ESTES PARK, Colo. — After annual winter closures, some of Colorado's scenic mountain passes are back open for the summer! That includes three of the state's scenic mountain highways, Trail Ridge Road, Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans Road) and Independence Pass. Trail Ridge Road U.
S. Highway 34, or Trail Ridge Road, which runs between Estes Park and Grand Lake through Rocky Mountain National Park, is open for the season, according to a Friday release from a park spokesperson. The Alpine Visitor Center, Trail Ridge Store and the adjacent parking area remain closed, the release said.
A timed entry permit reservation system is in place for Trail Ridge Road and other parts of Rocky Mountain National Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.
m. The release said snow plowing operations on the road this year were affected by May storms with significant winds. Credit: Rocky Mountain National Park Mount Blue Sky Road Colorado Highway 5, also known as Mount Blue Sky Road, is open, according to the U.
S. Forest Service Website. CDOT said it would remain closed until after Memorial Day weekend this year due to ongoing snow.
The road takes drivers to the summit of 14,130-foot Mount Blue Sky, formerly known as Mount Evans. Reservations are required for anyone who plans to park and visit one of the three developed sites along Mount Blue Sky Road (Mount Goliath Natural Area, Summit Lake Park, or the Mount Blue Sky Summit) between 8 a.m.
and 6 p.m. RELATED: Popular Colorado mountain road will be closed in.