Rocky Mountain National Park unable to open Trail Ridge Road for Memorial Day weekend

Miles Blumhardt, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·3 min read

If your plan for Memorial Day weekend was to drive to the top of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, you will need a Plan B.

That plan shouldn't include driving the Mount Blue Sky Road (formerly Mount Evans Road) and Independence Pass, as snow will keep both of those popular drives closed through the holiday weekend as well, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Park snowplow operators have worked to open the popular paved road since mid-April.

But May storms containing additional snow and significant winds at higher elevations hampered snow plowing operations, preventing opening of the road for the holiday weekend (May 25-27), according to a Wednesday park news release.

There is no date set for opening of the road. The park shoots for opening by Memorial Day weekend, but photos provided by the park show significant snow drifts along the road that climbs to 12,183 feet

Last year, Trail Ridge Road opened May 26 and closed for the winter Oct. 18.

Due to snow, the park didn't get Trail Ridge Road open by Memorial Day in 2019-2022, 2015, 2011 and 2010, according to the park.

Fall River Road is closed. It usually opens around July 4.

Currently, Trail Ridge Road is open to Many Parks Curve on the east side and Colorado River Trailhead on the west side.

Bear Lake Road and many of the other roads are open in the park.

For Trail Ridge Road condition updates, call 970-586-1222 or visit the Rocky Mountain National Park website.

When Rocky Mountain National Park's timed entry permit system begins for 2024

The park's timed entry permit system will start May 24.

Here are a few key things for this year's permit system:

  • The first reservations available, which include May 24 through the end of June, became available May 1 at recreation.gov. Other monthly releases will available after that date.

  • The park will have two permits available — one including the popular Bear Lake Corridor and one for the rest of the park. The Bear Lake permit period will be 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. The permit period for the rest of the park will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • The start of the period when a limited number of timed entry reservations made the night before a visit can be reserved is 7 p.m.

  • You do not need a timed entry reservation but still must pay the entrance fee during hours outside of these times.

More: Body of missing hiker found on fourth day of search in Rocky Mountain National Park

When Moraine Park Campground, Fall River entrance will reopen

  • Moraine Park Campground: A major renovation construction project started in late May 2023 and is expected to continue through early summer 2024. No reopening date has been set.

  • Fall River entrance: Construction is ongoing near the Fall River Entrance and Aspenglen Campground. One lane is open to enter and exit. Speed limit is 15-mph. No completion date has been set.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Rocky Mountain National Park's Trail Ridge Road won't open for holiday