National Register of Historic Places

Fall River Road

Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado
Listed
July 19, 1987
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
87001129

About this property

The Old Fall River Road, sometimes referred to as "The Old Road" by park staff in Rocky Mountain National Park, was the first automobile road to penetrate the interior of the park. The road linked the east side of the park near Estes Park with Grand Lake on the west side. Work began in 1913 but was interrupted in 1914 by World War I with final work being completed between 1918 and 1920. The narrow road was partly replaced by Trail Ridge Road in 1932, which incorporated sections of the Fall River Road. The road runs westward from Sheep Lakes to the Alpine Visitor Center. A rockslide closed the road in 1953 and it was not re-opened until 1968 when the National Park Service cleared the rocks and paved the lower third of the route. Both the one-way Old Fall River Road and the paved Trail Ridge Road are maintained and open to motor vehicles from Memorial Day weekend through the first major autumn snowstorm. Both roads are also open to bicycles from April 1 through November 30, but are not patrolled in the pre- and post-season times. Old Fall River Road may be closed for a time to all uses for maintenance.

Location

Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado
40.43069, -105.71518

Categories

TRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Nearby Historic Sites

Willow Park Stable
Industrial
1 mi
Willow Park Patrol Cabin
Industrial
1 mi
Willard, Beatrice, Alpine Tundra Research Plots
Modern
1.6 mi
Timberline Cabin
Industrial
1.7 mi
Fall River Pump House and Catchment Basin
Industrial
1.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fall River Road listed on the National Register?

Fall River Road was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 19, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Fall River Road?

Fall River Road is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fall River Road?

The period of significance for Fall River Road is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Fall River Road?

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