by Michele Kadison

When on your vacation travel in the North Central region of Colorado, a must is driving Trail Ridge Road, the highest point-to-point highway in the United States. This famed road traverses the continental divide for 48 miles between the renowned Estes Park and the beautiful community of Grand Lake. Eight of these miles are well above 11,000 feet, taking you higher than the timberline.

Starting in the low-lying alpine forests where you may spot elk and moose amongst the streams and greenery, you will climb to 4,000 feet where abundant wildflowers and wildlife surround you. Here you can enjoy the exquisite vistas that include the many valleys dotting the landscape below. Stop along the way to take in the exquisite scenery and to enjoy some of the hiking trails.

Moving higher you can spot bighorn sheep, pikas, marmots, and ptarmigans among the low lying plant life. As you near the top of Trail Ridge Road, winding this way and that, keep your eyes on the road as the beauty of the alpine tundra with its piercing mountain peaks and dramatic drop-offs will tempt you at every turn. Take a rest at the Visitors Center on the west end where you take photos to your heart’s delight, turn around to go back the way you came, or better yet, continue up to Grand Lake. This last stretch takes you along the Kawuneeche Valley where moose wander through the willows alongside the Colorado River. Take some time to visit Grand Lake, built between 1929 and 1932. Lying by the shores of Colorado’s largest natural lake, this sparkling alpine town is a wonderful place to vitalize your lungs with deep breaths of crisp mountain air.

Trail Ridge Road is open from around Memorial Day until mid-September when there is no chance of snow.

Directions: from Denver, take I-25 to Loveland and then west on US 34 through Estes Park
Admission: $20 seven day pass per vehicle, $35 annual park pass, $50 annual National Parks pass
For information on road conditions call: 970-586-1333

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