Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park - a More Adventurous Drive to the Alpine Visitors Center!
We love meeting locals when we travel and our hike on the Black Canyon Trail did not disappoint as midpoint back to the trailhead, we met a wonderful lady who grew up in Estes Park and had a homestead near Black Canyon. We chatted with her for several minutes while watching a massive elk lounging in the meadow below and learned she was an area veterinarian before her retirement. After asking about our day’s itinerary, she didn’t hesitate, and emphatically told us to drive the Old Fall River Road aka the “back route” to the Alpine Visitor Center. She said this would give us the best view of the park from all angles and our chances of seeing wildlife were guaranteed on the “rustic”, dirt, and gravel River Road. The only caveat she mentioned is the road can get a bit “dicey” if it rains or snows, and with boiling dark clouds at the lower elevation of 7500 feet it was hard to predict what the weather was doing at 12,000! Game on - now that’s the perfect setup for adventure!
We still had several hours to wait until the timed entry system was over (at 2:00pm), so we wandered back into Estes Park to check out the famous Stanley Hotel and have brunch. We highly recommend The Egg of Estes - they aren’t kidding when they say they are committed to ensuring your meal is perfect, as the food was excellent. Stomachs full, we strolled through Estes Park and played hide and seek with Mother Nature as she unleashed torrential downpours, prompting us to dive into nearby shops as the skies let loose. Soon the ditches were flooded with fast moving water, and I won’t lie, it was fun to watch tourists scramble for cover! Okay enough shenanigans - time to explore more of RMNP!
Due to construction (there will be lots during 2024 as well) - we entered the park at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. It’s important to note you access the visitor center BEFORE passing the timed entry station so if you want to be in line at exactly 2pm to enter the park, make sure you factor in time spent exploring the Visitor Center! Armed with a map, we set off for the Old Fall River Road! There’s a lot to look at as you make your way towards the Endovalley Picnic Area, take your time and watch for wildlife as you wander through forests of aspens that seem to gaze back at you with their prominent eye-like scars.
Old Fall River Road is a seasonally opened, one-lane, gravel and dirt road that provides a unique experience and absolutely STUNNING views of RMNP! As we traveled along, I had flashbacks of the movie Jurassic Park as we soon found ourselves bumper to bumper with a few other tourists traveling VERY slow as they navigated the steep switchbacks. The speed limit is 15mph and with so much to see, you don’t mind just getting in line with a few other adventurous souls! Slower also allows the driver a few moments to take a peak at the surrounding landscape, so have patience as you navigate the short 9 mile trek to the summit and Alpine Visitor Center.
I honestly didn’t take a lot of photos on the trek as I was mesmerized by the landscape and didn’t want to miss a moment trying to focus my lens, especially when the skies opened up and unleashed a torrential downpour! Cue sketchy, rutted and now water flowing switchbacks and FUN!! It didn’t take long for the fun rain squall to let up, and soon we were back into brilliant blue skies! We spotted so much wildlife - even a moose munching away not more than 5’ off the road! As you wind your way to the top make sure you check out the rocky areas for marmots!! We spotted three fluffballs sunning themselves on the rocks.
The Alpine Visitor Center is a lovely place to take a moment and breathe in the fabulous views! If you don’t mind a bit of a climb and lots of foot traffic, check out the 0.6 mile trek to the top of the Alpine Ridge Trail. We spent a good half hour enjoying the sites before beginning the trek back down via the “standard” route - the Trail Ridge Road. Check out our video below to see if the Old Fall River Road is the adventure for you!
