ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (KDVR) — The Grand Lake Entrance on the west side and additional areas in the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park reopened on Thursday. Additionally, the fire ban that began on Aug. 14 has been lifted.
U.S. Highway 34 reopened from the Grand Lake Entrance to the Colorado River Trailhead, park officials announced on Thursday.
A status list of west side park access:
- The Onahu Trail, including the Harbison Picnic Area and the Green Mountain Trail is still closed.
- Coyote Valley Trailhead to the north is open, it was not impacted by the fire.
- The Bowen-Baker Trail is open inside the park and is closed at the US Forest Service boundary.
- The Colorado River Trail has reopened to the park boundary.
- The Timber Lake Trail has reopened.
- The North Inlet Trail and Sun Valley Trail remains closed.
- The Kawuneeche Visitor Center reopens December 19. Restroom facilities are open and information will be provided outside of the visitor center by staff when conditions allow.
A status list of east side park access:
- The Moraine Park Campground has reopened. It’s first-come, first-served during the winter. The Moraine Park Road is open to the campground but is closed beyond that point.
- Upper Beaver Meadows Road has reopened to pedestrians and leashed pets. It’s closed to vehicles for the winter. The Beaver Meadow Trail at the end of the road remains closed.
- The Upper Hidden Valley area has reopened.
- In the Bear Lake area:
- The junction of Flattop Trail to Lake Helene is reopen.
- The trail past Lake Helene to Odessa Lake is closed.
- The Flattop Trail is open to the summit of Flattop Mountain but is closed past this point to the west of the Continental Divide.
- Fern Lake Trail, Cub Lake Trail, the Mill Creek Basin, Hollowell Park, Bierstadt Trail, the North Boundary Trail, the North Fork Trail, Mummy Pass, Stormy Pass, Commanche Peak and Mirror Lake Trails remain closed.
Trail Ridge Road is closed for the season.
Much of the park had been closed since Oct. 22 due to the massive East Troublesome Fire, which burned about 30,000 acres within the park’s boundaries. The burned area comprises about 9% of the park’s total area.
Overall, the East Troublesome Fire scorched 193,812 acres, making it the second-largest wildfire in Colorado history.