ESTES PARK, Colo. — Three of Colorado's scenic mountain highways will remain closed over Memorial Day weekend due to late snow in the high country.
Trail Ridge Road, Mount Blue Sky Road (formerly Mount Evans Road) and Independence Pass won't open until sometime after the holiday weekend, said Rocky Mountain National Park and the Colorado Department of Transportation on Wednesday.
Trail Ridge Road
U.S. Highway 34, or Trail Ridge Road, which runs between Estes Park and Grand Lake through Rocky Mountain National Park, will not open this holiday weekend, a park spokesperson said. There was no word on exactly when the highway will open for the season.
"Park snowplow operators have been plowing Trail Ridge Road since mid-April," park spokesperson Kyle Patterson said Wednesday. "May storms with significant winds at higher elevations have hampered snow plowing operations. Plow operators this week have encountered additional snow accumulation, significant wind resulting in deep snow drifts, freezing cold temperatures and ice."
As of Sunday, the current closure points for vehicles on Trail Ridge Road are at Rainbow Curve on the east side and Colorado River Trailhead on the west side. Access points for pedestrians and bicyclists vary based on weather and road conditions.
Mount Blue Sky Road
CDOT said Colorado Highway 5, also known as Mount Blue Sky Road, will not open until after Memorial Day weekend this year due to ongoing snow. CDOT estimated the road will open in early June.
The road takes drivers to the summit of 14,130-foot Mount Blue Sky, formerly known as Mount Evans.
Reservations are required for anyone who plans to park and visit one of the three developed sites along Mount Blue Sky Road (Mount Goliath Natural Area, Summit Lake Park, or the Mount Blue Sky Summit) between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Guanella Pass
Guanella Pass, which runs from Georgetown to Grant and provides access to the Mount Bierstadt trailhead, will open for the season at 4 p.m. Thursday, a Clear Creek County spokesperson said.
Independence Pass
CDOT said they hope to be able to reopen Colorado Highway 82 over Independence Pass, between Twin Lakes and Aspen, by June 1.
"Crews are working hard to clear the road of heavy snow from recent storms," said CDOT spokesperson Elise Thatcher. "The pass received 36 inches of snow May 9-12, which extended the amount of time needed for clearing snow from the entire winter from the highway. Due to the storm weather, avalanche mitigation was delayed and rescheduled more than once, which delays when crews can clear certain areas."
Kebler Pass
Gunnison County said Kebler Pass, west of Crested Butte, will not be open for the holiday weekend. The county public works department said weather over the past few days has delayed the opening. There's no word on when the pass will open for the season.
Cottonwood Pass
Gunnison County said Cottonwood Pass west of Buena Vista will open for the season Friday morning.
Cottonwood Pass Road
Cottonwood Pass Road in Eagle and Garfield counties reopened for the summer this month. The road, which runs from Gypsum to the Roaring Fork Valley between Carbondale and Basalt, will remain open through autumn, weather permitting.
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