Trail Ridge Road, Mount Blue Sky Road and Independence Pass are back open.
ESTES PARK, Colorado — After annual winter closures, some of Colorado’s scenic mountain passes are back open for summer!
That includes three of the state’s scenic mountain roads, Trail Ridge Road, Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans Road) and Independence Pass.
Trail Crest 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 statement from a park spokesperson.
The Alpine Visitor Center, the Trail Ridge store and the adjacent parking area remain closed, according to the release.
There is a scheduled entry permit reservation system for Trail Ridge Road and other parts of Rocky Mountain National Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The release says snowplow operations on the highway this year were affected by May storms with significant winds.
Mount Blue Sky Highway
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 continued snow.
The highway takes drivers to the summit of 14,130-foot Mount Blue Sky, formerly known as Mount Evans.
Reservations are required for anyone planning to park and visit one of the three sites developed along Mount Blue Sky Road (Mount Goliath Natural Area, Summit Lake Park or Mount Blue Sky Summit) between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Independence Pass
Independence Pass on Colorado Highway 82 is open for the summer season starting Friday afternoon, CDOT said in a statement.
CDOT said both sides of the pass, which runs between Twin Lakes and Aspen, are open to motorists. However, due to curves, slopes and narrow lengths, vehicles 35 feet or longer are still prohibited, according to the release. The restriction is between Mile Point 47.2 and Mile Point 84.2.
“To reopen the road for the 2024 season, crews performed avalanche mitigation, removed heavy snow from winter and late spring storms, repaired a five-foot by seven-foot sinkhole, replaced a culvert, fixed potholes and guardrails, and repainted (scratched) the road,” CDOT spokeswoman Elise Thatcher said in the statement.
Guanella Pass
Guanella Pass, which runs from Georgetown to Grant and provides access to the Mount Bierstadt trailhead, is open again for the summer.
The pass opened Thursday, May 23, following its annual closure during the winter season, a Clear Creek County spokesperson said.
Kebler Pass
Kebler Pass, west of Crested Butte, is open during the summer, according to the Gunnison County website.
The county’s public works department previously said weather had delayed the opening.
poplar pass
Gunnison County said Cottonwood Pass west of Buena Vista opened for the summer season on May 24.
Cottonwood Pass Highway
Cottonwood Pass Road in Eagle and Garfield counties reopened for summer this month. The highway, which runs from Gypsum to the Roaring Fork Valley between Carbondale and Basalt, will remain open through the fall, weather permitting.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Colorado Guide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow Keynote USA Local on Twitter.