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Rocky Mountain Natl Park-Trail Ridge Road

Grey_Mountain
Explorer
Explorer
We are planning a trip to Colorado in a few weeks, and would like to take a day trip from our base camp through the park on the Trail Ridge Road. Are there any steep drop-offs on this road? My British Bride is not overly fond of sheer cliffs with beautiful valles several thousand feet below...
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19 REPLIES 19

FunTwoDrv
Explorer
Explorer
I second Thom's second post. A couple of observations over the past week in EP. The lines entering the park are long especially around noon. The other day it was 1.2 miles on the Elk Meadow side!
The road into Bear Lake has been restricted to traffic the past several days. The parking lots are full for the most part. Catching the shuttle to Bears Lake would be my recommendation. Or, just take the Peak to Peak road and enjoy the views.

Gary

bukhrn
Explorer III
Explorer III
Horsedoc wrote:
Interesting ride is the Old Falls River Road. It is dirt and one way to the top where it intersects with US 34 at the visitors center. Not nearly the vistas that 34 has but slow and fun to drive. We saw a lot of wild life as we made the drive a few years ago. Easy to navigate, even in a regular auto. I would like not try it in a rain storm but it is something we absolutely enjoyed.

X-2 , This is what we did, up Old Falls River Road, to Alpine Visitor Center, then back down Trail Ridge, best of both worlds. 😉
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Horsedoc
Explorer II
Explorer II
Interesting ride is the Old Falls River Road. It is dirt and one way to the top where it intersects with US 34 at the visitors center. Not nearly the vistas that 34 has but slow and fun to drive. We saw a lot of wild life as we made the drive a few years ago. Easy to navigate, even in a regular auto. I would like not try it in a rain storm but it is something we absolutely enjoyed.
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Busskipper
Explorer
Explorer
Grey Mountain wrote:
We are planning a trip to Colorado in a few weeks, and would like to take a day trip from our base camp through the park on the Trail Ridge Road. Are there any steep drop-offs on this road? My British Bride is not overly fond of sheer cliffs with beautiful valles several thousand feet below...


Simple - just head on up to Trail Ridge on "Peak to Peak" - if the road starts to cause a concern then just pull off in a turn out and head Back. Happens all the time.

With this option you will at least see some of the Beauty of Colorado on your Drive.

Personal Suggestion - this will be a long day in the Car so I'd pack some nibbles/Refreshments just in case - you can always find a great Spot to Slide off and Enjoy Lunch. Couple other options would be to Head out of Golden on RT 6 to 119 and when leaving Estes Park head back through Boulder and catch a Great Dinner - Just a Thought.

We do it all the time - stay in GOlden Clear Creek and I love the Drive - usually with a stop in Nederland before either heading on a hike or Estes Park or even Back to Boulder down Boulder Creek Canyon, just so much to see and do - don't let anyone convince you that it is not FUN.

JMHO,
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Lauren
Explorer
Explorer
Did you say a daytrip from Dakota Ridge? If so, I would not even consider Trail Ridge as by the time you get there it will be bumper to bumper and moving slowly with lots of people stopping.

Thom had an excellent suggestion - take a bus up to Bear Lake. Granted you will not see as much of Rocky but you will see one of the most beautiful places. (You will see Hallett's Peak which my dear wife and I hiked three times from that parking area.) If you have a little time walk a bit counterclockwise around the lake.

His suggestion for Rainbow and Many Parks is excellent.

By the time you get to Rocky you will be well back up at the gate I think and pretty jammed.

Depends upon your patience level.

BTW, our daughter went to London 30 years ago to study for a semester; she is still there!
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ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
Yes. There are plenty of dropoffs. People have a choice. They can confront their fears and get over them, or stay out of the mountains. It comes with the territory.

Thom02099
Explorer II
Explorer II
Grey Mountain wrote:
Thanks for all the responses. RMNP is not our objective - we will be staying at the Dakota Ridge RV Park in Golden, visiting an English friend of my British Bride whom she has not seen in over 30 years. While there, we are going to take a day trip. Limited on time.
When we visited Yellowstone, we spent ten days there, parked in Gardiner and took many day trips into the park.
May have to just start from the Estes Park entrance, go until my wife says "Enough."
We did that at Pikes Peak. From the toll gate to the top it is 19 miles. We made it all the way to Mile Marker 1 before my wife said "turn around."


If your British Bride was not fond of start of the Pikes Peak Road, she will not enjoy the higher elevations of Trail Ridge. And since you are limited on time, a suggestion for RMNP.

Park at the Beaver Meadows Visitors Center and take the shuttle up to Bear Lake. While there are a few twisties near the end of the road, the buses do it all the time and the scenery is incredible. Bear Lake itself is usually crowded, so if you can get there early in the day, so much the better. Or, get off at some of the stopping points on the way up and take a day hike on some of the trails. Well worth it!

Another suggestion would be to stay in the lower reaches of the park and enjoy the vistas from the valleys of the majestic peaks that abound. She may be OK with going up Trail Ridge as far as Rainbow Curve or even Many Parks Curve, since you're still within the trees.

And you could also head up from Golden to Black Hawk on US6/CO119 and take the Peak to Peak Highway from Black Hawk through Nederland, Ward and Allenspark, up to Estes Park. Beautiful views along the way, and at Ward you could go into the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area at Brainard Lake. Some awesome views there, nothing difficult getting there that might cause your wife some concern, and some marvelous hikes that are relatively easy, though at elevation.
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Grey_Mountain
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks for all the responses. RMNP is not our objective - we will be staying at the Dakota Ridge RV Park in Golden, visiting an English friend of my British Bride whom she has not seen in over 30 years. While there, we are going to take a day trip. Limited on time.
When we visited Yellowstone, we spent ten days there, parked in Gardiner and took many day trips into the park.
May have to just start from the Estes Park entrance, go until my wife says "Enough."
We did that at Pikes Peak. From the toll gate to the top it is 19 miles. We made it all the way to Mile Marker 1 before my wife said "turn around."
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Lauren
Explorer
Explorer
Thom did an excellent job. We lived in Estes for 8 years and loved driving Trail Ridge. Keep in mind, we were experienced mountain road drivers. Yes, there are no guard rail, little shoulder dropoffs where your first bounce after going over is several hundred feet down.

Go early in the morning - I mean early. It is a traffic jam later. And people stop in the middle of the road to get out and take pictures; some even leave their car. Kinda jams things up.

I could write a book of stories about it.

And you have no control over the other driver.

We are heading to CO again from Tucson area. And, once again, we are not going back to Estes Park - it is a zoo with people in the summer.
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fanrgs
Explorer
Explorer
I have lived in Colorado most of my life and look at Trail Ridge as being the same as RMNP. If you haven't driven Trail Ridge Road, you haven't seen RMNP. For me at least, that would be like going to Yellowstone NP for the first time and skipping Old Faithful Geyser and Yellowstone Falls.

Sure, there are some other scenic attractions at RMNP, but Estes Park is NOT one of them. And limiting yourself just to the east side of the park after traveling 100's of miles to get there is missing the whole objective of the park's creation. The park was created to preserve the high mountains and the tundra, not just the valleys on each side.

Despite it's name, Trail Ridge is not some jeep trail over a high mountain pass. It is paved US Highway 34. Black Bear and Schofield Passes are a completely different story, but they're not in RMNP!
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profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
It is not an unsafe road -- thousands of folks do it every year. The lanes are wide. There are lots of pullouts. I took a trailer over the whole road with no problem.

Do not miss this road, if at all possible. Yes it is crowded, for good reason -- one of the most wonderful drives we have ever taken. Plan to spend all day on the round trip. And if you can, stop and do some hiking. Tombstone Ridge is terrific.
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Thom02099
Explorer II
Explorer II
Grey Mountain wrote:
We are planning a trip to Colorado in a few weeks, and would like to take a day trip from our base camp through the park on the Trail Ridge Road. Are there any steep drop-offs on this road? My British Bride is not overly fond of sheer cliffs with beautiful valles several thousand feet below...


Yes. There are steep drop offs. 1000s of feet in places. Yes, there are sheer cliffs. Again with very steep drop offs.

You don't indicate which side you'll be coming from. I am up there frequently, have been for the better part of nearly 40 years. Here is some insight, from both sides.

From the Estes Park side, there are 2 ways in. The Beaver Meadows Entrance and the Fall River Entrance. Coming in from either is relatively uneventful. They meet approximately 6-8 miles in from either entrance. The Fall River entrance has less traffic coming in.

Once the roads meet, you'll be in forested areas past Rainbow Curve and Many Parks Curve. Once you get past Many Parks, you will be entering the tundra area above tree line. Immediately, there is a sheer drop off on the right side as you go up. There is also no guard rail or barriers. Once you reach the Canyon Overlook, you will be well above tree line and will be for 12 miles. Again, there are no guard rails. HOWEVER...coming from the Estes Park side, you will also be on the INSIDE, against the mountain terrain at your side, for a goodly portion of those 12 miles. There are a number of pull offs for you to enjoy the view.

Once you get to the Alpine Visitors Center (which frequently has a completely full parking lot), you will be heading down on the OUTSIDE/drop off portion, with no guard rails or barriers. But...you will also be getting back below tree line in fairly short order, and the drop offs become less significant, going DOWN to Grand Lake. You'll know when you are down in the valley, and it straightens out and is a beautiful drive to Grand Lake.

Coming FROM Grand Lake, again, you start up a valley, and just past the Colorado River Trailhead you'll begin to climb. You're in the trees, so really no big deal. That said, there several places before you get above tree line where there will be openings and, since you'r on the OUTSIDE, there will be some sheer drop offs. Not really too bad all the way up to Milner Pass, which is the Continental Divide. Past there, and up to Farview Curve, you'll be in the INSIDE/mountain side. At Farview, that's where you will begin the ascent with no guardrails and no barriers. You'll again reach the Alpine Visitors Center, and climb...no barriers, no guard rails and you are on the OUTSIDE/drop off side for the bulk of the 12 miles that you are above timberline.

All of the above that I described coming from Estes Park, you're doing in reverse coming from Grand Lake. Or going up from Estes Park to the Visitors Center and then returning. You're on the OUTSIDE. There's no escaping that.

Well, yes there is...sort of. From the Estes Park side, the Fall River Entrance, you have the option of taking the Old Fall River Road up to the Alpine Visitors Center. It's one way, so you have to commit to it. It's a dirt road with many switchbacks, but you're also in the trees for a goodly portion of it. It's 11 miles from the start of the one way portion, the last 3 or so miles are above the tree line into the tundra, and you'll get a fantastic vista of the valley you just came up. Then you can go down to either Estes Park or Grand Lake from the visitors center.

On Trail Ridge, a driver must focus on the road and not the sights. And focus on the other drivers. THAT is the real hazard of Trail Ridge Road. Be aware of the potential of the vehicle in front of you stopping at any time in the middle of the road, because they want a photo op of the wildlife up there. This happens all the time.

This is meant to be factual and informative. I have driven it hundreds of times without incident. I am also keenly aware of other drivers. AND the weather. It can snow/rain/hail up there at any time, and there can be fog that a British Bride will certainly be able to relate to. Be prepared for anything and everything.
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d3500ram
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morphrider wrote:
Yes.....but sooo worth it.

^^--ditto that!
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morphrider
Explorer
Explorer
It's not that bad, you get super high in elevation. Take clothes. Just because it's hot down below in Lyons and fair in Estes Park does NOT mean it will stay that way. We always bring jackets for the upper portion.