Trail Ridge Road is the name for the 48 mile stretch of US Highway 34 that traverses Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park, Colorado in the east to Grand Lake, Colorado in the west. If traveled together with the connecting 6.9 mile Beaver Meadow Road (US Highway 36), Trail Ridge Road forms the 55 mile Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway, an All-American Road.

With a high point at 12,183 feet (3,713 m) in elevation, Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in North America. However, the higher portion of Trail Ridge Road is closed from October to May.

From Kawuneeche Visitor Center at the Grand Lake Park Entrance, Trail Ridge Road follows US 34 north, which rises upriver along the North Fork of the Colorado River through the Kawuneeche Valley. There are several trailheads along this section of the road, notably the Colorado River Trailhead, which is the western terminus of the road segment closed during the winter. At this point, Trail Ridge Road begins to climb up from the river valley along the east side of the Continental Divide Ridge. As the switchbacks continue upward, looking west across the valley, the Never Summer Mountains rise in the distance.

The roadpath continues to rising up onto the Rocky mountains and from the western entrance sign, the road crosses the Continental Divide at Milner Pass near Poudre Lake (elevation: 10,758 feet or 3,279 m) in 17 miles, arrives at the Alpine visitors center near Fall River Pass (elevation: 11,796 ft or 3,595 m) at 21.4 miles and reaches a maximum elevation of 12,183 feet at 23.2 miles. Just another 1.2 miles further east from the highest point on the road is Iceberg Pass at elevation 11,827 feet or 3,605 meters.

Trail Ridge Road continues downward from the summit and when it arrives at the junction with US 36, the Trail Ridge road turns left and continues on US 34, crosses Fall River and then follows the Fall River valley down river to the east side entrance, national park sign and then into Estes Park, Colorado.

55 miles with Beaver Meadow Section

Construction Began: September 1029

Completed to Fall River Pass: July 1932

Completed to Grand Lake: 1938

The Trail Ridge was used by Native Americans to cross the mountains between their home lands in the west to their hunting areas on the east side. Arapaho Indians called this trail which was along the high ridge taienbaa, which in English means: Where the Children Walked because it was so steep that children could not be carried, but had to walk. The entire route was known to the Arapaho as the dog trail

The Ute tribe crossing the mountains at Forest Canyon Pass marked their route with stone cairns and the present park Ute Trail follows partially that ancient indigenous footpath.

On the west side, during about 1880, a wagon road was constructed along the Kawuneeche Valley from the town of Grand Lake to the mining camps of Lulu City and Gaskill. These camps were abandoned after a few years when the short-lived mining boom ended. This wagon road was later used on occasion by hunters and tourists.

It is dark when I rise this morning, then I dress in my summer blues, start the jammer engine and soon, there is heat coming into the van. I did not get a chance to complete my journal entry yesterday, so I do it first this morning while waiting for the light of day.

Soon, I am heading up to the national park stop at Timber Creek camp but since it is raining, I decide not to spend the thirteen dollars and continue driving over Trail Ridge. The temperature is in the low forties at the continental divide and the rain continues all the way over to the other side.

After another late warm night, I sleep through the alarm but when I arise, I leave this city and drive north on US 36, rising two thousand feet in elevation before stoping for coffee at a w-mart in Estes Park, Colorado. I have only been here for only two hours and already I absolutely do not like this turkey shoot, one totally packed full of turkeys. I stay long enough to finish making sure that the new website is working well and then head into the national park.

After stoping first at the visitors center, I then drive into the park and up Trail Ridge Road stopping a only a few spots to take photographs. Upon arriving at the Alpine visitors center, I stop to see what kind of salad is available and purchase a Caesar salad for a late lunch. Then, at about four pm, I head down from the alpine to the camp at Timber Creek campground where I take up a campsite for the evening.