Trail Ridge Road Closes to Vehicle Travel for the Winter Season

On November 13, 2026, Trail Ridge Road (U.S. Highway 34) in Rocky Mountain National Park closed to through vehicle travel for the winter season. The road is closed on the east side of the park at Many Parks Curve and on the west side at Colorado River Trailhead.

The closed portion of the road remains open to pedestrians, bicyclists and leashed pets during the winter. Bicycles and leashed pets are only allowed on the road, not on side trails or on tundra. Visitors should be prepared for harsh and rapidly changing conditions at high elevations.

Trail Ridge Road is not designed as an all-season road. Eleven miles of road are above 11,500 feet, with few guardrails and no shoulders. Drifting snow, high winds and below- freezing temperatures commonly occur above 10,000 feet. The road typically reopens to through travel during the last week of May, weather permitting. In 2026, it opened on Friday, May 29.

Several scenic driving destinations remain open during the winter, including Bear Lake Road and Endovalley Road. On the east side of the park, motorists can travel on Trail Ridge Road to Hidden Valley and Many Parks Curve. On the west side, motorists can travel from the Grand Lake Entrance to the Colorado River Trailhead.

For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit nps.gov/romo or call the park Information Office at (970) 586-1206.