Old Fall River Road

Old Fall River Road

Old Fall River Road
4.5
About
This dramatic and scenic roadway built in 1913 followed an old Indian pathway that climbed over 3,000 feet.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles522 reviews
Excellent
412
Very good
81
Average
20
Poor
1
Terrible
8

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extenda
minneapolis42 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
Took this road on the way up to the alpine visitor center. Not a ton of places to stop but great views along the way. It is a one way drive so really not that scary and I think any car would do. Would recommend using GypSy guide for RMNP, provides good commentary and even lets you know when you are getting to the “scarier” parts of the drive.
Written September 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NF2013_13
Orlando, FL1,066 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
We drove through the park from the Grand Lake Entrance only to find out that the Old Fall River Road was closed! Very disappointing. The weather was perfect so we were very surprised that it does not open until later in the season. We were there the very end of June / first of July.
Written July 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lee G
Philadelphia, PA278 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
This historic road was on our must-do list and it didn't disappoint. It's hard to imagine the work that went into creating this more than 100 years ago. The driver shouldn't have a fear of heights! Sit behind the driver if you're the nervous type. Take the hairpin switchback turns wide and you shouldn't have a problem in most vehicles (note there are size limits/restrictions). We stopped to bird-watch in the forest along flat stretches and let other vehicles pass so we could take our time. The elevation gain is impressive. You can't turn around until you reach the Alpine Visitor Center, so be sure you want to go before you start!
Written September 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

obdocSanJose
San Jose, CA483 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021 • Couples
Interesting original road to Alpine Visitor’s Center. Drive slowly and watch road carefully as there are many deep ‘ruts’. My husband drove the Prius capably and neither of us found the drive ‘scary’. We traveled mid-week in late September entering the park at 11am. There was not too much traffic and we stopped at many of the turnouts. The drive took us 1.75 hours with plenty of stops and traveling under 15 mph. We returned to Estes Park via Trail Ridge Road. I purchased Gypsy guides which provided interesting commentary
Written September 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KJRKM
Bellingham, WA368 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
Taking this road is by far the best way to get to the visitor center. You can then complete the loop by driving down the paved road and checking out the other sites/views. Being from the PNW, I found the entire park decently scenic, but not breath taking. This drive made the loop far more worthwhile, as we felt closer to nature and more “in” the park than when on the paved hwy. I would highly recommend anyone visiting the park in a vehicle with decent clearance to take this route. We didn’t need 4x4, but in a few spots vehicle clearance helped. Not essential if you’re a crafty driver.
Written August 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anna
1,608 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023
A few kilometers from Estes Park, we chose one of the many entrance stations of the Rocky Mountain National Park. Here we soon got onto the OFRR and you definitely shouldn't miss it!
It is definitely the most adventurous of the drivable routes in the entire RMNP!
In Estes Park, head roughly towards the Picnic Area Endovalley, then the Old Fall River Road is signposted and you can't miss it! The road is not asphalted and not secured, which is surprising given its course: the path climbs to dizzying heights in a relatively short time, with no safety barriers, always along the edge of the abyss, and on sand and gravel.
But we didn't have a 4WD, but a normal city SUV, and we managed just fine with it! If it was wet, I would strongly advise against driving along here, but if it was dry and the sun was shining like we had, it would be a shame to avoid this beautiful route!
In winter, however, the road is closed, which is also very sensible.
There is only one official stop, right at the beginning, and that is the Chasm Falls. A small footpath leads directly to the waterfall, which is definitely worth seeing!
There are always parking spaces or alternative options if you want to let someone pass behind you or just get out and look around. I, as the driver, particularly liked doing this because I had to concentrate very much on the route while driving and couldn't look too far into the distance. After all, it is a one-way road, otherwise it wouldn't be possible.
In total, we are talking about 9 miles of road, which took us exactly an hour and a half. If you make the most of the 15mph limit and don't stop so often, you can of course go much faster, but I don't see the point in that.
For the most part, I only drove half as fast as allowed! It really gives you an off-road feeling! But it's all doable.
Google
Written October 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dfgeewhiz
Hopkinsville, KY61 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Couples
This road was so much fun. we had a 4 wheel drive F350 and a few curves were tight, but exciting. So many awesome views and we loved it. If you have the time and the nerve, try it. If you don't like heights and curves, we suggest you forgo this one. We saw many cars doing it also. I would suggest front wheel drive though.
Written July 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

princessebird
Fort Worth, TX213 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
This one-way dirt-packed road might be intimidating, but it is well worth it! Lots of scenery and views that can't be seen elsewhere. Just go slow and just about any vehicle should be fine. We were in a pick-up and a few switchbacks required us to take two attempts. Don't miss the Chasm Falls near the beginning of the road, up after a switchback while you are heading west. Far better than the Alberta Falls, and far easier to get to.
Written August 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Love-To-Travel
Chicago, IL3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
The drive was great! My husband drove, so I got to enjoy all the views. Take your time, stop whenever you can and take a walk to soak it in, You can take a short hike in the alpine meadows, before you get to the top, look at myriad of flowers and enjoy the solitude. Take the first hike up before you get to the alpine center, it has much better views, although it is more strenuous. Go as early as possible in am, the road gets crowded.
Written August 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JENNIFER T
Grand Junction, CO759 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
Awesome drive. One way only from East side of the park to the West side/ Alpine Visitor's Center. It is a dirt road but very hard packed and easy to drive on. There are lots of switch backs as you climb and climb some more. You only go about 15 miles per hour (if that depending on who you might be driving behind) but that is a perfect speed to enjoy the scenery. It is about 10 miles and takes about 1.5 hours so you are going very slow and stopping for the views along the way. Fabulous views first the greenery and then the tundra as you get higher and higher.

Stopping at Chasam Falls is a must. It is a beautiful falls only a short number of stairs down to view right on the side of the road. There is a parking pull over to safely stop. There are also a number of small pull over along the road to let other drivers pass or to stop and enjoy the views. You end up at Alpine visitor's center which has very unique views and land space. Make sure you are prepared for the wind.
Written July 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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OLD FALL RIVER ROAD - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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