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Coordinates: 40°25′04″N 105°44′48″W / 40.4177°N 105.7467°W / 40.4177; -105.7467 (Trail Ridge Road Summit, Colorado, USA)
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{{short description|Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway}}
{{see also|List of Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox road
{{Infobox road
|marker_image=
|header_type=hist
|state=CO
|state=CO
|type=US
|type=NSB
|name=Trail Ridge Road<br/><small>A part of the [[Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway]]</small>
|route=34
|maint=[[National Park Service]]
|alternate_name=Trail Ridge Road
|maint=[[National Park Service|NPS]]
|section=
|map=Trail Ridge Road map small.gif
|map=Trail Ridge Road map small.gif
|map_notes=Schematic map of the Trail Ridge Road
|map_notes=Schematic map of the Trail Ridge Road
|length_mi=48
|length_mi=48
|length_ref=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.codot.gov/travel/colorado-byways/north-central/trail-ridge-rd|title=Trail Ridge Road: Rocky Mountain National Park|publisher=[[Colorado Department of Transportation]]|year=2021|access-date=April 8, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://scenicbyways.info/byway/2102.html|title=Trail Ridge Road / Beaver Meadow Road|publisher=America's Scenic Byways|access-date=April 8, 2022}}</ref>
|length_round=
|marker_image=[[File:MUTCD D6-4.svg|72x72px]][[File:Logo of the United States National Park Service.svg|72x72px]][[File:Colorado Scenic Byway.png|72x72px]]
|length_ref=
|length_notes=
|length_notes=
|formed=1989
|tourist=[[File:MUTCD D6-4.svg|20px|alt=|link=]] Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow Road
|direction_a=East
|established=1932
|terminus_a={{jct|state=CO|US|34}} [[Estes Park, Colorado|Estes&nbsp;Park]]
|direction_a=West
|junction=
|terminus_a=[[Grand Lake, Colorado|Grand Lake]]
|direction_b=East
|direction_b=West
|terminus_b=[[Estes Park, Colorado|Estes Park]]
|terminus_b={{jct|state=CO|US|34}} [[Grand Lake, Colorado|Grand&nbsp;Lake]]
|counties=[[Grand County, Colorado|Grand County]], [[Larimer County, Colorado|Larimer County]]
|counties=[[Larimer County, Colorado|Larimer]] and [[Grand County, Colorado|Grand counties]]
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|embedded={{Infobox NRHP | embed=yes
|embedded={{Infobox NRHP | embed=yes
| name = Trail Ridge Road
| name = Trail Ridge Road
| added =November 14, 1984
| added =November 14, 1984
| refnum= 84000242<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a|accessdate=September 29, 2013}}</ref>
| refnum= 84000242<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a|access-date=September 29, 2013}}</ref>
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'''Trail Ridge Road''' is the name for the {{convert|48|mi|0|adj=on}} stretch of [[U.S. Highway 34 (Colorado)|U.S. Highway 34]] that traverses [[Rocky Mountain National Park]] from [[Estes Park, Colorado]] in the east to [[Grand Lake, Colorado]] in the west. Together with the connecting {{convert|6.9|mi|0|adj=on}} [[Beaver Meadows Visitor Center|Beaver Meadow Road]] ([[U.S. Highway 36]]), Trail Ridge Road forms the {{convert|55|mi|0|adj=on}} [[Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway]], an [[All-American Road]]. With a high point at {{convert|12183|ft|0}} elevation, Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in North America. The higher portion of Trail Ridge Road is closed from October to May.

'''Trail Ridge Road''' is the name for a stretch of [[U.S. Highway 34 (Colorado)|U.S. Highway 34]] that traverses [[Rocky Mountain National Park]] from [[Estes Park, Colorado]] in the east to [[Grand Lake, Colorado]] in the west. The road is also known as '''Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway'''.

Trail Ridge Road is closed during the winter, and often remains closed until late spring or early summer depending on the snowpack. It requires access to Rocky Mountain National Park even for local residents. The Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved through road in Colorado and it is also the highest paved road in Colorado that crosses the continental divide ([[Colorado State Highway 82]] at 12,095 feet going through Independence Pass is the second highest).


==Route description==
==Route description==
[[File:Trail Ridge Road and Longs Peak by RO.jpg|right|thumb|alt=A color image of a rock at the foot of a large mountain|Trail Ridge Road, with Longs Peak (left of center), Pagoda Peak (center, in sun), Chief's Head (right of center, in shadow), and Mount Terra Tomah (at far right edge, in shadow), from {{convert|12000|feet}} above sea level in [[Rocky Mountain National Park]]]]
[[File:Trail Ridge Road and Longs Peak by RO.jpg|right|thumb|alt=A color image of a rock at the foot of a large mountain|Trail Ridge Road, with [[Longs Peak]] (left of center), [[Pagoda Mountain]] (center, in sun), [[Chiefs Head Peak]] (right of center, in shadow), and [[Terra Tomah Mountain]] (at far right edge, in shadow), from {{convert|12000|feet}} above sea level in [[Rocky Mountain National Park]]]]
[[File:Trail Ridge Road 01.jpg|thumb|right|View of Trail Ridge Road]]
[[File:Trail Ridge Road 01.jpg|thumb|right|View of Trail Ridge Road]]
[[File:Trailridgeroadkea.jpg|thumb|The wooden poles mark the edge of the road for the spring snowplowing. The height of the poles illustrate how deep the snowpack gets; the road is closed through the winter.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=National Park Service|title=Forest Health|url=http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/forest_health_park_efforts.htm|accessdate=12 Jan 2013|quote= Road crews use tall and narrow trees as snow poles to mark road edges affected by deep snow. These snow poles help facilitate plowing operations throughout the year, especially when opening Trail Ridge Road.}}</ref>|alt=Trail Ridge Road, Colorado]]
[[File:Trailridgeroadkea.jpg|thumb|The wooden poles mark the edge of the road for the spring snowplowing. The height of the poles illustrate how deep the snowpack gets; the road is closed through the winter.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=National Park Service|title=Forest Health|url=http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/forest_health_park_efforts.htm|access-date=12 Jan 2013|quote= Road crews use tall and narrow trees as snow poles to mark road edges affected by deep snow. These snow poles help facilitate plowing operations throughout the year, especially when opening Trail Ridge Road.}}</ref>|alt=Trail Ridge Road, Colorado]]


From Kawuneeche Visitor Center at the park's [[Grand Lake, Colorado|Grand Lake]] Entrance, Trail Ridge Road follows the North Fork of the [[Colorado River]] north through the [[Kawuneeche Valley]]. There are several trailheads along this section of the road, notably the Colorado River Trailhead, which is the western terminus of the road segment closed during the winter.
From Kawuneeche Visitor Center at the park's [[Grand Lake, Colorado|Grand Lake]] Entrance, Trail Ridge Road follows the North Fork of the [[Colorado River]] north through the [[Kawuneeche Valley]]. There are several trailheads along this section of the road, notably the Colorado River Trailhead, which is the western terminus of the road segment closed during the winter.
Line 49: Line 39:
The road crosses the [[Continental Divide]] at [[Milner Pass]] (elev. {{convert|10758|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and reaches a maximum elevation of {{convert|12183|ft|abbr=on}}, near [[Fall River Pass]] (elev. {{convert|11796|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}). Near the highest point on the road is another pass, Iceberg Pass (elev. {{convert|11827|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}).
The road crosses the [[Continental Divide]] at [[Milner Pass]] (elev. {{convert|10758|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and reaches a maximum elevation of {{convert|12183|ft|abbr=on}}, near [[Fall River Pass]] (elev. {{convert|11796|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}). Near the highest point on the road is another pass, Iceberg Pass (elev. {{convert|11827|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}).


According to construction contracts and park maintenance files the east end of the road is located at the [[Fall River (Larimer County, Colorado)|Fall River]] Entrance, however some guides state that earlier - at Deer Ridge Junction.<ref name="HAERCO31">{{cite book |last=Quin |first=Richard |series=Historic American Engineering Record |title=Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, HAER No. CO-31 |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/co/co0100/co0193/data/co0193data.pdf |accessdate=2013-07-29 |date=August 1993 |publisher=National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior |location=Washington D.C. }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
According to construction contracts and park maintenance files, the east end of the road is located at the [[Fall River (Larimer County, Colorado)|Fall River]] entrance, however some guides list Deer Ridge Junction as the east end.<ref name="HAERCO31">{{cite book |last=Quin |first=Richard |series=Historic American Engineering Record |title=Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, HAER No. CO-31 |url=https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/co/co0100/co0193/data/co0193data.pdf |access-date=2020-06-08 |date=Aug 1993 |publisher=National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior |location=Washington D.C. }}</ref>


Trail Ridge is a high flat spur range extending east from the main range of the Rockies between Fall River in the North and the [[Big Thompson River]] in the South. The road follows Trail Ridge from the Fall River Pass near Alpine Visitor Center to the Deer Ridge Junction.<ref name="HAERCO31" />
Trail Ridge is a high, flat spur range extending east from the main range of the Rockies between Fall River in the North and the [[Big Thompson River]] in the South. The road follows Trail Ridge from the Fall River Pass near Alpine Visitor Center to the Deer Ridge Junction.<ref name="HAERCO31" />


[[File:Trail Ridge Road - elevation profile, ft mi.gif|thumb|none|450px|Trail Ridge Road - elevation profile, based on elevation values obtained from [[Google Maps]] Elevation Service (m/km [[:File:Trail Ridge Road - elevation profile, m km.gif|here]]).]]
[[File:Trail Ridge Road - elevation profile, ft mi.gif|thumb|none|450px|Trail Ridge Road - elevation profile, based on elevation values obtained from [[Google Maps]] Elevation Service (m/km [[:File:Trail Ridge Road - elevation profile, m km.gif|here]]).]]


==History==
==Climate==
{{Weather box
[[Fall River Road]] was the first road into the park's high country. It opened in 1921 and quickly proved inadequate for motor travel as a single-track road with steep grades (up to 16%), tight curves and a short annual season due to snowpack.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/romo/visit/weather/scenicdrives.html |title=Scenic Drives |accessdate=2007-08-23 |work=Rocky Mountain National Park |publisher=National Park Service }}</ref> Construction began in 1929 and was complete to Fall River Pass by July 1932, with a maximum grade of 7%. The road was complete through the Kawuneeche Valley to [[Grand Lake, Colorado|Grand Lake]] in 1938.<ref name=romo1>{{cite web|title=History of Trail Ridge Road|url=http://www.nps.gov/romo/historyculture/trail_ridge_road_history.htm|work=Rocky Mountain National Park|publisher=National Park Service|accessdate=29 August 2011}}</ref> The route followed what was known to local [[Arapaho]] Indians as the Dog Trail. Internal opposition to the construction of a road through the park's [[alpine tundra]] was overruled by [[National Park Service]] director [[Horace Albright]], who wished to encourage park visitation. The road was designed to intrude as little as possible into the landscape, in accordance with Park Service design principles.<ref name=noel1>{{cite book|last=Noel|first=Thomas J.|title=Buildings of Colorado|year=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-515247-6|page=457}}</ref>
|location = Trail Ridge High Point 40.4093 N, 105.7142 W, Elevation: {{cvt|12149|ft}} (1991–2020 normals)
|single line = y


|Jan high F = 19.9
Hidden Valley (or Ski Estes Park) was a local ski area attraction from 1955 - 1991, off of Trail Ridge Road, now defunct.<ref>[http://www.coloradoskihistory.com/lost/skiestespark.html Colorado Ski History: ''Hidden Valley''] (Ski Estes Park)</ref>
|Feb high F = 20.3
|Mar high F = 27.3
|Apr high F = 34.7
|May high F = 43.4
|Jun high F = 54.8
|Jul high F = 61.5
|Aug high F = 59.0
|Sep high F = 52.2
|Oct high F = 40.7
|Nov high F = 27.0
|Dec high F = 20.1


|Jan mean F = 12.1
==Before the road was constructed==
|Feb mean F = 11.9
|Mar mean F = 18.0
|Apr mean F = 24.1
|May mean F = 33.0
|Jun mean F = 43.8
|Jul mean F = 50.7
|Aug mean F = 48.7
|Sep mean F = 41.8
|Oct mean F = 30.9
|Nov mean F = 19.4
|Dec mean F = 12.3

|Jan low F = 4.3
|Feb low F = 3.6
|Mar low F = 8.7
|Apr low F = 13.6
|May low F = 22.6
|Jun low F = 32.8
|Jul low F = 40.0
|Aug low F = 38.3
|Sep low F = 31.5
|Oct low F = 21.1
|Nov low F = 11.8
|Dec low F = 4.5

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 3.79
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.85
|Mar precipitation inch = 3.73
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.88
|May precipitation inch = 4.07
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.77
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.37
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.23
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.16
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.82
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.34
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.51

|source=PRISM Climate Group<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/
|title= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
|publisher= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
|access-date= October 10, 2023
|quote= To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking ''Coordinates'' (under ''Location''); copy ''Latitude'' and ''Longitude figures'' from top of table; click ''Zoom to location''; click ''Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp''; click ''30-year normals, 1991-2020''; click ''800m''; click ''Retrieve Time Series'' button.}}</ref>
}}

==History==
Trail Ridge had been used by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] to cross the mountains between their home lands in the west and hunting areas on the east side. [[Arapaho people|Arapahoe Indians]] called the trail located on the ridge as "taienbaa" ("Where the Children Walked") because it was so steep that children could not be carried, but had to walk. The [[Ute people|Ute tribe]] crossing the mountains at Forest Canyon Pass marked their route with stone [[cairn]]s. The present park Ute Trail follows partially that ancient route.<ref name="HAERCO31" />
Trail Ridge had been used by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] to cross the mountains between their home lands in the west and hunting areas on the east side. [[Arapaho people|Arapahoe Indians]] called the trail located on the ridge as "taienbaa" ("Where the Children Walked") because it was so steep that children could not be carried, but had to walk. The [[Ute people|Ute tribe]] crossing the mountains at Forest Canyon Pass marked their route with stone [[cairn]]s. The present park Ute Trail follows partially that ancient route.<ref name="HAERCO31" />


Line 66: Line 117:


[[File:Trail Ridge Road map north.gif|thumb|none|750px|Schematic map of the Trail Ridge Road northern sections.]]
[[File:Trail Ridge Road map north.gif|thumb|none|750px|Schematic map of the Trail Ridge Road northern sections.]]

[[Fall River Road]] was the first road into the park's high country. It opened in 1921 and quickly proved inadequate for motor travel as a single-track road with steep grades (up to 16%), tight curves and a short annual season due to snowpack.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/romo/visit/weather/scenicdrives.html |title=Scenic Drives |access-date=2007-08-23 |work=Rocky Mountain National Park |publisher=National Park Service }}</ref> Construction began in 1929 and was complete to Fall River Pass by July 1932, with a maximum grade of 7%. The road was complete through the Kawuneeche Valley to [[Grand Lake, Colorado|Grand Lake]] in 1938.<ref name=romo1>{{cite web|title=History of Trail Ridge Road|url=http://www.nps.gov/romo/historyculture/trail_ridge_road_history.htm|work=Rocky Mountain National Park|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=29 August 2011}}</ref> The route followed what was known to local [[Arapaho]] Indians as the Dog Trail. Internal opposition to the construction of a road through the park's [[alpine tundra]] was overruled by [[National Park Service]] director [[Horace Albright]], who wished to encourage park visitation. The road was designed to intrude as little as possible into the landscape, in accordance with Park Service design principles.<ref name=noel1>{{cite book|last=Noel|first=Thomas J.|title=Buildings of Colorado|year=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-515247-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/buildingsofcolor0000noel/page/457 457]|url=https://archive.org/details/buildingsofcolor0000noel/page/457}}</ref>

[[Hidden Valley (Ski Estes Park)|Hidden Valley (or Ski Estes Park)]] was a local ski area attraction from 1955 - 1991, off of Trail Ridge Road, now defunct.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hidden Valley Ski Area (Ski Estes Park) |url=http://www.coloradoskihistory.com/lost/skiestespark.html |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=www.coloradoskihistory.com}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 75: Line 130:


==External links==
==External links==
{{sister project links|auto=yes}}
{{commons}}
{{sister project links|Colorado|auto=yes}}
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
*[http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/trail_ridge_road.htm Rocky Mountain National Park Official Site]
*[https://www.nps.gov/romo/ Rocky Mountain National Park]
**[https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/trail_ridge_road.htm Trail Ridge Road]
*[http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2102/stories/47312 Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow Road Overview] on the National Scenic Byways website
*[http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2102/stories/47312 Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow Road Overview] on the National Scenic Byways website
*[http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/scenic-byways/north-central/trail-ridge-rd Trail Ridge Road] on the Colorado Scenic Byways website
*[http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/scenic-byways/north-central/trail-ridge-rd Trail Ridge Road] on the Colorado Scenic Byways website
*{{HAER |survey=CO-31 |id=co0193 |title=Trail Ridge Road, Between Estes Park and Grand Lake, Estes Park, Larimer County, CO |photos=21 |color=1 |data=69 |cap=2}}
*[http://darekk.com/maps/trail_ridge_tour.kml Trail Ridge Tour] in [[Google Earth]] - a camera flying around Trail Ridge ([[Keyhole Markup Language|KML]] file)


{{Rocky Mountain National Park}}
{{Rocky Mountain National Park}}
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{{Colorado}}
{{Colorado}}


{{authority control}}
[[Category:Colorado Scenic Byways]]
{{coord|40.4177|-105.7467|dim:50000_region:US-CO_type:pass|name=Trail Ridge Road Summit, Colorado, USA|display=title}}
[[Category:National Scenic Byways in Colorado]]

[[Category:Colorado scenic drives]]
[[Category:Transportation in Grand County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Transportation in Grand County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Transportation in Larimer County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Transportation in Larimer County, Colorado]]
[[Category:All-American Roads]]
[[Category:All-American Roads]]
[[Category:Rocky Mountain National Park]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Rocky Mountain National Park]]
[[Category:Toll roads in Colorado]]
[[Category:Toll roads in Colorado]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 34]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 34]]
[[Category:Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado]]
[[Category:Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado]]
[[Category:Estes Park, Colorado]]
[[Category:Estes Park, Colorado]]
[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Colorado]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Larimer County, Colorado]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Larimer County, Colorado]]

Latest revision as of 02:09, 11 October 2023

See also: List of Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways

Schematic map of the Trail Ridge Road
Route information
Maintained by National Park Service
Length48 mi[1][2] (77 km)
Existed1989–present
Major junctions
East end US 34 Estes Park
West end US 34 Grand Lake
Location
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountiesLarimer and Grand counties
Highway system
  • Colorado State Highway System
Trail Ridge Road
NRHP reference No.84000242[3]
Added to NRHPNovember 14, 1984

Trail Ridge Road is the name for the 48-mile (77 km) stretch of U.S. Highway 34 that traverses Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park, Colorado in the east to Grand Lake, Colorado in the west. Together with the connecting 6.9-mile (11 km) Beaver Meadow Road (U.S. Highway 36), Trail Ridge Road forms the 55-mile (89 km) Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway, an All-American Road. With a high point at 12,183 feet (3,713 m) elevation, Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in North America. The higher portion of Trail Ridge Road is closed from October to May.

Route description

[edit]
A color image of a rock at the foot of a large mountain
Trail Ridge Road, with Longs Peak (left of center), Pagoda Mountain (center, in sun), Chiefs Head Peak (right of center, in shadow), and Terra Tomah Mountain (at far right edge, in shadow), from 12,000 feet (3,700 m) above sea level in Rocky Mountain National Park
View of Trail Ridge Road
Trail Ridge Road, Colorado
The wooden poles mark the edge of the road for the spring snowplowing. The height of the poles illustrate how deep the snowpack gets; the road is closed through the winter.[4]

From Kawuneeche Visitor Center at the park's Grand Lake Entrance, Trail Ridge Road follows the North Fork of the Colorado River north through the Kawuneeche Valley. There are several trailheads along this section of the road, notably the Colorado River Trailhead, which is the western terminus of the road segment closed during the winter.

The road crosses the Continental Divide at Milner Pass (elev. 10,758 ft or 3,279 m) and reaches a maximum elevation of 12,183 ft (3,713 m), near Fall River Pass (elev. 11,796 ft or 3,595 m). Near the highest point on the road is another pass, Iceberg Pass (elev. 11,827 ft or 3,605 m).

According to construction contracts and park maintenance files, the east end of the road is located at the Fall River entrance, however some guides list Deer Ridge Junction as the east end.[5]

Trail Ridge is a high, flat spur range extending east from the main range of the Rockies between Fall River in the North and the Big Thompson River in the South. The road follows Trail Ridge from the Fall River Pass near Alpine Visitor Center to the Deer Ridge Junction.[5]

Trail Ridge Road - elevation profile, based on elevation values obtained from Google Maps Elevation Service (m/km here).

Climate

[edit]
Climate data for Trail Ridge High Point 40.4093 N, 105.7142 W, Elevation: 12,149 ft (3,703 m) (1991–2020 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 19.9
(−6.7) 		20.3
(−6.5) 		27.3
(−2.6) 		34.7
(1.5) 		43.4
(6.3) 		54.8
(12.7) 		61.5
(16.4) 		59.0
(15.0) 		52.2
(11.2) 		40.7
(4.8) 		27.0
(−2.8) 		20.1
(−6.6) 		38.4
(3.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 12.1
(−11.1) 		11.9
(−11.2) 		18.0
(−7.8) 		24.1
(−4.4) 		33.0
(0.6) 		43.8
(6.6) 		50.7
(10.4) 		48.7
(9.3) 		41.8
(5.4) 		30.9
(−0.6) 		19.4
(−7.0) 		12.3
(−10.9) 		28.9
(−1.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 4.3
(−15.4) 		3.6
(−15.8) 		8.7
(−12.9) 		13.6
(−10.2) 		22.6
(−5.2) 		32.8
(0.4) 		40.0
(4.4) 		38.3
(3.5) 		31.5
(−0.3) 		21.1
(−6.1) 		11.8
(−11.2) 		4.5
(−15.3) 		19.4
(−7.0)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.79
(96) 		3.85
(98) 		3.73
(95) 		4.88
(124) 		4.07
(103) 		1.77
(45) 		2.37
(60) 		2.23
(57) 		2.16
(55) 		2.82
(72) 		3.34
(85) 		3.51
(89) 		38.52
(979)
Source: PRISM Climate Group[6]

History

[edit]

Trail Ridge had been used by Native Americans to cross the mountains between their home lands in the west and hunting areas on the east side. Arapahoe Indians called the trail located on the ridge as "taienbaa" ("Where the Children Walked") because it was so steep that children could not be carried, but had to walk. The Ute tribe crossing the mountains at Forest Canyon Pass marked their route with stone cairns. The present park Ute Trail follows partially that ancient route.[5]

On the west side, about 1880, a wagon road was constructed along the Kawuneeche Valley from the town of Grand Lake to the mining camps of Lulu City and Gaskill. The camps were abandoned after a few years when short-lived mining boom ended and later the road was used only occasionally by hunters and tourists.[5]

Schematic map of the Trail Ridge Road northern sections.

Fall River Road was the first road into the park's high country. It opened in 1921 and quickly proved inadequate for motor travel as a single-track road with steep grades (up to 16%), tight curves and a short annual season due to snowpack.[7] Construction began in 1929 and was complete to Fall River Pass by July 1932, with a maximum grade of 7%. The road was complete through the Kawuneeche Valley to Grand Lake in 1938.[8] The route followed what was known to local Arapaho Indians as the Dog Trail. Internal opposition to the construction of a road through the park's alpine tundra was overruled by National Park Service director Horace Albright, who wished to encourage park visitation. The road was designed to intrude as little as possible into the landscape, in accordance with Park Service design principles.[9]

Hidden Valley (or Ski Estes Park) was a local ski area attraction from 1955 - 1991, off of Trail Ridge Road, now defunct.[10]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Trail Ridge Road: Rocky Mountain National Park". Colorado Department of Transportation. 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  2. ^ "Trail Ridge Road / Beaver Meadow Road". America's Scenic Byways. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  3. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  4. ^ "Forest Health". National Park Service. Retrieved January 12, 2013. Road crews use tall and narrow trees as snow poles to mark road edges affected by deep snow. These snow poles help facilitate plowing operations throughout the year, especially when opening Trail Ridge Road.
  5. ^ a b c d Quin, Richard (August 1993). Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, HAER No. CO-31 (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington D.C.: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  6. ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved October 10, 2023. To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.
  7. ^ "Scenic Drives". Rocky Mountain National Park. National Park Service. Retrieved August 23, 2007.
  8. ^ "History of Trail Ridge Road". Rocky Mountain National Park. National Park Service. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  9. ^ Noel, Thomas J. (1997). Buildings of Colorado. Oxford University Press. p. 457. ISBN 0-19-515247-6.
  10. ^ "Hidden Valley Ski Area (Ski Estes Park)". www.coloradoskihistory.com. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
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40°25′04″N 105°44′48″W / 40.4177°N 105.7467°W / 40.4177; -105.7467 (Trail Ridge Road Summit, Colorado, USA)

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