ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (AP) — Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is open for the season, but park officials are warning visitors to be prepared for icy conditions.
The road, which connects Estes Park on the east and Grand Lake on the west, opened Wednesday. The scenic route is the highest continuous paved road in the United States and reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet (3,713 meters).
It typically opens on Memorial Day weekend, but that was delayed this year because of a late spring storm that dropped more than 3 feet of snow in lower elevations of the park. Snow plow drivers faced 8 feet (2.4 meters) to 14 feet (4.3 meters) of snow at higher elevations.
