— Also known as the Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway, Trail Ridge Road at Rocky Mountain NP is the highest paved road in the state of Colorado crossing the Continental Divide. Eleven miles of this road are above the treeline, and the temperature difference between Estes Park or Grand Lake (the road connects those cities east to west, respectively) and the top of the road can reach 20 to 30 degrees at times. At its highest point the road is at an elevation of 12,183 feet (3,713.37 meters), and it is very windy, as expected. Visitors at that point have climber 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) in just a few minutes. In addition to views such as the photo above, you also encounter wildlife right outside your car window. Elk is commonly seen grazing in the higher elevations. The cuts you see on the mountains on the right side of the photo are part of this road.
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