Trail Ridge Store
in Colorado · centroid 63 mi from Denver
At 11,796 feet, the Alpine Visitor Center is the highest visitor center in the National Park Service! Usually only open from May to October, it is chilly even in the heart of summer, so make sure to bring layers or even a hat. Located on Trail Ridge Road in the alpine tundra, the area is subjected to extreme winds, especially in the winter.
The heavy logs on the roof of the center are permanently attached to prevent shingles from being blown away. Trail Ridge Store is the larger building next to the visitor center, and offers a small café, gift shop, and shelter from fast-approaching storms. The glacial cirque seen below is ideally situated to collect enormous amounts of snow, and usually has snow still present well into August.
There is a viewing area of this between the buildings, as well as interpretive signs and benches. Accessed from this parking lot is Alpine Ridge Trail and the Ute Trail to Milner Pass. Note: Extreme weather can change the status of Trail Ridge Road at any time—be ready to adjust your travel plans if needed, and always check the weather before you start your drive.
- States
- Colorado
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Denver, CO · 63 mi · ~1.8 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 40.4412°, -105.7539°
About Rocky Mountain National Park
This trail is inside Rocky Mountain National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $30 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/romo_trailridgestore.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Trail Ridge Store and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
Colorado River Trail
5 miles from this trail's centroid
Timber Lake Trail
6 miles from this trail's centroid
Grand Ditch Trail
6 miles from this trail's centroid
Beaver Ponds on Trail Ridge Road
7 miles from this trail's centroid
Ditch Road
8 miles from this trail's centroid
Fern Lake Trail
9 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.