This is a bucket list ride! You must have the legs for this ride and some acclimation to elevation. This is a solid intermediate to advanced ride. 41 miles, 5,300 ft of climbing. We will connect Trail Ridge Road via Fall River Road. Please know that Fall River Road is a gravel road and NOT open to traffic until July, so we will have the road to ourselves. Trail Ridge Road is open to traffic by June 1st. Park at the visitor center in Estes Park (500 Big Thompson Ave). Bike to entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, pay the $15 entry fee. One Park Pass will get 3 riders in, so if you have a park pass, please bring it. Once inside the park, bike a few miles to Fall River Road. Again, Fall River Road is gravel and is not open to cars between Memorial Day and July 1st. The climb up Fall River Road is 9.5 miles. Once we finish climbing Fall River Road, we have more climbing to the top of Trail Ridge Road. We can stop at the Alpine Visitor Center at 11.797 ft for food and drinks. We can even climb a bit higher to 12,197 ft for the official high point. We will want to get an early start for this ride so we can be back down off the top before the afternoon storms hit.
