Trail Ridge Road in a Motorhome?

[C_J1]

Assuming the weather is o.k., is Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park drivable in a 34 foot motorhome (no toad)?

[Lauren]

Ya got me chuckli' with the first sentence there, T M! You fully told it like it is. Those turns on the west side are really tight to say the least. Heck, I did not even mention the crowds or the fact we have refused to go back to Estes Park for years mainly because of them.

T M, you and I have wonderful memories of being there and gratitude for getting the heck otta there.

We will be in B V for a month this summer - month of August. Then Carbondale and then 8 days in Ouray for the gold again.

[Thunder_Mountai]

If Lauren chimed in, it's time for me. Lived in EP from 1980 to 2010. We left because of the total gridlock in EP and RMNP. I drove Trail Ridge in our 30'+ fiver several times and in our 40' MH plus toad probably 6 or 8 times. These transits were for a point to point trip. I wouldn't suggest it for sightseeing. Very limited spots to park the beast which you will want to do numerous times. Agree with everything said above. Yes, steep up and down grades, no guard rails to speak of, steep drop offs, no room to pull off to look at the scenery and winding road.I would be at the Park gate no later than 7 am. The worst part of the road are the 6 very sharp switchbacks on the west side. There is no way you can negotiate them without taking a bit of the other lane. They are doable by all means. Just be aware. If you are not confident in you mountain driving ability or have a nervous passenger, I would suggest you not go there.

[2gypsies1]

So.... it sounds like you won't be towing a car. Any way you can change that? Going to these awesome places and national parks in the West, you need a car. Your 33' isn't considered small for the limited parking spaces you'll encounter.

[Lauren]

I agree with Thom 100% and very good reply to you. I lived in Estes Park for 8 years and never recommended it. Also part of the problem I found were the blind hairpin turns on the west side - you will need more than one lane and, like I said, blind curves.

I say here as I have said so many times - you can't foresee or do much about the guy coming the other way who is taking his half out of the middle.

I would wholeheartedly go along with you renting a car for the day and doing it. It is not to be missed - we drove it a lot and I did a lot of photo work up there.

Lauren

[C_J1]

Thanks everyone, especially Thom for the local's knowledge. We'll assess the situation as we get closer in time and geography. Maybe we'll chicken out and just rent a car for a day!

[Busskipper]

C&J wrote:
Assuming the weather is o.k., is Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park drivable in a 34 foot motorhome (no toad)?

Sure is if open, IMHO it is one GREAT drive. If it were a problem it would be restricted.

JMHO,

Thom has a lot of good info as this is his BackYard.

Best of Luck, and Enjoy Colorado,

[Thom02099]

C&J wrote:
We would be doing it in early June (if it is open!) Are we less likely to hit those big traffic jams then?

The Park Service sets a goal every year to have the road open by Memorial Day Weekend. Most years are plus or minus 1 week or so. Lots of times, they are able to get it open...it's a matter of keeping it open due to new snow. April usually dumps a lot of late season snow up there, as one of our snowiest months.

As to traffic, it's also weather dependent. A lot of folks look forward to the first open weekend. They want to gawk at the huge 20foot plus snow drifts that have been cut through by the snow eaters. I'll be up there this year for Memorial Day Weekend, as I have a reservation at a prime spot at Moraine Park in Rocky. And I'll go up top, weather permitting.

The phone number for road conditions in RMNP is 970-586-1222. It is updated frequently as weather conditions warrant.

[2gypsies1]

If you haven't looked at the national park's site I suggest you study all areas of it with lots of good information. Somewhere in there is a phone # to call for updated road information. I suggest you have a backup route if the road has issues at that time. Early June can be iffy.

Here's some information on the road itself:

https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/trail_ridge_road.htm

[agesilaus]

Colo Native wrote:
I agree with Thom02099, I was born and raised In Colo know the mountains well and Trail Ridge there are some spots that I would take pause on.

Besides all that was mentioned above, there are frequent small waterfalls and rills that run over the roadway. And every time I've been over it there is maintenance work going on in spots. Fixing winter damage to the road.

[C_J1]

We would be doing it in early June (if it is open!) Are we less likely to hit those big traffic jams then?

[Colo_Native]

I agree with Thom02099, I was born and raised In Colo know the mountains well and Trail Ridge there are some spots that I would take pause on.

[Thom02099]

C&J wrote:
Assuming the weather is o.k., is Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park drivable in a 34 foot motorhome (no toad)?

Short answer -- yes. With caveat.

There is an elevation change (coming from Estes Park) from 7500 feet to over 12000 feet. Much of the first part of the trip is in the trees. But once one gets to Many Parks Curve (above 10000 feet), it's above the tree line and in the sub-alpine tundra. There will be 11 miles of this. The road is narrow, with no shoulder or guardrails and frequently (more and more) has to be shared with bicyclists. There are many steep drop offs in that 11 miles stretch.

If you have mountain driving experience, so much the better. If you're a flatlander with no experience, it can be daunting. I've been going up there for nearly 40 years, and there are still places that I'm not fond of. The driver absolutely must focus completely on driving; it is no time or place for driver sightseeing.

And there is a LOT of traffic. The entrance gate at the Beaver Meadows entrance is frequently backed up for a mile or more...at 8am. The Fall River entrance is less congested. It will frequently be bumper to bumper. And thoughtless drivers will stop right in the lane of travel for the just must have photo op. In a vehicle that large, you will likely not be able to find any place within a parking lot, and may not be able to use the many pull offs that are available. It will be a pick and choose situation, for pulling over and getting out to enjoy the sights.

Yes, it can be done. One thing you will note, however is the lack of similar vehicles. There are jeeps/jitneys that go up there, as well as tour buses. These are experienced, seasoned drivers.

Yes it can be done.

[azdryheat]

Here's a previous thread: LINK