Trail Ridge Road Opens For Season But Night Closures In Place
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (CBS4) - The highest continuously paved road in the country is now open to vehicle traffic.
Trail Ridge Road runs from Estes Park on the eastern edge of Rocky Mountain National Park to Grand Lake on the southwestern side of the park. It climbs above 12,000 feet as it crosses the Continental Divide.
The road opened at 11 a.m. on Saturday. It will close daily at 8 p.m. because the nighttime temperatures drop below freezing making the road dangerous.
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"Road crews and rangers will reassess conditions each morning and reopen the road when and if conditions allow," Kyle Patterson with the National Park Service said in a statement.
The earliest the road has opened was on May 7, 2002; the latest June 26, 1943.
LINK: Alpine Visitor Center Webcam
Additional Information From Rocky Mountain National Park
Because weather conditions may change rapidly, park visitors should be prepared to adjust travel plans accordingly and are encouraged to call the park's Trail Ridge Road recorded phone line at (970) 586-1222. Park staff will update the recorded line during and after regular office hours, when the road status changes.
For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park's Information Office at (970) 586-1206.