Trail Ridge Road is Open in RMNP!

Trail Ridge Road - which spans Rocky Mountain National Park and connects Estes Park (on the eastern side of the park) with Grand Lake (on the western slope) opened today for the season! Park visitors have loved this picturesque drive, and the bragging rights that they drove on the United States highest continuously pave road. Reaching 12,183 feet above sea level, is nothing to sneeze at!

The National Parks Service reports, "This year snowplow operators faced many challenges while clearing the road; encountering the most snow they have seen this late in the season for thirty years." Kyle Patterson of NPS shares that the amount of winter snowpack, in combination with late spring storms really made snowplowing efforts difficult.

Historically, Trail Ridge Road is opened to the publice on Memorial Day weekend. The latest opening date (other than this year!) in the past 20 years was June 4, 1994, and the latest it has ever opened was June 26, 1943!

Because the weather conditions at this high altitude can change rapidly, park visitors should be prepared to adjust travel plans, and are encouraged to call the park's Trail Ridge Road recorded phone line at (970)586-1222. The NPS staff will update the recording during and after regular office hours if the road status changes.

For more information about RMNP's Trail Ridge Road, go to RockyMountainNationalPark.com

You Call this Spring? Update on Trail Ridge Road

The weather and extended forecast has changed some ... since we scheduled our Media Day for snowplowing efforts on Trail Ridge Road! Due to the recent snowstorm and current weather forecast, we will be postponing our media day scheduled for tomorrow.

Currently there is 3 to 4 feet of snow above Rainbow Curve and wind with gusts up to 55 mph above Many Parks Curve. There is 2 inches of ice on the road between Many Parks Curve and Rainbow Curve. The snow and wind is supposed to continue through this evening at higher elevations. The sun aids in our efforts to clear Trail Ridge Road and we might not see it again until tomorrow morning sometime!

We want to keep all of us safe (and reasonably warm) during media day and provide some great visuals for you as well. We will see what happens over the weekend - weather and equipment wise - and touch base with you all early next week.

Thanks for your patience. It's Springtime in the Rockies! What were we
thinking scheduling our media day for Friday the 13th? :-)

- Kyle from the N.P.S.