Trail Ridge Road begins its climb here, a few miles west of Estes Park, and by the time you reach this stretch of US 34, you have entered Rocky Mountain National Park and left the town far below. The road winds up through forests of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir, past meadows where elk graze, and around curves that open up views of the Continental Divide. Around Many Parks Curve, a parking area on a tight bend gives one of the best early views: a series of mountain meadows, or parks, spread out below, with Longs Peak, the highest summit in the park, towering over them to the south.
Trail Ridge Road was completed in the early 1930s, and it was designed to give motorists a spectacular drive with gentle grades and wide curves. It is the highest continuous paved road in the United States, reaching more than 12,000 feet, and about eleven miles of it run above the treeline, through alpine tundra. It links Estes Park, on the east side of the park, with Grand Lake on the west, and it follows in part an old trail used by the Ute and Arapaho peoples to cross the mountains.
Down in the meadows, the elk are a major attraction, especially in autumn, when the bulls bugle to attract mates, a strange, high-pitched call that echoes through the valleys. They can be found in large numbers in Moraine Park and Horseshoe Park, just off the road, and they often wander onto the road and into the town of Estes Park itself. Keep your distance, since they can be aggressive during the rut, in September and October.
For riders, the lower part of the road is a gentle introduction, with good surface, steady grades and smooth curves. Summer weekends are crowded, and the park has used a timed-entry reservation system during the busiest months, so check the current rules before you go. The road is usually open from late May to mid-October, depending on snow. Estes Park, about nine kilometres east, is a busy gateway town with fuel, food and lodging, and is the last place to fill up before the climb. The Stanley Hotel, on a hill above the town, inspired Stephen King to write The Shining after he stayed there in the 1970s.