LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. - It's a sign that the seasons are changing in the high country -- Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park has closed for the year.

Trail Ridge Road is the 48 mile road between Estes Park and Grand Lake. Eleven miles of the highway are above treeline, the elevation near 11,500 feet where the park's evergreen forests come to a halt.

The highway's high point is 12,183 feet.

Historically, the road opens on Memorial Day weekend and closes in late October. This year, the road opened about two weeks early. It's closing slightly early, too.

Trail Ridge Road is billed as the highest continuous paved road in the United States.