Courtesy National Park Service
Late-season snow continues to push back openings at Rocky Mountain National Park with the most recent announcement being that Old Fall River Road won’t open until mid-July.
Old Fall River Road is typically ready for the Fourth of July weekend, but the route isn’t anticipated to open until July 13 this year, conditions permitting, with park crews still working to clear all the snow, said Kyle Patterson, public affairs officer for the park.
The road was originally built between 1913 and 1920, and it remains unpaved. The path is 9.4 miles and winds from Endovalley Picnic Area to above tree line at Fall River Pass, following the slope of Mount Chapin’s south face to Trail Ridge Road. Vehicles over 25 feet and those pulling trailers are prohibited because of the winding, narrow nature of the road.
Currently, the route remains closed to all traffic from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, including pedestrians and bikes. Old Fall River Road is open to pedestrians and bicyclists Saturday through Monday, but it remains closed to other traffic at that time.
The lingering closure follows the park experiencing ice and snow as recently as June 23, which led to several delays in opening other parts of the park, including Trail Ridge Road.
While the later opening is unusual for Old Fall River Road, it’s not the latest the path has ever opened. In 2011, the road didn’t open until July 30, which was the latest it had opened in 26 years.
The road was originally built between 1913 and 1920 and remains unpaved. The 9.4-mile path winds one direction from Endovalley Picnic Area to above tree line at Fall River Pass, following the slope of Mount Chapin’s south face to Trail Ridge Road. Vehicles over 25 feet and those pulling trailers are prohibited because of the winding, narrow nature of the road.
The road was also closed for a period of time after it was damaged by flooding in 2013. Old Fall River Road is scheduled to close on Oct. 7 this year.
This story is from SkyHi.com.