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Flood-Damaged Old Fall River Road Reopens At Rocky Mountain National Park

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By Jim Burnett - July 3rd, 2015

The Old Fall River Road as seen from Alpine Visitor Center in 2013 before the flood. Photo by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious via Flickr and Creative Commons.

The Old Fall River Road is a popular route with visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park who are looking for a scenic drive at a slower pace, but the historic road was badly damaged by major flooding in September 2013. Thanks to emergency funding, repairs to the road have been completed in time for this year's traditional July 4 seasonal opening of the drive.  

Old Fall River Road is a historic dirt road built between 1913 and 1920. The eleven mile route begins at Horseshoe Park (a short distance west of the Fall River Entrance) and leads uphill to Fall River Pass, 11,796 feet above sea level. Due to the winding, narrow nature of the road, traffic flow on the scenic route is one-way.

Unlike the paved and modern Trail Ridge Road, which is known for being the highest continuous paved road in the nation, the Old Fall River Road is a much more casual "motor nature trail." A park publication notes, "The posted speed limit is 15 miles per hour, a clear indication that a journey up Old Fall River Road is not for the impatient."  

Normally the road is open from the Fourth of July to early October, but major flooding resulting from record rainfall in September 2013 caused severe damage to the road.  Thanks to funding from the Federal Highways Administration's Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO) program, $4 million was obtained to make repairs much more quickly than could have been accomplished through NPS sources.   

A ceremony marking the completion of the project was held at 11:00 a.m. on July 2, 2015.  Senator Cory Gardner, Congressman Jared Polis and Federal Highways Administration Division Director Ric Suarez joined park superintendent Vaughn Baker to open Old Fall River Road for the season.

According to Park spokesperson Kyle Patterson, "The opening of Old Fall River Road is a significant milestone in the recovery of the flood of 2013." Availability of the popular historic route for the current summer will be a plus for visitors who are making special efforts to enjoy the park during its centennial year this summer.  

You'll find more information about the park, including centennial year events, on the park website. 

 

Comments

Submitted by Dave Crowl on August 5, 2015 - 2:20pm.

Took Fall River Road on Sunday. Had not been there in years. It was busy, but the views were amazing. I would recommend to anyone visiting during good weather.


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