Rocky Mountain National Park
Fall River Pass - Alpine Visitor Center

Fall River Road ends at the parking lot of the Alpine Visitor Center. After a long, slow drive up the back road, this is a great place to stop and stretch your legs.

While Fall River Road ends here, the original trail it followed, doesn't. You can continue following the old path across the park on foot, from Fall River Pass all the way to Milner Pass, at the Continental Divide.

Fall River Pass, Alpine Visitor's Center, RMNP

The parking lot at the visitor's center also serves as the trailhead for the short climb up the Alpine Ridge Trail. You'll gain about 200 feet before you reach the highest point along the trail, at 12,005 feet. Keep in mind, that 200 foot vertical climb is extra strenuous at this altitude.

Fall River Pass, Alpine Visitor's Center, RMNP

Fall River Pass, Highest Road, Rocky Mountain National Park

From the trail's high point, you'll have a great view of Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the nation (unlike Mt. Evans Road, which is higher, but dead-ends at the top). The actual highest point on the road is perhaps a half-mile beyond the curve pictured above. While it is marked on the official park map, I did not see any signs along the road.

(Click To See The Panorama)

The Alpine Ridge Trail continues past the high point, for a short distance down the other side of the hill. When you reach the end, you'll be treated to this incredible panorama. In the distance, you can see Wyoming.

Elk, Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)

You may also be lucky enough to see a herd of elk on the grassy tundra, perhaps 1/4 mile past the end of the trail. While the Alpine Ridge Trail doesn't take you any closer to these animals, a trail from Medicine Bow Curve does. That's our next stop.

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Rocky Mountain National Park Fall River Pass - Alpine Visitor Center

Rocky Mountain National Park
Fall River Pass - Alpine Visitor Center