Trail Ridge Road is open 24/7. Heavy Snows did delay Trail Ridge Road from opening for Memorial Day Weekend Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The amount of winter snowpack that faced park snowplow operators when plowing began, combined with recent May storms, have hampered park snow plowing efforts. A snow storm in the last week of may produced 17 foot drifts above Rainbow Curve on the east side of the Park.

• All closures go in to effect on March 1 and will continue through July 31.
• Closures include Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Alligator Rock, Sheep Mountain, and Twin Owls, Rock One. These closures include the named formations as well as areas extending 100 yards surrounding the base of the formation.
• The perimeter around Alligator Rock extends for 200 yards in all directions.
• Closures include all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber access trails to the named rock formations.
• These closures may be extended longer or rescinded at an earlier date depending on nesting activity.
  
  For updated information about Trail Ridge Road... call the Trail Ridge Road Hot line at 970-586-1222.

Free Shuttle Buses into and in Rocky   [PARK PASS REQUIRED!]

The Bus services for the 2010 season are ended. Both the Daily Hikers Shuttle and the Bear Lake shuttle will not start again until 2010:

• Bear Lake Road Shuttle will begin 2011 service on May 28, 2011.
• Daily Hikers Shuttle will begin 2011 service on June 25, 2011.

Zoomable Rocky Map:
Zoom in/out on the Park Map for a very detailed view.

Opening Day on Fall River Road (July 1, 2011) — Images

Trip Report and Images From late June, 2009 —
Old Fall River Road and Trail Ridge Road

Trip Report and Images From early June, 2009 — Sheep and Elk

Trail Ridge Road to Open on Friday - May 22, 2009
(Click here for a Preview)

Sheep Lakes at Sunrise & Sheep
May 15-17, 2009

View Spring 2009 Photos ( April 19, 2009 )

View Spring 2009 Photos ( March 27, 2009 and April 4, 2009 )

Dial (970) 586-1222 for a recorded message on the status of Trail Ridge Road. You may not know that our mountain make their own weather, so it is not uncommon to have snow in July or August at the top of Trail Ridge Road. It can be slippery and add a 20 mph wind, and you can have a white out. Such weather will only last for a few hours to a day, but if you are planning to cross over Trail Ridge Road, weather may hamper your travel. You also may find the road closed due to weather in early June and September/October.

Mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus ponderosae, is native to the forests of western North America. Periodic outbreaks of the insect, previously called the Black Hills beetle or Rocky Mountain pine beetle, can result in losses of millions of trees. Outbreaks develop irrespective of property lines, being equally evident in wilderness areas, mountain subdivisions and back yards. Even windbreak or landscape pines many miles from the mountains can succumb to beetles imported in infested firewood. More Info...

Featured Animal: Bobcat

The bobcat is one of the 5 predators in Rocky Mountain National Park. About 1.5 to 2 times the size of a large house cat, it is a constant hunter. It has little fear of humans and can be found throughout Rocky and the town of Estes Park. Note the large tufted ears.

The other predators are bear, coyote, mountain lion (puma) and fox.

Fall River Band

On Thursday, May 21, 2009, Trail Ridge Road officially opened for the 2009 season. The road will remain open 24/7 weather permitting until October, 2009 or close by a major snow storm.

Fall River Road opened on (July2, 2009. It will remain open until the end of October or closed by bad weather (snow).