Winter Park Colorado Drives
When driving up I-70 I have wondered what Fall River Road was. I saw this article about a fall aspen tree viewing drive in the Winter Park area and thought I would share it with you. This is taken from the Intrawest Homeowners September 2009 newsletter:
Old Fall River Road
Are you looking for a nice place to go and see the fall colors this September? Although the beautiful Aspen trees cover many areas of our valley and county, there is one drive worth seeing if you have the chance. Old Fall River Road was the first road to cross the Rocky Mountains in northern Colorado. The construction of this road was started by state prison inmates in 1913, before Rocky Mountain National Park was established. The job was slow and eventually completed by contractors in 1920. Although it became a very popular road, it proved to be very difficult to travel as well as maintain. In fact, some motorists had to go up this road in reverse, to make it over the steep grade with their weak engines and gravity-fed fuel systems. Not only was this a problem, but often times avalanches would cover the road in 40 feet of snow for months at a time. Because of the difficulty in maintaining this road, as well as the steep grades and sharp switchbacks, construction began on the Trail Ridge Road, which was completed in 1932. At this point, half of Fall River Road became a one-way scenic drive from Endovalley up to Fall River Pass, leaving the western half abandoned or overbuilt by the new Trail Ridge Road. This drive offers spectacular views, above and below tree line, and will be a great spot to see the beautiful fall colors. It would certainly make a great day trip over to Estes Park via Trail Ridge Road, and back to Grand County, utilizing the one-way Old Fall River Road. Several sights to see while traveling the Old Fall River Road are the Endovalley Overlook, Chasm Falls and 5 Mile Canyon. All offer breath-taking views and are sights worth seeing if you can.
Things to keep in mind if traveling over Old Fall River Road:
GRADE: steepest grades up to 16%
TURN RADIUS: tightest radii of 16 switchbacks is about 20’.
ROAD WIDTH: rarely exceeds 14’
Rocky Mountain National Park urges visitors to stop by one of the Rocky Visitors Centers and pick up a copy of the “Old Fall River Road” guide for just $1. This will help explain history as well as what you are viewing along the way. Visit the Kawuneeche Visitors Center at the West entrance of the park for more information.
We all know the Farmer’s Almanac has a 50/50 chance of getting the winter forecast right. Let’s hope they are dead on for this winter. They predict warmer temperatures with higher than average snowfall. Perfect for my taste. Lots of snow is predicted to fall starting in early November all the way through Late January. February they are calling for colder temps with less snow. Things pick up again in March with more snow. Looks like we are set for a great ski season. Book your condo or cabin early as things are filling in. We are happy to help you find the perfect ski vacation lodging.
My family and I drove through Rocky Mountain National Park this past weekend and we were pleasantly surprised to see that the Aspen are starting to change colors. If you’ve never made the drive, it is fantastic. Not only did we see some beautiful scenic vistas on our drive, we also saw a herd of elk. The bull of the herd was huge and we had the special treat of hearing him bugle to the females. We saw the elk up rather high, but as we get closer to the end of September, they will come down into the valley and hang out in the meadows. You won’t believe how many there are. It is really exciting to watch them at such a close distance. The high point had to be as we were hiking down from the look out at the 
So, before the snow really starts to fall, get up here to Winter Park to enjoy the color changes and the elk in Rocky Mountain National Park. If you choose to drive through Estes, the park is open through October 12th, weather permitting. If you are coming up 70, the drive from Empire and over the pass also affords great views of the Aspen groves. You may even see a few big horned sheep on your drive. Winter Park Lodging Company has just the right cabin or condo for you relax in after your sight seeing. Give us a call to book 877.329.1383, or try out our 
Winter Park Ski School
We have another ice cream shop here in Winter Park. The Scoop opened up a few weeks ago right on US Highway 40 when you come into town. It is in the same building as The Back Country Grill, Ski Broker and Blue Sky Shoes. Had a cone and a look around and the place looks great.
