When to Go

More than two-thirds of the park's annual 3 million visitors come in summer and fall. For thinner high-season crowds, come in early June or September. But there is a good reason to put up with summer crowds: only from Memorial Day to mid-October can you make the unforgettable drive over Trail Ridge Road (weather-permitting).

Spring is capricious—75°F one day and a blizzard the next (March sees the most snow). June can range from hot to cool and rainy. July typically ushers in high summer. Up on Trail Ridge Road, it can be 15°-20° cooler. Spring and summer are the best times for wildlife viewing and fishing. In early fall, the trees blaze with brilliant foliage. Winter, when backcountry snow can be 4 feet deep and the wind brutal, is the time for skiing, snowshoeing, and ice fishing.