knuckled drive of your life. Totally worth it though. Very well maintained park.

An absolute must if you're in the area. A beautiful drive unlike any other. Great views all the way up. Definitely take your time and stop at as many viewpoints as you can. Start early to avoid crowds. I'd also recommend which stopovers have good hiking or sights slightly off the road.

We have been struggling with altitude issues so decided to drive this route so we could see beauty and wildlife. We were able to do some hiking but be prepared to make stops when you become short of breath.

We drove up mountain. Watched temperature drop on car thermometer from 78 to 38 in few miles. Got pelted by BB- sized snow pellets for about 5-7 minutes @ summit (not sleet or hail.) Pellets were not ice. Took road from Estes Park up & over Continental Divide. Drive carefully. Roads narrow. No guard rail in places. Lots curves in road. Very pretty scenery.

The most spectacular attraction in Rocky Mountain National Park. Not suitable for everyone, though. Views are breathtaking. We went all the way to the alpine center.

We were able to easily take this trail in our car. We started out about 9:00 in the morning and made it to the top around 10:00. We stayed at the visitors center for awhile and hiked to the top point. The ride to the top was lovely and there were a lot of places to stop and get out. We took pictures at the waterfall. I would suggest going in the morning as there was every type of wild animal we wanted to see except a bear. We saw a heard of elk, big horn sheep, deer.....the list goes on. We went back down and had lunch in Estes. Then we went hiking around Bear Lake after 3:00 when parking opened up again. Wonderful day!

This is an excellent new road with amazing views and several great viewpoints and hiking trails. This is the main road connecting the two sides of the park and is great for a drive even if you don't want to hike.

The drive through and on top of the mountains is excellent. Some of the road edges are straight drops and have some amazing views. Animals were out and about and caught a few elk walking down the roadway. Moose were also out and a few had babies with them.

The views were simply amazing. Tight switch backs leading you above the tree line. We saw tons of Elk and even a Moose and baby on the way down. The visitors center was nice. Plenty of opportunities to stop, enjoy the view and take pictures. Lots of places to walk around and hike too if desired. The drive is a must do when visiting the area.

I've probably been up and over on Trail Ridge Road a hundred or more times in my life. The drive never gets old. Seems like there is always something new to see. (Fall is my favorite time to visit). The road is well maintained, but maybe not for everyone. You just have to get used to the fact that there are not a lot of guardrails on the road. But views are so rewarding. At the top of Trail Ridge there is a Ranger Station with some of the friendliest Rangers we have ever met. There is a nice gift shop and small restaurant. There is a building in the park lot that houses all the restrooms.

We took most of a day to do this drive. We picked up a $2 road guide available at all the visitor centers, and used it, along with advice found on this website, about places to visit along with road. At first, I wasn't sure why there were so many pull-outs, but realized quickly that the planners of this road and its pull-outs/stops were very calculated in their work. Each pull-out or stop on the road was unique in its own way. One stop had a large group of marmots that we spent a long time watching (they were playing and fighting and running around - it was so fun to see!), another couple had short hikes around lakes (for example, Lake Irene). It was also interesting to go on a drive and see the difference in landscapes at higher versus lower elevations. We stopped at the Alpine Visitor Center for real restrooms and fresh water. There is a large gift shop/store there, along with a "cafe." We brought lunches to eat, though, and there are quite a few places along the way with nice picnic tables to have a picnic. The drive wasn't overly scary, though there were definitely drop-offs from the sides of the road at times. The views were beautiful throughout.

Just a stunning ride starting out at 5000 feet elevation and topping out at 12,200 feet. We started this journey with no expectations and were blown away with the amazing peaks of RMNP, the wonderful and amazing, vegetation and trees, animals grazing along the road. The real topper was getting out during the summertime and playing in the snow and making snowballs. The hair pin turns are not that bad as they have flattened the roads out pretty good. enjoy this several hour ride and take in RMNP in its best light!!!

I was a little hesitant when it was $30 per vehicle to enter the national park that contains this drive, but after driving through it it was totally worth it. We traveled in late May and there was still snow in the past. I do recommend being all the way to the top of the mountain before 5:00 p.m. because you can buy hot chocolate at a gift shop. Very enjoyable trip. We saw four moose, elk, and mule deer. Excellent drive.

So fun to drive! We saw so many animals and the views were just out of this world beautiful. It took us about two hours to reach the top with many many stops! Very much worth the time.

This road has many great views.While we were driving on this road, we saw an amazing group of Elk on the side of the road. There are several different turnarounds if you need to stop and go back.

We did this on our first day at the park as there was construction going on in the Bear Lake area which is what we had initially planned for that day.

It was simply breath taking!

Our best advice received was not to let the locals rush us. They tend to go very fast and ride your bumper. Just wait for the next pull out, pull over, let them pass, and enjoy the rest of your drive. Savor every moment and keep your eyes open...we saw moose, elk, marmots, and countless other animals.

Highly recommend the trail guide for this stretch of road. It is $2 at the park entrance welcome centers.

Be sure to stop at the Alpine gift shop and cafe. The food it good and the view is spectacular! They also have oxygen boosts if you need it. Drink tons of water!!

Our kids loved this so much they asked to go to the top every day for a burger!

Wow! What a gorgeous drive along the top of the mountains. Some roads were on the edge, but overall it was fine to drive.. not frightening .. just don’t take your eyes off the road when close to the edge ;-)

Stop when you see pullouts. Get out at the Alpine Visitors Center - closed for season when we were there, but the views are pretty. There is a staircase going to 12,000’ if you choose to climb.

Such a pretty drive through the different areas of the park.

This is one of the best scenic roads i have driven in my life. You can see Lots of mountains and green valleys. You can also see big horn deers on the way. There are atleast 3 to 4 of restrooms on the way . Its very awesome drive. Must do with your family.

A completely magical and a bit scary piece of road! A must if you’re in the Rockies. You get with your car up to 12000 feet witch probably will affect you.

Trail Ridge Road can be a busy road but is well worth the effort. Hiking on the Ute Trail is spectacular and easy going. Be prepared for high winds and cool temperatures on some days. The Alpine Visitors Center is very nice. Be sure to hike up to the observation point. You will not be disappointed with the 360 degree views from there. We also spotted a herd of elk grazing below the Visitors Center. Altogether a great outing.

We drove trail ridge road from Estes Park entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. It took about 2 hours, gorgeous views. Have to do this drive at least once!

This road provides incredible views of the mountains/plains. There are many pullouts along the way to snap pictures. We started in Estes Park where it was 80 degrees (according to our rental car). By the time we approached Alpine center, the temp had dropped all the way to 33 degrees so make sure you dress in layers if you plan to get out of the car along the way!

At one of the pullouts, we explored some hills and rocky areas on our own. This spontaneous adventure was a highlight of the trip and I'd encourage you to do the same.

Took this route down from the Alpine Visitor Center. Paved roads with some guardrails, 2-way traffic. Amazing views of the surrounding valleys and peaks.

Rocky Mountain National Park is beautiful and easy to navigate to see in 2-days.

The park charges a $25 fee per day and definitely due to the virus you should book your reservation 2 hour time slot prior to arriving. We went while the weather was still very nice so I can't comment on what's it like to visit during the winter hours but there was a fire nearby that closed Trail Ridge Road but we got lucky and didn't have to turn around and go back out the west entrance. We were able to drive through the park and exit near Estes Park.

Definitely drive "Trail Ridge Road" during the summer before they close it down during the winter (we heard that it can be closed during the winter). The park offers a lot of hiking trails. Unfortunately during our visit both Visitor Centers were partially closed due to the virus and that was disappointing.

Not many people know this but the Colorado River starts inside this National Park but during our visit the trail to the site of the beginning wasn't open. If you visit maybe you can hike this trail to see the beginning of this famous river. I've heard that this is the THIRD most visited National Park in the country so if you visit I think you will be glad you did!

We had watched the video of the entirety that this trail/road offered but it has to be seen to be believed. I don't believe you should visit Rocky Mountain National Park without experiencing these vistas!

The views are amazing. The road has no guard rails for the majority of the drive and the drop offs are steep. Worth the drive!

It was a sudden change of temp & very windy. Along the road were double the car height snow from the last snowstorm a week ago. There were many moose seen grazing but some tourists were really thoughtless & kept going closer. We saw the rangers come in while we were driving away & get the tourists away. The VC just before the highest point had a long queue of cars trying to get in. We'd

We have been coming to the Park for years any every time I’m totally impressed. The views in rain or shine are impressive. The Trail Ridge Road is well worth the trip. The maintenance of the roads is first class. The help from the rangers at the welcome center and at the various stops is always good. This is a showcase for the American West and it is well worth the visit.

If you only have a half day to spend in Rocky Mountain National Park, this is probably the best way to take in spectacular views in a short space of time. Starting at the RMNP gateway, you climb to 12,000 feet in about a 45 minute drive. But you'll take much longer than that to stop at the many parking areas and laybys to admire the scenery, take photos, watch wlidlife, read information boards and sometimes take a walk. Highly recommended. The abrupt change in ecosystems is amazing to see - one minute you're driving through green forest, the next you're out in dramatic, exposed, high alpine tundra (please keep to the paths to respect the delicate landscape). It is WINDY up here!! In both readings of the word...

This was such an awesome drive!! I recommend stopping at every view point. The scenery is breath taking! Plus this drive is perfect if you are not physically able to take long hikes. We did this drive multiple times. I recommend driving up old Fall River road and back down trail ridge road. I want to go back already!

We booked a place to stay in Estes Park for our home base. We wanted to drive Trail Ridge Road so opted to make a long day on our way from Denver by driving west through the Grand Lake entrance and head to Estes that way. This made the drive a one way drive, not sure if this is "ideal", but if you are only staying on one side of the park this is the way to limit your time in the car. We were all so glad we took the drive, got out at many stops and the views were incredible. Would highly encourage you to try and see these views while in RMNP.

We drove from Estes Park side to Grand Lake. The first afternoon, we drove from Estes park to top and back. The view is nice and not many people. Plenty pull offs to take photos and enjoy views. Next day, our hotel staff gave us a suggestion to drive Endovalley Rd to the top. This road is much harder to drive, but views are much better, in my opinion. From top to grand Lake is easy drive. We saw much more golden color on this side as well.

We went for a small trip on this road in the snow and it was like any other drive up a road except pretty snow mountains. We also saw animal tracks but no animals

The best place I've been in years. Don't miss the short, spectacular tundra walk just past the Alpine visitor center. (Assuming you're driving East-West.)

The views are the best ever, but they absolutely stop after the Medicine Bow Curve overlook. You should turn around there unless you want to visit the Continental Divide, in which case you should continue on to Milner Pass. But turn around after that. There's just nothing on the rest of the road except utilitarian stuff, campgrounds, trailheads etc. And if you drive to the bitter end of the road, there isn't a faster way to circle back to Estes Park -- they said that would be a 3.5 hour drive, as opposed to maybe 1.5 hours backtracking. And backtracking over the scenic part of TRR was beautiful.

There were traffic jams on the way back, probably because of some rocks in the road that took it down to one lane at one point. But it was the most beautiful place to sit in a traffic jam ever.

We did some overlooks and short hikes, but we still got done by lunchtime. Ate at Dairy King in Grand Lake, nice place, and used the rest of the day hiking from Bear Lake to Emerald Lake in the Moraine area of the park. An excellent choice, I think.

Most stunning views I have ever seen. Worth the trip and take your time as there is just soo much to see.

Beautiful drive from Estes Park to the Continental Divide & then back. We saw lots of wild life (Moose & Elk) and the mountains were gorgeous!! Also they are only letting in a certain number by reservation, so not too crowded! Loved this & highly recommend

This road connects the park from Est to West by going up the mountain and down on the other side.
There are multiple outlooks on the way that you can stop and take in the beauty we are blessed with.
Words cannot give this roaf justice.
The mountains are majestic and you can see patches of snow and ice.
The road goes up to elevation of around 12,000 feet so the air can get thin and you may feel so altitude sickness so take things easy untill you know how your body copes with altitude.
It is a great car drive and if you don't wanna drive it there a jeep tour that will take you there if you don't feel comfortable with the drive in that altitude.

We just completed a day trip with sightseers.com. Our guide was Scott Poindexter. He was very knowledgeable and tried to please everyone. He was even creative at entertaining us while stuck in traffic on the return trip. We saw lots of wildlife, mule deer, elk, bull elk, marmosets, hummingbird. It was a great experience! Oh, he was also our photographer.

My husband is afraid of heights and I suffer from vertigo, so during previous trips to RMNP we either drove Fall River Road to the Alpine Visitor’s Center or we only made it to Rainbow Curve (driving east to west) on Trail Ridge Road, but this year we just decided we had to drive the road from Estes to the Alpine Visitors Center, so we conquered our fears and did it. The views are spectacular along the way. The scariest portion of the road driving east to west is from Rainbow Curve to Forest Canyon Overlook. There are no guard rails, with steep drop offs. But traffic moves slowly and the curves are gentle so with a little bit of extra grip on the steering wheel we made it. Honestly that was the only section that was nerve wracking. There were herds of Elk and Marmots near the Forest Canyon Overlook. The weather took a turn for the worse while we were on top so we didn’t get to do the hike at Rock Cut or at the summit. Personally there are probably a few more scenic drives overall (Going to the Sun Road comes to mind), but Trail Ridge Road is nonetheless an amazing drive and allows one to feel on top of the world.

We chose to enter from Grand Lake which seemed less busy than going from Estes Park. Road wasn't as crowded as other parks we've been to which was great. Timed entry ends at 3 we exited the park at about 3:30 and the line to enter from Estes Park was more than a mile long. Take your time, enjoy the views and don't leave the trails and go in restricted areas like we saw many people doing.

Scenic road absolutely breathtaking.We had sunny and snowstorm moments during our trip. We did 3 trekkings which we've chosen at the morning

Rainbow in the Rocky Mountains started on the West side near Grand Lake into the park. Lots af towns and stops along I-70 West then took 40 to the National park

We enjoyed our drive through Rocky Mountain National Park.
We had to dive through the clouds to get to the top at 12,000 feet.
It was sunny and clear at the top.
The scenery is very spectacular!

We enjoyed our drive through Rocky Mountain National Park starting at the southwest entrance, passing through Kawuneeche Valley and then proceeding up Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center. Then we drove up to the highest point on the road at 12,183 feet before driving down to the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and exiting the Park near Estes Park. The views on the drive were excellent but there is lots of traffic and the speed limit is low. There were a view viewpoints that looked interesting but we didn't stop because no parking was available.

Originally our plan was to hike around bear lake and glacier gorge but when we got there at 9am the lot was already full and our gps / internet wasn’t working so we made this our plan B since it was the only thing I could think of seeing in trip advisor that I could find on the paper map. It was an awesome detour to our original plan. We had a 4x4 vehicle just for plans like this and we had such a great time going up the switchbacks and stopping at the pull offs for hikes and views. Parking at alpine visitor center was crowded but we were lucky enough to find a spot and grab some souvenirs. It really was a beautiful drive.

I white-knuckled it through. Many people love this ride, I’m just not one of them. Think twice if you’re afraid of heights and are the driver.

We weren't looking to go on lengthy hikes, we just wanted to see the Rocky Mountains largely by driving. (I know that will offend those who feel hikes are mandatory, but we were happy to just drive all the way through the park, get out of the car a few times to take some pictures, and leave it at that.) This is a very scenic drive, but it is tiring - so many curves in the road plus you are driving right on the edge of huge drop offs. Allow plenty of time for getting behind other cars who will drive slower than you'd like, plus in the summer there is likely to be construction.

We love Trail Ridge Road. This year it was a little smokey. We could watch the Camaron Fire from the top.

Beautiful ride with stunning scenary. There are seversl view points along the trail, most have information boards. There is an admission fee to the National park.

We really loved the views on Trail Ridge Road. Lots of beautiful vistas and photo opportunities. We saw a lot of wildlife too. Highly recommend.

We were driving to Fort Collins and intentionally chose a route through the park. It was beautiful. We saw moose, elk, beautiful scenery and even had a little sleet storm while on top. This is nature at its best!

We drove Trail Ridge Road on Friday 31 July 2020. We entered in on the Grand Lake side and drove all the way thru to Estes Park. We entered the park at 8AM and almost had the road to ourselves. Very little traffic. At first it was an easy drive and was mostly forests with pull-offs. The pull-offs were mostly for clearings of the forests. We saw a few elk out grazing. About midway thru we reached higher elevation and made it up to the Alpine Visitor Center. The visitor center wasn’t overly packed. We had to wait maybe 10 minutes to enter. The bathrooms were very large, nice and clean. For the portion of road before the visitor center and a few miles after it was white knuckle driving for me. Super high up with drop offs and NO guard rails. Curving roads, as well. I was very relieved to get off that road, lol. The views are pretty amazing though. Along the road were plenty of places to pull over and sight see. Many had restrooms available. We only saw elk while making the drive. Some were up top near Alpine Visitor Center and others in the woods by the Grand Lake entrance.

This is an absolutely breathtaking road (maybe in more ways than one if you struggle with the elevation like I did). It is amazing to see the change in scenery as you go along. We did the whole road from Grand Lake to Estes, and then one evening went halfway up from Estes to the Alpine Visitor Center. Highly recommend driving the whole thing at least once, and it does take the good half of a day if you do the stops. Definite evidence of the fire when starting out in Grand Lake but it got scenic very quickly. I have never struggled with mountain road drives, have done Newfound Gap, Icefields Parkway, and the Blue Ridge Parkway and been totally fine but there are many parts of this road that gave me extreme anxiety, specifically around the tundra. Absolutely worth seeing but do keep in mind if you are scared of heights or just scary roads. Whoever is driving needs to be very careful and mindful. I can't express how beautiful it was though, and I loved seeing the tundra because I had never seen anything like that before. We saw a herd of elk around the top which was surprising! It got pretty cold and extremely windy so bring a jacket. You can stop at the visitor center, which is the biggest and best in the park, and they even have a little cafe.

This road provides an amazing experience every time we drive it. There are many pull-outs where you can stop for photos. The visitors center at the top has a restaurant, gift shop and toilets. During the drive you may be lucky to spot elk or big horn sheep. Once I even saw a moose at the very top! Be patient as you drive. Yesterday someone passed 2 cars on a double yellow line then pulled over to park 1/2 mile down the road! Rocky Mountain National Park is one of my top 2 national parks to visit.

First Fact: it’s the highest paved road in any United States National Park, the highest point at 12183 Feet (take the map at the entrance and find it). now, let's go 'Deep into the woods"

it offers breathtaking views, when I researched about it, it gives me a chill. photos and experience story - now I have to drive through this. I have read many say it’s a terrifying drive due to the elevation and lack of shoulders and guard rails, and I’ve also read it’s not that bad - so I guess it depends on individuals, so I would suggest you yourself try it.

It was open ( check the site before you go there). It's a $30 fee (July-2022) and MOST IMP- BOOK THE SLOT, MEANS AT WHICH TIME YOU WILL ENTER.

We entered from Beaver Meadows Entrance (there is a fall river entrance too) and left at the grand lake (it's not the loop). Trail Ridge Road is an ideal summertime drive. there are some parts of the drive that is 'scary (subject to definition), but for the most part, I was 'yeah'. If you have a fear of heights have someone else drive and sit on the passenger side of the car.

There are actually many rock guard rails and thick trees which give a sense of security. There are plenty of small areas to pull over and parking lots to stop at. It is true there are some steep mountain roads without guardrails but it’s not in many areas.

we have covered the below overlook and let me tell you- every overlook offers you a great view

Many Parks Curve Overlook,
Rainbow Curve,
Forest Canyon Overlook,
Rock Cut,
Gore Range Overlook and
Medicine Bow Curve.

Length of drive: For 48 miles, this road runs from Estes Park in the east to Grand Lake in the west. 11 of its miles are above 11,000 feet! which is above the treeline. It reaches its highest point at 12,183 feet

Time: 3-4 hours easily

scenic drive along one of the highest roads in the USA, Rocky Mountain National Park is a joy to explore

It's a great drive up the mountains. Starting at the bottom, usually see some Elk, then slowly go up to the top with snow and great views! Amazing! :) I recommend this road for people who don't hike and want views. There are plenty of stops to get out and look around.

Very nice road with great views. We are from sea level, but the switchbacks were not terribly intimidating. If you are above the tree line and in the tundra around in the hour or so before dusk, there's a good chance you'll see elk. Also, we purchased an app (GyPSy) that was fantastic for the road. You download it ahead of time and it uses your GPS to give you information about various parts of the park. I highly recommend this to accompany you as you drive. Even the 8 year old liked it!

One of the most fun drive, but be aware it is very high so oxygen will be in short supply.
The sad thing is you cannot see everything when driving, let your family enjoy the beauty please.

Maybe it is because I live in AZ and at the base of the Rocky Mountains but I didn’t see anything that was amazing on this drive. We drove to the end and back. The pull offs did really have different views. Maybe if you are a hiker this would be more amazing but as a all day drive it was average.

From the valley where Estes Park lies you enter the park and quickly climb to the heights of the surrounding Rocky Mountains where the views and picture opportunities are breathtaking. In my opinion you need to allow a minimum of half a day to explore this amazing park.

We drove this in June when there was still snow on the higher altitudes. Scenery was stunning. We drove the whole road but when we were almost through it, the ranger at the alpine visitor center tested us and told us to get to lower altitude. There are many nice overlooks to enjoy. Road has some steep drop offs with no guard rails in area but the majority is no problem in good condition. Closed during winter.

Soaring 12,000 ft above sea level, the air is thin, the view breathtaking, the wind biting through, and freedom at its best. The drive is easy and paved. There are plenty of turnouts for viewing and picture taking.

This was an experience not to be missed. We started at 3pm to drive to the top, and return via Bear Lake, and as a tourist in a car with minimal walking, and stopping at all view points, this was just enough time to do the job.

We arrived at the Estes Park entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park around 8 am. Please note this park requires timed reservations after 9:00 am. We had a very short wait at 8:00 am and began our drive on Trail Road. It is absolutely beautiful! We stopped at a pullout with huge boulders and trees - perfect photo ops area. Then continued drive, seeing majestic mountains with snow tops still in July. The temperature was high 60s and low 70’s (thought it would be colder). Shorts and t-shirt weather, perfect for a light hike. There are many pull-over areas to see views and many hiking trails. We chose a 2 mile easy hike near a stream and meadow. By the time we got to the Visitor Center, it was packed and no parking available. Probably should have just gone there first (opens at 9 am) and I had read to get there before opening but when we passed it at 8:30, only a few cars there. Go early! Had to miss it due to overcrowded and no parking. There were cars lined up to get in with staff parking enforcement…..it was a cluster of a long wait when we went by. Well worth the drive and stops we did. Really want to drive from Estes Park all the way through to the other side, but ran out of time. We will plan better to explore more for sure! Estes Park is the cutest town but was packed when we went through at 4 pm. So crowded, no parking available. Highly recommend Rocky Mountain National Park! Estes Park is a day trip from Denver on its own so will add that for next visit. Perhaps camp at Rocky Mountain National Park overnight there a couple days since there is so much to experience.

This is our second visit to Rocky Mountain National Park and the Trail Ridge Road. Again we were not disappointed. We did not see as many elk up close but we did see the elk. We spent three nights in Timber Creek Campground on the west side. (to me the best side). Our second morning we had a small herd of elk in the campground and some very near our campsite. There were no bulls with the group but that was ok. As we traveled across Trail Ridge Road we saw 3 different herds the one herd we counted 129 elk. There were several large bulls and some younger bulls in the group. They stayed in the one area to keep out of the wind. We enjoy seeing the Elk and any glimpse of Moose. We did see 2 moose near Lake Irene on day 2. We watched a herd of elk for two days in the bowl behind the Alpine visitor center. On the second day we noticed they looked excited and ready to move. We moved over to the Ute Trail as the herd came up over the Lava Cliffs and headed toward the western side of the park. This was exciting to stand on the trail and watch them move to a new location in the park. The Old Fall River road was open but because of our vehicle we were advised not to drive it.

The park is absolutely beautiful... however, I would suggest avoiding Rocky Mt NP for the next several months. We arrived the entrance at 7 am and waiting for about 45 minutes to get into the park, because of road construction. Then, waiting for another 30 minutes to pass the Meadows visitor center. I would give it five star after the road construction is done. However, for this summer and fall, you will be better off going to Eldorado State Park nearby, instead of waiting in the traffic jam for two hours...

We drove from Grand Lake to Estes Park on this road. It was absolutely BREATHTAKING as well as the views!!! There are many places to pull over to enjoy the scenery & views. Also there are trails for those who like to hike. Very high altitude so drink lots of water & go slow.

Incredible views, spectacular scenery! If like me your not that good with heights be warned, there are switch backs and steep sides with very few barriers on this route through the mountains but WOW what a view. Definitely worth a drive up if you can 😀👍

This was my second time visiting the Rocky Mountain national Park and I enjoyed it as much as the first time. As everyone have mentioned, the views are SPECTACULAR! The road is a little scary at some points but if you drive carefully it will be fine. My advise is to get well hidrate before going up. The altitude is above 12,000 feet and some people get sick. Even on summer gets very cold and windy on the top. Wear layers or take a warm coat. The entry fee is $25 but very worth it. The road is paved and well maintained. Have in mind that the driver is not going to enjoy the ride as much as the passengers; he/she needs to focus on the road! If you are in the are DO NOT miss RMNP. Being a lot of water, warm coat and your camera.

One of the best scenic drives that we have done. Plan for 4-6 hrs of stopping at look outs/ scenic areas and photo ops. Recommend carrying a jacket if later in the day as it can get really cold at the top . Alpine visitor center has a nice gift shop and cafeterias

WOW. If you haven’t been to Rocky Mountain National Park you are missing out. Stunning vistas, wildlife, amazing hiking, and excellent camping spots. I only had a day for my visit so I opted to drive the Trail Ridge Road. This 55 mile stretch is the tallest continuously paved road in the USA. Topping out at 12,183ft above sea level you really are in the clouds. Takes about 3hrs to complete with a million stops for photos. About midway at the upper part is the Alpine Visitor Center for a rest. Pack snacks and lots of water as the altitude is no joke. I went 9/5 and had snow at the summit so be prepared for changing weather conditions. Absolutely worth doing.

Of course the scenery is beautiful along the road, but the best part is that someone had the forethought to place multiple pull-offs along the road - probably a dozen or more. This gives the driver an opportunity to park and take in the views them self! Be warned that it can be crowded during peak summer season. We never got into stop-and-go traffic but there were lots of cars and some pull-offs were at parking capacity.

40 mile long Trail Ridge Road crosses Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park in the East to Grand Lake in the West. The highest point is 12,183 feet. At some point you are 2 miles high. Unlike Fall River Road, this road has many pull outs for great views and photography. You can get the most out of your trip if you purchase the $2 pamphlet “Guide to Trail Ridge Road” at the visitor centers.
Just like Fall River Rd, this road meanders through a variety of ecosystems, from lushly green trees to alpine tundra. Pack a lunch, this trip will take a while. We had our lunch at Beaver Pond whilst watching elk graze in the distance.
The views are gorgeous at every turn. There are some short hiking trails. Whatever time you can spend here is time well spent! Photos to follow.

We decided to drive from Denver and enter on the west side of the park to hopefully avoid crowds, and see more of the park. With our campsite on the east side, we had little choice but to traverse Trail Ridge Road. And what an experience it was.

Basically, it's a curvy mountain road with unbeatable scenic views along its entire length. But my favorite views were of the Never Summer Mountains and other mountains as we ascended.

While the east side views were of canyons and tree-covered mountainsides, the west side views were of sharp peaks ringed with snow. Coming up from the west helped underscore the contrast found within the park.

One of the coolest little details of the drive are the sticks that line the side of the road toward the visitor center. Apparently, they are there to help find the road when they have to plow it. Who knew?

Anyhow... most people probably only drive up from Beaver Meadows to the visitor center, then turn around. But it's really worth it to experience the entire stretch, as it starts in the Kawuneeche Valley and climbs toward the park's highest reaches.

To travel this road is a must go while visiting RMNP. There are plenty of stops and the roads winds up to its highest point at 12,183 ft or 3.713 m. Unfortunately there a time entry constraints in the park to avoid overtourism. There are also trailheads on the road. Very recommended for hiking are Rock Cut and Deer Mountain. We‘d come back for sure.

Trail Ridge Road is probably the #1 don't miss attraction in the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). The road is Hwy 34 running east and west between Estes Park and Grand Lake. Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is the entrance on the east side while Kawuneeche Visitor Center is the entrance on the west side. The total mileage is 42 miles one way. The drive will take at least two hours each way if you just drive and stop for pictures.

You will pass through three distinct biomes during the ride. The drive starts at the base of the mountain with grassland prairies and small creeks and ponds. Here is where you are almost guaranteed to see Elk. If you are lucky, you might find a moose. Next you will pass into the Alpine Forrest Biome where you will find the mountain sides covered with Douglas-Fir, Englemann's Spruce, and Lodge-pole Pine. As you reach the peak, you will enter the last Biome called Alpine Tundra. This is a harsh barren environment where you might see Yellow-bellied Marmots and Big-horned Sheep.

The views all along the trip are spectacular. There are a few hair-pin turns here and there. If you have a fear of heights, there are some spots that will give you a visual problem. Large buses, RVs and vans regularly traverse this highway without issue. You're vehicle will be fine if you drive smart.

Plan for several stops to take pictures. There are no restrooms along the way, so stop at either of the visitors center before you go. There is an Alpine Visitor's Center at the peak, but I believe it's close for the pandemic.

Trail Ridge Road is closed in the winter as the roads are encased in 100's of feet of snow.

Beautiful ride! I've never been to the top before so visiting in August allowed me to do so. Nice gift shop aa well. Clean bathrooms. Awesome views!

We drove this road from Grand Lake to Estes Park. So much beauty, and pull offs to enjoy it all. We didn’t expect snow at the end of June, but we drove through a few snow showers. It had also been closed just two days before due to an avalanche.

The highest point is 12,183 feet. Make sure you get out at that overlook. It is the most beautiful. There are cute little marmots running around the mountains too.

It is a little scary when you are driving on the outside edge and it looks like you are driving into nothing. But take your time. It’s only like that for a few miles. When you get to the top, stop at the Alpine Visitor Center. It has the largest gift shop and selection of Rocky Mountain souvenirs. There is a pricey cafeteria in there too.

Trail Ridge offers a lot to see and experience in RMNP.

Apfel war visit you have to have a Ticket to get in and Slot Road is quiet. Drei in the Sea of Animals like Georg dir Rabbit, and you have wonderful Views ab from the Mountains.

We took this road to get up to the Continental Divide and it was beautiful! Everyone (adults and kids) enjoyed the drive and the stop at the Divide. Along the way, we also stopped at the visitor’s center just past the divide. It is good stop too.

Trail Ridge Road is the best way to experience Rocky Mountain National Park if you are just here for a day. We arrived around 9:30am and it was already too crowded at the Bear Lake trail area, so we got our start with Trail Ridge Road. It took us 4 hours to drive as we stopped at every overlook and did the Tundra Trail and Alpine trails. The trails are pretty short, but you will want to take your time to enjoy the views. The road goes back down the mountains and into the town of Grand Lake. We turned around and came all the way back. We made less stops on the way back, but that still took nearly 2 hours. It was such a fun drive with the sharp curves and amazing views. A few days later, I can still picture the magnificent scenery that you can only find here.

Trail Ridge Road is great fun to drive on. We went the day it opened for the season. There was still snow everywhere! Amazing views at every crazy hairpin turn. Lots of spaces to pull off and enjoy the view. Bring a sweater if you plan to get out of the car. It was 70 degrees in Estes Park and 45 degrees at the Alpine Visitor Center!! We went all the way to the Continental Divide, where water on either side drains to the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean. Great photo spot.

The Rocky Mountains are nothing short of spectacular. The beautiful mountain peaks are surrounded by coniferous trees. There are plenty of stopping points along the roads to take beautiful landscape photos. Not only does the Rocky Mountain National Park have mountains to adore, but also natural mountain flowers and streams to pull the image together. There are hiking trails and lakes spread throughout the park to leisurely enjoy.

We drove Trail Ridge Road on two different days -- early afternoon and early morning. We enjoyed all of the stops along the way from the east to as far as Lake Irene on the west side. The sun lights the overlooks differently at various times of the day. True to all I had read, afternoon rains are common. We were glad to have plenty of time to explore RMNP.

Trail Ridge Road afforded us wonderful views! We stopped at the Alpine Visitor Center and we took a hike at Rock Cut. The Tundra Communities Trail was very informative and pleasurable (although windy and cold!)

We had a beautiful scenic drive on Trail Ridge Rd. We timed it for late afternoon/early evening so that we could see more wildlife. We saw herds of elk,a few moose,marmots,chipmunks and a wolf! The kids had a snowball fight at the top. Beautiful vistas and unspoiled beauty everywhere you looked. One word of caution, we had assumed that Trail Ridge Rd looped back to Estes Park and IT DOES NOT! We didn't catch our mistake until we arrived at Grand Lake! So,our 45 drive became a 3 1/2 hour trip after we turned around!

This is a amazing road that is also very scary. No guardrails at all with 100s or 1000s of feet drops in some places. What this means are the views are wide open and spectacular. I am a very experienced driver but I still felt nervous in some parts. Would not recommend for nervous or new drivers. Stunning road.

We have driven the Trail Ridge Road twice during our 3 day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park last month.

We started the drive on the Estes Park side and went all the way to Grand Lake and then return to Estes Park later in the evening.

The drive is so scenic and every stop offers something unique/spectacular.

The road is very well maintained, but please beware of the high altitude and also the fact that in select locations there are no guard rails.

Almost near the top of Trail Ridge Road, you will find the Alpine Visitor Center - a great place to stop, explore, take a bathroom break and even grab a bite/lunch.

If you have just 1 day to explore the Rocky Mountain National Park, then, this is the road you drive on!

Strongly recommended!!

Very unique driving experience. For fearless drivers only. Went to the summit which has interesting stairs to a lookout over the mountains and valleys. Still some snow in August

We spent most of the day on trail ridge road. Great views fun hikes and lots of wildlife. The weather changes fast at altitude from rain to snow to a mini blizzard back to rain so be prepared for all weather.

Us people in Texas never get to see these kind of things. From forest to mountain tops this has it all. I think we stopped at every pull over spot there was. It took us six hours to drive it.

This is a drive that should be on everyone's list. Don't be in a hurry; actually you cannot anyway, too much traffic. Do stop alot!

Grand Lake on one End, Estes Park on the other. Only open part of the year. Goes up very high, above the tree line. There is a nice Alpine Visitor Center in the highest part with restrooms a big souvenir shop and a cafe. There is often a herd of Elk down below, visible through big windows or outside. This road is a good paved, well maintained road. Also it is steep, winding, has a sharp dropoff on some edges as it winds around the mountains. The speed limit is 35 mph. Usually you cannot pass due to double yellow and heavy traffic on the other side. So be prepared to get in the line of traffic and just stay there. You do not want to be in a hurry. To drive over and back takes half a day. Plus food and possibly shopping if there are women in your party. We came upon a heard of Elk crossing the road on the way back around 5 pm or so in the Kawaneechie valley. This is near the western entrance. There is a fee for entering the Rocky Mountain National Park.

The park is beautiful! There are so many trails to walk and enjoy nature. We didnt see any moose, which is what a lot of people look for, but we did see a small herd of elk and a baby. There are daily reservations you have to purchase prior to going or you will have to wait till 5 pm and purchase a day pass. They have other pass options but if you are only going this one time for awhile just the day will be plenty. There are a lot of people up there at any point and time and they will: pull off the road, pull somewhat off the road, or park in the middle of the road; so they can take a picture of whatever animal they came across. The drive is up one side of the mountain and down the other, so it will be hard on your car and breaks. Make sure to drive in lower gears so you don't hurt either. Take a camera and binoculars! You might find something far off that no one else can see!

The national parks are a treasure, and this one is phenomenal. Please thank the dedicated workers at the RMNP who keep this place in great shape for visitors even as they come under attack in Washington, see their resources slashed and are threatened with job cuts.

Don’t miss taking the chance to drive up this road! It is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful! Make sure if you’re coming from flat land to the area to get acclimated to the altitude in the area for a day or two because even with doing that I still felt dizzy up at the top. But man it was so worth it!

This is a must do in Rocky mountain . The drive was so beautiful. We drove unto Alphine visitor center

Got to see this but there is a catch. The park requires reservations to drive this road. There is a limited amount of permits but if you plan ahead you can get the reservation. We took it all the way through since we were heading onto Montrose and we had all day to get there. Beautiful scenery and great photo opps. Wish we had stayed in Estes Park to give us a little more time here. We will have to come back here and spend a couple of days.

Such a great experience. Not as scary to drive as we thought. We drove this road several times in the last week while on vacation. We usually entered the park around 7 to avoid crowds. So many views and wild life sightings. The Alpine/tundra section was my favorite. We drove all the way to the end and back. The valley is nice. We saw elk, moose, marmots, pics, a fox, and big horn sheep. Between 10-2 itbis very crowded. West side of park is definitely not as crowded. We really enjoyed this experience.

Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved road in any United States National Park, peaking at 12,183 feet. This scenic road offers breathtaking views of the snow capped mountains with several overlooks and stops with parking areas. You do need to pay attention while driving on this road, since there are a few places without guardrails, and many places with rock guard rails and thick trees, but overall, in my opinion it’s not as scary as I was led to believe after reading some other reviews. Make sure you stop at Forest Canyon and Alpine Visitor Center, and bring some warm clothing since it is much cooler and windy than Estes Park.

We traveled from one end to the other and back. Great views and changing weather made this a fun trip. Awesome to see everything in varies states. Found moose on the west side of the trip. Elk were everywhere. Marmots and Pika at the alpine visitor center. Using the Fall River entrance on the east side is a bit quicker

This park is pretty much on every park visitors' bucket list so it is VERY popular. The NPS came up with a great idea to require reservations to keep the crowds down. I wish they would do this for all the National parks.

We made a reservation on line for entry and got right in at our time slot. The roads weren't too crowded and we were able to find parking at all the overlooks and visitor centers.

The visitor centers were closed for the most part due to Covid, but each had rangers outside with maps (and masks) to tell us about the area and where we should hike and what to see. As always the rangers are so helpful and a great resource. Imagine having to tell 500 people a day where to park and hike and still be pleasant.

Anyway the park drive was great except for the wildfire smoke that made the views somewhat hazy. A new fire broke out the day we were there as well.

Another sad note is that a large percentage of the trees were dying of pine bark beetles.

still the views are tremendous. Stop and get out of the car and hike, but be careful if you are from a lowland area. The altitude is over 10,000 feet and you will be short of breath if you overdo it!

the road itself is very safe and paved the whole way.

This was great. Lots of well marked stops and small hikes. It goes above 12,000 feet and the weather is unpredictable. But the views are worth it take your time. We took about 2.5-3 hours to go from Estes Park to Grand Lake.

Glad I did it, but absolutely never again. Had to stop and wipe sweat from my palms multiple times. Glad I brought an extra pair of undies.

What a beautiful drive, the views are stunning with each elevation gain. We had good weather in Sept. and it wasn't very crowded which was great for pull overs and parking. The Aspen Trees were just so colorful and beautiful to see. So glad we took this drive through the park.

Great drive with a ton of places to pull over, and do a little hike to take great pictures. Great scenery and trails.

Great drive with lots of interesting stops. Really didn’t think it was scary, certainly not as bad as going all the way to the top of pikes peak. I came from the east side and instead of turning around decided to do a loop outside of the park and come back via the peak to peak scenic byway, I would not recommend doing that.

There are many valuable opinions about this park, I will try to give some information that may be of interest:

1) To visit the park, 3 days is a good amount to enjoy and see many beautiful places
2) To enter the circuits you need permission. This is done through an app, but be careful that it does not work well in Spanish. Ask for help to obtain them.
3) Entrance to the park is paid per vehicle (35 dollars). If you are going to visit several national parks, I suggest checking to see if the annual pass is a good option. (the weekly pass is per park and is not useful in another)
4) IF you have little time, without a doubt the best circuit is the Trail Ridge Road
5) A good option to sleep is the city of Estes Park. IF you are traveling through Colorado, a good alternative is to continue the trip leaving through Grand Lake
6) To save, it is good to have drinks and meals available in the vehicle.
7) Even though it is summer, it is very cold in the tundra, so I suggest bringing enough clothing.
8) There are many attractions and walking trails. Depending on time and physical fitness, I suggest planning the activities to do in advance.
9) Don't forget binoculars.
10) Although it may seem strange, the largest number of Elks are seen in the city of Este Park in the morning or in the late afternoon. Also in Morraine Park

Highly recommend taking this drive in the late afternoon or early evening. It will take you about 3+ hrs for the round trip if you take your time and take advantage of the various scenic stop offs. I suggest the evening because you will likely get the opportunity to see Moose, Elk, and Deer on your journey. At least this was our experience in the week of July 7th. Also the sunset is amazing and you can view from a variety of vantage points.

Trail ridge road was spectacular! It’s a must if you are in Colorado!
Due to Covid they have the Timed Entry reservations. What they don’t tell you is that you are free to enter the park whenever you want with no permit if you enter before 6am or after 5pm. So just get up early and get in the park before 6 if you can’t reserve a time slot that works for you!
Hope this helps! Go enjoy!!

This a must see in your lifetime! You go through so many different mountain beauties! My favorite was the tundra! Gorgeous drive! Must drive slow.

We encountered elk, deer and mountain goats on our drive. Along with some amazing views all of which had ample parking spaces close by. Loved this drive just awesome.

Trail Ridge Road is not for the faint of heart. We drove the entire length of the road down to the Colorado River for a rafting trip. It was really amazing and beautiful and we saw a lot of wildlife but it is curvy with no shoulders in most places with extreme drop offs. This could make even the bravest person uncomfortable. Along the southwestern portion you mostly see where the fires have destroyed the vegetation in that area of the park.

Awesome. Not for the faint of heart but awesome. I had never been above the treeline or in an area with tundra! Breathtaking views and pulloffs along the way. There's steep dropoffs which are very pretty but also scary. We were there in mid-June and still a ton of snow all around. You can definitely feel the thinner air when you are out of the car too and walking somewhere. Unfortunately, the Alpine Trail, which was our main goal was closed (I think because of snow) but it was still totally worth it. Striking bare and unlike anything on the east coast for sure. I go to the Adirondacks a lot and used to live in NH near the White Mountains so I was curious how the Rockies compare- and they are a whole different creature. We were there in the evening which seems like a great time because it's not too crowded. The drive up to it is also cool- saw several Elk up close. Great travel trip and the road and the park in general would definitely be worth a road trip from Denver.

We drove this, back and forth from Grand Lake, at least 3 times, and from Estes to Bear Lake, as well. Some days it was rainy or snowy, and the taller elevations were socked in with clouds or fog. But a couple of times, we got lucky and the views from EVERYWHERE were fantastic. Be sure to get your entry times before you travel, or be prepared to go early, early, or later in the afternoon (check times on the web) to enter without reservations.

We had all 4 seasons every day, so pack your tees, jackets, raingear, and coat. There are so many overlooks to stop at, many trails if you're so inclined, and lots of wildlife to see if you're looking.

There was a fire last fall on the western edge toward Grand Lake, but stops short of the town, thank goodness.

Each drive was great, and looked different each day. What a wonderful place!

Arrived early for hiking at Bear Lake and Alberta Falls. Both stunning. Lot was full but park and ride at Bear Lake was easy with shuttle. Stopped at scenic overlook for lunch. Disappointed Alpine Center parking lot full. Saw elk, moose, goats, a fox and mule deer. Stopped in Grand Lake and hiked Adams Falls then shopped in cute downtown and had ice cream. Beautiful lake area. Drove through Granby but not much to see there. Trip advisor forum recommended a more scenic route back via route 6 and glad we did. It was a full day but we were back by 6 pm.

Amazing views - a must do if you visit the Rocky Mountain National Park. So many great places to stop but can get busy - would advise going early morning or the early afternoon.

Wow this drive was pretty long but well worth it. We started around 5:30pm so that we can see the animals coming out feeding time and came out from other side by 9:30 ish. We did stop just few times to look out points. Then we saw elks playing on top of the mountain and around the snow area from distance. Than saw lots of deers and elks feeding in the low open fields. We got lucky and watched one elk swim cross that lake to meet with other elks in the field feeding. And bunch more around sunset. It was well worth the drive.

This was on our list, and I’ll admit I was the scaredy-cat of our family (including 2 teens and a 6 yr old) before we went. I was afraid of seeing massive drop offs and fear of falling off the edge as we drove up to nearly 12,000 feet. But to my surprise, it is quite wide and I never once was afraid. Lots of pull offs to take pictures (you will want to!). There was still plenty of snow in the tundra, and it was absolutely breathtaking! We literally drove through clouds. The kids loved it! Don’t miss it!

If you are in Estes Park, Colorado or Grand Lake, Colorado area you MUST drive into RMNP and drive Trail Ridge Road, It is only open during the warmer parts of the year due to heavy snowfall but once that snow melts you should hit the road to see the breathtaking views. There is a visitors center/gift shop along the way to stop and enjoy the views and a snack (Alpine Visitors Center). Along the road you will get to see the continental divide!

The drive was incredible and we even saw deer and elk along the way. I will admit that I was nervous about the switch backs and the altitude but we took our time and enjoyed the scenery. Expect others to be enjoying the scenery as well!

After reading all the warnings about crowds and long lines of cars just to get in, we almost changed our plans since we had no choice but to go on Saturday afternoon. So glad we did not heed the warnings. We had only 2 cars ahead of us when entering thru the Fall River entrance. There were plenty of cars and plenty of annoying people caring more about selfies and choreographed action shots than appreciating the stunning views, but we were pleasantly surprised we always were able to pull off and park at the lookout locations. The weather was perfect although quite windy. Most people seemed cold in the upper 50's temps with strong wind chills, but we were fine in short sleeves.
The Trail Ridge road is a very nice road and the mountain scenery is just the best! Saw a little wildlife but have to keep looking to spot them. The entire drive from one end to the other is nature at its finest.

We drove from the Denver area through Grand Lake onto Trail Ridge through Estes and onto Boulder. Grand Lake is a great place to shop and eat lunch. The National Park drive is indescribably beautiful and will leave you speechless. If anyone in your group gets queasy it should be noted that some of the drive may be difficult for them. If you are in Denver make sure you take a day to see this national wonder.

Im sure this is a lovely drive-- except that I am terrified of heights. And they really dont tell you on the brochure that you are on a 2 lane road with no guard-rails-- 12,000 feet high! Not fun. Scared'est I've ever been...

This is a great ride to see all the ecosystems at the park. Would definitely take the time to do this. We saw a number of wild animals on this trail.

Great day trip drive to Visitors Alpine Center. Make sure and pick out some of the stops to see the mountains and valleys before hand. Many of the stops were full and could not park. The road was very well maintained. Make sure and start early around 9 am. On our way down to our cottage the road going up was packed with cars. We stopped at Lawn lake trail head to eat lunch and fish Fall River. We actually went to parking area and it was full so we went across the road to a little loop and ate there and then fished. There was nobody else in that loop.
Enjoy the views.

My son had the "Every Kid in a Park" pass, so we went to Rocky Mountain National Park to do some afternoon hiking during our family vacation. Afterwards, my husband wanted to drive around the park to see if we could spot any interesting wildlife (AKA animals that we don't see back home). The best way to do that is on Trail Ridge Road. We had been hiking on the west side of the park, so we drove to the east side. It was late afternoon/early evening.
This is one of the most pleasant and scenic drives I've ever been on. It didn't feel as scary as driving up Mount Evans or Pike's Peak. We spotted mule deer, elk and marmots. There were even a couple cow elk in the road at one point.
It was at least a two-hour drive, and that includes only stopping two or three times for a few minutes at a stretch. If you do plan to stop for awhile, you'd be wise to pack a light jacket or sweatshirt, as the road reaches 12,000 feet in elevation and it gets colder.
This drive was definitely a highlight of our family vacation!

So inspirational! The snow fields above timberline in July and August will make you think you're on another planet.

Excellent tour, it is advisable to buy the ticket in advance, very good service both at the ticket offices and on the tour

Very well maintained road up and over the mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park. Quite a few areas where you can pull off for views. Saw moose in a field, big horn ram near a viewpoint parking area, 3 deer/elk cross the road, and of course chipmunks! Learned that the reason many of the trees have died is because of a beetle that gets under the bark. Normally the winters kill them, but it hasn't been getting as cold or cold as long over the years. A few stops along the way with bathrooms. Will see where the continental divide is. When we got all the way over to Grand Lake, we visited the cute town and ate dinner. Then we realized it was a long way back to Estes Park if we didn't go back via Trail Ridge, so we drove the whole route again, this time with no stops. You must register online to pay for a timed entry pass to get into the park. Once in you can stay as long as you like. Thankfully that is only until 5pm because by the time we wanted to get back, we were able to drive back in without needing another entry pass as it was after 5pm. Very enjoyable day and highly recommend.

We made the drive from the Fall River entrance to the Alpine Visitor Center and it was worth every minute!

The views and vistas kept getting more and more impressive. The road is well maintained and has numerous pull off spots and scenic overlooks.

Definitely would recommend to anyone visiting RMNP!

Beautiful yet scary at the same time. We drove to the highest elevation and what an experience. There are parts of the road with no barriers so you are "white knuckling" your steering wheel. There are plenty of off the road turnouts so that you can experience the beauty of the RMNP.

This drive is definitely worth the price! There are multiple spots to pull over and take pictures of all the wonderful mountains around you. Plus, if people are stopped or slowing down be on the look out for some wildlife! We got to experience that many times on our drive. We got to see one deer as we were entering the park. Then before you knew it there were elk everywhere! Plus the waterfalls from the melting snow were awesome to see as well. We will definitely be making this trip up again soon!

Great views of the NP
Best w a 4x4
Make sure u have a NP rez
Great sunset views
I recommend driving this road twice , the cloud scenery changes all the time

Drove the several times during our visit to RMNP. Stayed in Estes, but drove the 1 1/2 to Grand Lake side. Spectacular views, many pull offs and a few visitors centers. Road is in great condition, paved recently. Recommend an early start to maximize your day. If you hike, even just a little, keep in mind the higher altitudes will effect you. Alpine Visitors center has bathrooms, food/drink and a nice gift shop. Enjoy!

The road was definitely one of the best ways to see the park. We started early from the back and made our way towards the hiking trails, taking in all the different biomes and views the park has to offer. We laughed when the signs said expect ice and snow and realized very quickly these very same conditions made the roads dangerous in some instances. It was a little scary at times but the views were incredible. Definitely go prepared with winter clothes and boots for the varying conditions. Also, highly recommend having an AWD of 4x4 vehicle.

Scenic drive with lots of pullovers for sightseeing. Hopefully you will get lucky and see some animals. Good paved road all the way.

Reading other reviews for this road, I see I wasn't the only one who didn't love this road! Ha! It's true, the views can't be beat! As an Indiana Hoosier, I found out that my fear of heights includes driving on treacherous roads through mountain areas! What made it more interesting was the pop up storm that hit when we were going back down off the mountain. There was sleet and hail. This made the windy road even more fun! If you want great views and many photo ops, you should go on this road but have someone drive who is not scared of heights!

My hubby and I took a guided trip with the Rocky Mountain Conservancy on our wedding anniversary to the continental divide and back. It was a great day! Especially since we could both enjoy the sights without having to concentrate on the road. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Be sure to check out this drive next time you are in Colorado. The scenery is spectacular.. and the different climate zones you will experience will amaze you. Try to go in the fall.. the tree color along the way will provide beautiful photo ops and the weather at the top will still be nice. Take lots of pix and send them to your friends. This place is too pretty to miss.

This is a great and scenic drive... but don't ever go on the 4th of July. Traffic was backed up for miles. I think they should limit the number of park visitors, perhaps by charging more on peak days.

Each of the pull offs has something else worth seeing along this two-way road--views, lava flows, marmots, picas, alluvial fan views, diverse elevations, and more.

This road is definitely a mixed bag.

THE GOOD: Stunning views abound in all directions, both ways. There are plenty of places to pull off/park and enjoy the scenery. Moose and elk are prevalent in the meadows on the westernmost quarter of the road, and bighorn sheep, marmots, and pikas can be seen above treeline. The road itself is in excellent condition. It's paved the entire way, is plenty wide for traffic in both directions, and contains plenty of pull-offs perfect for snapping some pictures and breathing in that rocky mountain air!

THE BAD: Terrible drivers who don't understand road etiquette on mountain passes, disrespectful visitors to trample fragile alpine plants despite the NUMEROUS signs indicating to stay on trails, and too crowded despite the timed entry into the park.

ADVICE: Bring layers! The top of the pass could be 40-degrees F cooler than the entrances. Also bring plenty of water to help cope with the altitude. A note on driving etiquette: I expect flat landers to be a bit timid driving winding mountain roads; but if you see a line of cars behind you, PULL OFF so they can pass you.

Fun drive! Been wanting to do this one for awhile. I finally got to experience it on 8/24/2020. The day that I went was pretty smoky from all of the wildfires in the state but you were still able to make out the views. The road did not seem that busy at all but maybe that was because of the reservation system that they had in place due to COVID. Driving near the top of this road was pretty terrifying but I would recommend to others! Lots of hiking trails along this road.

Went in July 2019. Gorgeous views! Very high up! Scary at times, but so worth it! I felt like I was in Switzerland! You can’t help but truly admire the view! Highly recommend! One of the best ways to see the park!

So glad we were able to travel this road in September. The stops, short hikes and views were over the top!

You will need a reservation to enter the park.
We should have checked the website but did
Not and were disappointed!
Also reservations need to be made days in advance and u are required to enter within a
2 hour window.

We drove this road from Grand Lake to Estes Park. This mountain road with the many views is highly recommended. There are some stops and also small trails. Upstairs, next to the Alpine Visitor Center, you can have some food or drink in the restaurant with a nice view. In summer, however, there is a lot of activity here. We also encountered a group of deer halfway through. It is worth planning a little more time here, especially in nice weather.

The views were nice, but it was SUPER windy at the top. The road is hazardous to non-mountain/non-locals due to no guardrails, etc., but you will think that it is super-easy if you are insane enough to try Independence Pass near Aspen.

Waking up in Longmont a bit before sunrise on morning in early October, I found the skies to be completely overcast with a steady drizzle and was afraid my plans for the day, beginning with a visit to Trail Ridge Road, may be a bust. Logging onto NPS’s website, then navigating to the RMNP site and the webcam feed from the Alpine Visitor Center, I saw that it was above the cloud cover and light coating of snow decorated the mountain tops and tundra.

Hustling to eat my breakfast and get ready, I headed to Trail Ridge Road and carefully drove through the pea soup thick fog at the lower elevations. Finally reaching the tree line and clear skies simultaneously, I was treated to a surrealistic view or soaring mountains covered in a candy coating of snow, tundra displaying autumn colors, and the clouds passing through the tree covered valleys as the rain dissipated below. Having the overlooks nearly to myself, the experience was fleeting as the snow was gone in less than two hours and the crowds began to build rapidly.

Even without snow, Trail Ridge Road was still spectacular and arriving early, avoiding the crowds and with the low angle of the sun adding visual warmth, even if the morning is a bit chilly, is worth the early alarm. I enjoyed exploring the entire length, driving all the way to Grand Lake, just outside the west entrance, turning around and returning to Estes Park, stopping at all the overlooks, hiking a few shorter trails and viewing elk near Holzwarth Historic Site and in the valley below the Alpine Visitor Center. However, if one is more limited in time, I would recommend turning around at the Farview Curve overlook as the road soon descends to the west side’s Kawuneeche Valley which is not nearly as spectacular as the rest.

The speeds are slow especially with construction, still driving includes curving roads with no guardrails. Not for the faint of heart. Totally worth it. There are many stops and places to turn around. We were at the park early and out by 12:30. The traffic amount was busy, but not crazy. The air does get thin.

You must have a timed entry reservation ($2.00) in addition to your park pass ($) to drive this road between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. If you are doing the trail ridge scenic route, you will NOT need the Park Access + for the Bear Lake Road Corridor unless you want to go down to Bear Lake and Sprague Lake, then you are required to have a timed entry reservation between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. You can, however, arrive before or after those times and not need a reservation, just your Park pass.

Wish I had known that in advance because the regular Park Access reservation is a little easier to come by.

The reservations are released on the first day of the previous month for the month of your travel. But, they hold back hundreds of reservations that they will release at 5:00 p.m. exactly each day for the next day. I got the earliest time slot available for each day of our trip a few weeks before which was 2:00-4:00 p.m. It worked great for the first day because we flew in and had to drive up from Dener so didn't get there till almost 2 and we chose to do the scenic drive to help get acclimated to the height.

Get a map of the park before you arrive so you can better plan your days. If it is raining and there is a chance of lightning, the entrance booths will be closed (so no one there to give you a map or show your passes to).

SUGGESTION: Enter through the Fall River Entrance Station and follow the signs for the Alluvial Fan and then take the OLD FALL RIVER ROAD scenic trail. This is a one way trail going UP only and is only open from July 1 - October 3rd (of 2022 - check dates in other years). This road will bring you out at the Alpine Visitor Center. You will see everything you "missed" on your way back down.

If you find the trail ridge road in Google Maps, it has you turn around before the Alpine Ridge Center. Wish we had known, but the entrance station was closed due to lightning so we did not have a map and turned around too soon, plus did not know about the Old Fall River Rd trail.

Trail Ridge Rd does go all the way over to Grand Lake, but that is almost a 4 hour drive one way from Estes Park. Had we known, we could have planned better.

You will see some amazing views and we saw lots of Elk/Moose on our drive, in addition to the bipolar weather along the way 😀

Hands down, the most beautiful place I’ve visited. The views are amazing and the road takes you through so many different types of terrain if you go all the way to the end. Very easy to see elk, pika, and occasionally, moose and big horn sheep!

We drove through the park in early September on a Wednesday morning. There was lots of traffic, but it was manageable. Some of the shops in the park were already closed. Along the way, there are some nice views of valleys. It was too early for snow and fall foliage. We didn't see any wildlife along the drive. There was a little bit of snow on the ground at one of the visitor's center. It was cold and windy. It is an interesting drive if you are in the area, the weather is good, and you have the time.

This was quite the road. We traveled on this road for just about two hours and enjoyed our visit through Rocky Mountain national Park. There were no crazy humans and no traffic

We drove Trail Ridge Road east to west last week. The road had not been open for the season long and there was snow everywhere, although the road was clear. Perfect weather, cool, sunny and windy. We enjoyed everything we did in Colorado but this was the highlight. Take your time and try to stop at every overlook you can! Great way to spend a day!

What a road,you can drove your car through this road and enjoy the beauty of rocky mountain,this will also connect the old fall river road.

This drive was absolutely amazing. It got a little scary at times but the traffic goes so slow that it's not bad. We definitely took worse routes during our week in Colorado. The views along the entire 58 miles were breathtaking. We saw two moose and countless elk. I highly recommend, but allow lots of time to go through because the roads are curvy.

While the drive offers views of the park, including snow even in late summer, and frequently deer and elk along the way, this drive is not for someone trying to rush to see the park or looking to follow a schedule. The road is winding and because it is so popular there is always a line of cars that you aren't going to pass. Avoid the elevated BP is this describes you. And when you get to the top you will find parking another chore, circling and waiting for a spot to open along with a long line of other hopefuls. Again, patience is the watchword for this drive. There is an option, a gravel road from the alluvial fan area up to Alpine, but that is even slower and because it can be mud and kicking up stones not recommended for rental cars or anyone else that worries about stone chips.

How much more beautiful can the Rocky Mountains be? We had taken this trip as kids and remember it being a bit breathtakingly scary. We took this trip 50 years later and it was breathtaking in a glorious way. Timed entry no problem. We planned to spend most the day there and did and still need to go back and see some more. I'm telling you man . . . tis drive is special. A must do and probably more than once.

Great, unmatched views with loads of wildlife and changing landscapes. Take a jacket, the temperatures will drop dramatically at the top. We use Trail Ridge to access either side of the park, Grand Lake to Estes and back, but the traffic is mind numbing! You have to plan ahead, there is no way to be in a hurry on Trail Ridge. Pack a snack and bring your camera, if you can find a parking spot, it’s worth it to try to snag pics from various pull offs. Expect drivers to have a temporary loss of senses, they are all gawking and most are completely unfamiliar with mountain driving.

We have driven mountain roads but weren’t sure about Trail Ridge Road. We took a Rocky Mountain Conservancy tour in a small passenger van with large windows and a great guide and enjoyed it thoroughly. In hindsight, we could have driven ourselves; the road is wide enough, well maintained, and there are plenty of pullouts. But there also are very few guard rails and many areas you look out over a sheer drop, so we were glad we took the tour and could relax and enjoy the scenery. We did the Grand Lake Experience tour but there are others that take the Trail Ridge Road too, like Journey to the Top.