Alpine Ridge Trail — Attraction in Estes Park

This is a very short out and back Trail located near the Alpine Visitor Center on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. The trail is very steep yet only about one quarter mile long. There are plenty of opportunities to stop on your way up and read about what you are experiencing such as shortness of breath, the beautiful views, etc. One picture I am posting shows a young man perched at the top of the trail on large rocks that are clearly marked *stay on the trail." How many times have we heard about people falling in national parks and getting seriously injured or killed?

Here's one thing I would suggest to you. DO NOT AVOID THIS HIKE. My wife and I are both of the 69 years old, and we were able to complete the trail by taking at least four or five rest stops on the way up.

Secondly... do not wear flip flops or smooth shoes on this short hike. In one of the pictures showing a view from the top to the bottom of the trail and parking lot you can see that there are large flat areas to step on, and some of these have fine gravel/sand on them. This is not the national parks fault it's just a fact of nature that with the winds at this high elevation one will find debris on...

Short but breathtaking walk up to the high point. Well worth it. 11 of us including 4 kids and my parents in their 80s all made the trek. Luckily the rain abated for the duration of the hike up... only started to sprinkle a bit as we arrived down to the parking lot. 6 of the folks had recently flown in from sea level so these little treks were great for getting folks acclimated for a backpacking trip in a few days.

Crowded but good to see people getting out of cars to enjoy the fresh air and stretch their legs. At the top with the elevation sign, there was a short queue to take a pic with the sign. Everyone was polite and efficient and we didn't wait long...

A very worthwhile, short hike to the top of a mountain. This is a very accessible trail (paved trail), although you should note that it has a lot of stairs and it is at a high altitude, so it will feel much more challenging than it actually is. Nevertheless, I highly recommend it. It allows you to ascend to 12,005 feet at the top. There are gorgeous, sweeping panoramic views from the top and it affords you a fantastic photo. There are a couple of signs and information about the tundra around, and you can see some neat ecological features that you would not otherwise be able to see easily. I took my family up this. Highly...