Trail Ridge Road Events - December 2026
⚠️ Road status
Trail Ridge Road is closed to through travel for the winter. Its lower approaches normally remain open — east to Many Parks Curve and west from Grand Lake to the Colorado River Trailhead. Bear Lake Road is a separate east-side winter option. Check (970) 586-1222 before travelling.
📅 Quick facts
- Road: closed to through travel.
- Winter camping: Moraine Park only — $30/night non-electric, $55/night electric, first-come, first-served. Sites are not plowed.
- Ranger programs: not yet running — they begin in mid-to-late January.
- Expected reopening: late May 2027, weather permitting.
December is the park's quietest, coldest month. The road is shut, the ranger-led winter programme has not started, and the main activity is snow camping, wildlife watching and Estes Park's holiday lights.
On the road
Winter camping opens at Moraine Park
From mid-October to mid-May, Moraine Park is the park's only winter campground and operates first-come, first-served. Fees are $30 per night for a non-electric site and $55 per night for an electric site. Sites are not plowed.
Why go: it is the only way to camp inside the park in winter, and the valley floor is a strong base for dawn wildlife watching.
Lower approaches only
With the high road closed, the open options are Bear Lake Road on the east side and the Kawuneeche Valley section to the Colorado River Trailhead on the west. Old Fall River Road, the one-way unpaved route, is closed to vehicles for the season but open to bicycles, leashed pets and pedestrians for the winter.
Source: NPS road status
Wildlife to look for
Elk, mule deer, coyote, snowshoe hare and white-tailed ptarmigan are active through the winter, and moose are often seen in the Kawuneeche Valley on the west side. Stay at least 75 ft from elk.
Why go: the quiet weeks are the best of the year for undisturbed wildlife viewing in the park.
Source: NPS area closures · NPS winter recreation
Weather and safety
- The park service expects drifting snow, high winds and ice at any time; temporary closures can happen without notice.
- CDOT's traction or chain law can be active on US 34 outside the park. Check COtrip.org.
- The Colorado Avalanche Information Center's daily backcountry forecasts are running (1 November to May).
Source: NPS road status · NPS Trail Ridge Road overview · CDOT traction & chain laws · Colorado Avalanche Information Center
In town: Estes Park
⚠️ Dates still to be confirmed
Visit Estes Park's December events page still carries 2025 dates at the time of writing, so treat all December town dates as provisional until the 2026 page is live.
- Festival of Trees — runs through mid-December. (Season window.)
- Holiday Lights Driving Tour — late November to late December. (Exact 2026 dates to be confirmed.)
- Snowman Scavenger Hunt — through 31 December. (Season window.)
- "Sleigh the Games" weekend — held 12–14 December in 2025; the 2026 dates are not yet announced.
Source: Visit Estes Park · Estes Park events