Entry into the park is from either the east (through the town of Estes Park) or the west (through the town of Grand Lake). The east and west sides of the park are connected by Trail Ridge Road, open during summer and early fall but closed to all motor-vehicle traffic by snow the rest of the year. Most visitors enter the park from the Estes Park side. The Beaver Meadows Entrance, west of Estes Park via U.S. 36, leads to the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and park headquarters and is the most direct route to Trail Ridge Road. U.S. 34 west from Estes Park takes you to the Fall River Visitor Center, just outside the park, and into the park via the Fall River Entrance, which is north of the Beaver Meadows Entrance. From there you can access Old Fall River Road or Trail Ridge Road.
Old Fall River Road, which is a 9-mile gravel road, is one-way uphill (west) only, and is usually open from July 4 to mid-October. It connects to Trail Ridge Road at the Alpine Visitor Center at Fall River Pass. Bear Lake Road, just west of the Beaver Meadows Entrance, is the access road to Bear Lake.
Heading south from Estes Park on Colo. 7, you can access two trail heads in the southeast corner of the national park, but there are no connecting roads to the main part of the park from those points. These are Longs Peak trail head (the turnoff is 9 miles south of Estes Park and the trail head about another mile) and Wild Basin trail head (another 3 1/2 miles south along Colo. 7 from Longs Peak to the turnoff and then 2 1/2 miles to the trail head). Those entering the park from the west should take U.S. 40 north from I-70 through Winter Park and Tabernash to Granby, and then follow U.S. 34 north to the village of Grand Lake and the park entrance.
