Trail Ridge Road (U.S. Highway 34) inside Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado, officially closed for the season to through travel on Friday, October 25.
The road is closed at Rainbow Curve on the park’s east side and the Colorado River Trailhead on the west. Closure points on the road may fluctuate this fall. However, the road is closed for through travel during the season. The road normally reopens the last week of May, weather permitting. In 2024, it opened on Friday, May 31.
Trail Ridge Road is not designed as an all-season road, with 11 miles above 11,500 feet, few guard rails, and no shoulders. Winter conditions include drifting snow, high winds, and below-freezing temperatures above 10,000 feet.
Last year, the road closed for the winter on October 18.
Colorado Vehicle Traction Law may also become active at any time. When vehicle traction law is in effect, all vehicles (including 4-wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive, and 2-wheel Drive) must have properly rated tires (Mud and Snow, Mountain and Snow, or All-Weather Tires) with a minimum of 3/16” tread. If your vehicle has poorly rated tires, you must use an approved traction control device. These may include snow chains, cables, tire/snow socks, or studded tires.
Trail Ridge Road historically opens on Memorial Day weekend. The earliest the road opened was May 7th, 2002; the latest was June 26th, 1943. Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the United States, climbing to 12,183 feet, and connects the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake.
