Most people who venture to the alpine portions of Rocky Mountain National Park usually take Trail Ridge Road. However, the original road over the Continental Divide still exists. This one-way dirt road, known as Old Fall River Road, still takes park visitors to the Alpine Visitor Center, which sits at the lofty elevation of 11,796 feet above sea level.
Opened in 1920, Old Fall River Road was the first auto route in Rocky Mountain National Park that offered access to the park's high country, and was the only road into the park's interior until Trail Ridge Road opened in 1932. The historic 11-mile road, once an Indian path, leads travelers from Horseshoe Park to Fall River Pass. Along the way you'll have access to Chasm Falls, as well as the trails leading to Mt. Chapin, Mt. Chiquita and Ypsilon Mountain.
If you've never taken the road and wondered what it was like, or worried that it might be too "scary", this high-speed video shows what you'll experience along the entire route:
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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