On Saturday, Oct. 17, Old Fall River Road reopens for the winter to bicycles, leashed pets, and pedestrians. That makes the park's oldest route to the tundra one of the few places in Rocky Mountain National Park where a dog can come along on a real outing. The National Park Service's park roads page, last updated Oct. 6, 2026, gives the date and one firm rule: pets and bikes stay on the road and never go on side trails.
The page doesn't say how long this lasts. The 2024 season had a clear end date, and that's why the next several weeks are a separate season of their own. They aren't just the start of winter.
A Road Is One of the Few Places a Dog Can Go
The park's pet rules keep dogs off trails, tundra, and meadows. Leashed pets are allowed only on established roads, in parking areas, in established campgrounds, and at picnic areas, on a leash no longer than six feet. In summer, the roads where a dog is technically allowed are full of cars.
Once Old Fall River Road closes to vehicles, its traffic is gone. It's a 9.4-mile unpaved road built between 1913 and 1920 as the first road to the alpine tundra. It starts beside Endovalley Picnic Area and climbs the south face of Mount Chapin to Fall River Pass at 11,796 feet, where it meets Trail Ridge Road at the Alpine Visitor Center. Most of the year it's a scenic drive. With the gates shut, it's a long, dog-legal route through the Fall River drainage with no traffic.
The same road status covers bikes. The NPS biking page says that while Old Fall River Road is closed to vehicles, cyclists may ride uphill and turn back down the same road. In summer, traffic runs one way uphill only.
The Route From the West Alluvial Fan Gate
The best on-the-ground account of the off-season route is Dawn Wilson's November 2024 field guide to Chasm Falls in the Estes Park Trail-Gazette. She describes the off-season gate at the west end of the West Alluvial Fan parking lot, with parking in that lot near the picnic area. Here's how the route unfolds from there, based on her account:
- The first mile is nearly flat. The road heads west and gains only 32 feet in its first mile. It runs through aspen groves, past springs that freeze later in the season, and along the willows of the Fall River riparian area. Wilson also points out bear claw marks on one of the trees along the way.
- At one mile there's a second gate. This is where the dirt section of Old Fall River Road begins, next to Endovalley Picnic Area.
- The next 1.3 miles climb hard. Wilson calls this stretch "a good workout."
- Chasm Falls is 2.3 miles from the first gate. A 0.1-mile trail leads down from the road to the falls. Dogs and bikes aren't allowed on that spur, so a dog walk or a ride turns around at the road.
The route splits in two. The first mile suits an easy walk with an older dog or a short spin on a bike. The climb above the second gate is a different outing. Someone on foot with a dog can turn back at the dirt gate after two flat miles round trip, or keep going to the Chasm Falls overlook area for about 4.6 miles round trip.
One caveat on the gate location. It comes from local reporting in 2024, not from a current NPS notice. The park's November 2025 closure release still lists Endovalley Road among the popular winter driving destinations, which fits the same setup, but it doesn't say exactly where vehicle access ends.
The Clock on Dogs and Bikes
The window has an end date. In 2024, the park kept both Old Fall River Road and Trail Ridge Road open to bicycles, hikers, and people walking leashed pets through Nov. 30. The Trail-Gazette reported that both roads would move to "winter trail status" on Dec. 1. After that, bicycles and leashed pets were no longer allowed past the closed gates. Pedestrians, snowshoers, and skiers could keep using both roads all winter. The NPS biking page states the rule plainly: when Old Fall River Road is in winter trail status, bicycles are not allowed on the road.
For 2026, nothing has been announced. The park roads page says the road reopens Oct. 17 "for the winter" and gives no date for the switch. The NPS release on the 2025 Trail Ridge closure didn't mention a bike-and-pet cutoff either. Dec. 1 is the most recent date on record. It isn't a promise for this year. If the 2024 schedule held, the dog-and-bike season would run about six weeks from the Oct. 17 reopening.
Chasm Falls changes over that stretch too. The Trail-Gazette guide describes the river at Chasm Falls going from autumn color to dripping icicles in late fall, and then to snow and ice that cover the flowing water by winter. A dog walk in late October and one in late November can look like two different places.
The Same Week, the Rest of the Park Changes Too
Old Fall River Road's reopening falls in the same week the park's summer systems shut down. These are the dates the park has posted:
| Date | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mon., Oct. 12 | Last day timed entry is required for most park areas, per the current NPS permit page | NPS timed entry |
| Tue., Oct. 13 – Fri., Oct. 16 | Old Fall River Road closed to all uses for maintenance | NPS park roads |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Old Fall River Road reopens to bicycles, leashed pets, and pedestrians for the winter | NPS park roads |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | Last day of Bear Lake Road corridor timed entry, Bear Lake and Moraine Park shuttles, and the weekend Hiker Shuttle | NPS shuttles |
The timed entry dates don't quite match. The park's February 2026 announcement gave Tuesday, Oct. 13 for most areas and Monday, Oct. 19 for the Bear Lake Road corridor, one day later than the current permit page for both. The permit page is the one the park keeps current.
Trail Ridge Road follows the weather. The park says it normally closes to through travel in mid-October and reopens the last week of May, weather permitting. In 2025, it stayed open until Nov. 14, with closure gates at Many Parks Curve on the east side and the Colorado River Trailhead on the west. In 2024, the east-side closure sat at Rainbow Curve, and the park said closure points could move around that fall. That year's bike-and-pet allowance through Nov. 30 also applied above the Trail Ridge gate. The park describes Trail Ridge Road as having 11 miles above 11,500 feet, with few guardrails and no shoulders.
The NPS says it doesn't post live road status on its website because conditions change too fast. It points people to the variable message boards inside the park and to its account @RockyNPS.
What It Costs to Walk or Ride In
Walking or riding in still costs money. Anyone 16 or older entering on foot or by bike needs their own pass, priced at $15 for one day or $20 for seven consecutive days, according to the NPS fees page. Children under 16 don't need one. The Rocky Mountain National Park annual pass is $70. For cyclists, the NPS biking page says an annual or lifetime pass covers the owner and up to three more riders. It also says timed entry isn't required for anyone entering by bicycle.
Four one-day passes add up to $60, so a fifth day-trip puts the $70 annual pass ahead. The annual pass also keeps working after Old Fall River Road switches to snowshoes and skis.
The biking page has two practical notes for this route. Cell service doesn't exist in much of the park, and Trail Ridge Store, the only place in the park that sells food and drinks, is open in summer only. After Oct. 17, whatever water the dog needs has to come in from home.
If walking Old Fall River Road this fall gets you thinking about which Estes Park homes sit closest to the Fall River Entrance, I'm happy to talk through it with you. At Elizabeth Kozar, I'm out on these same roads, and I'm glad to share what I know about life this close to the park. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
