Trail ridge road opening 201912/2/2023 ![]() ![]() In addition to being Trail Ridge Road’s starting point in the park, the Beaver Meadows Visitors Center is itself a destination. Well, unless you are camping in the park, but camping isn’t for everyone. Truthfully, Estes Park is little more than a crowded tourist town, but you can’t beat the location. The impossibly charming historic hotel is only a few miles from the Beaver Meadows entrance, and was the inspiration for Steven King’s book The Shining. If you are not camping in the park, stay at the Stanley Hotel. Over 80 years later the drive is still magnificent, and should be part of any park visit. Climbing over 4000 feet, this “highway to the sky” made it possible to travel from meadow to tundra in a few short hours. Constructed during the summer months between 19, the 48 mile Trail Ridge Road connected the east and west park entrances, allowing visitors to easily traverse the park. Many of these roads, such as Trail Ridge, have their origins in Roosevelt’s New Deal built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, these large and complicated projects were used to employ young men during the dark days of the depression. Consisting of sinuous curves and scenic overlooks, the Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is without a doubt one of the most stunning park drives in the country. For those who don’t have the time or energy to actually explore a park, these roads offer an excellent overview of the area. Some drives, such as those located in National Parks, are destinations unto themselves. ![]() From dusty desert byways to rugged coastline highways, they make getting to your destination secondary, and certainly a lot more fun. Coast to Coast, America has an incredible number of scenic drives. ![]()
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