Fall River Pass

Fall River Pass
Fall River Pass
	Trail Ridge Store at Fall River Pass
Elevation	11,796 ft (3,595 m)
Traversed by	US 34
Location	Rocky Mountain National Park, Larimer County, Colorado, U.S.
Range	Front Range
Coordinates	40°26′26″N 105°45′17″W / 40.44056°N 105.75472°W
Topo map	USGS Fall River Pass

Fall River Pass (elevation 11,796 feet (3,595 m)) is a mountain pass in northern Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains of the western United States. It is located in the Front Range, within Rocky Mountain National Park. The pass is traversed by U.S. Highway 34 on Trail Ridge Road between Granby and Estes Park. However, as at Milner Pass on the Continental Divide, the road does not descend after reaching the pass from the west, but instead continues to climb along a side ridge; thus, neither pass is the high point on Trail Ridge Road, which crests at 12,183 feet (3,713 m) elevation, east of Fall River Pass, still within Rocky Mountain National Park. On the other hand, the old, largely unpaved, and one-way-uphill Fall River Road (see adjoining map) does have its summit at Fall River Pass, where it joins the modern highway for the descent to the west.

The Alpine Visitor Center, one of five visitor centers for Rocky Mountain National Park, is located at Fall River Pass. The highway has a moderately steep 6% grade on either side of this point.

Climate

Willow Park is a weather station near the summit of Fall River Pass. Willow Park has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc), bordering on an alpine climate (ETH), with only two months averaging over 10°C.

Climate data for Willow Park, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1988-2020 extremes: 10700ft (3261m)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	63 (17)	74 (23)	73 (23)	81 (27)	85 (29)	89 (32)	93 (34)	87 (31)	82 (28)	78 (26)	69 (21)	61 (16)	93 (34)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	45 (7)	46 (8)	53 (12)	58 (14)	66 (19)	71 (22)	74 (23)	73 (23)	69 (21)	61 (16)	51 (11)	44 (7)	76 (24)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	28.5 (−1.9)	29.9 (−1.2)	38.1 (3.4)	42.8 (6.0)	51.4 (10.8)	60.1 (15.6)	65.9 (18.8)	63.4 (17.4)	57.5 (14.2)	46.2 (7.9)	34.6 (1.4)	27.1 (−2.7)	45.5 (7.5)
Daily mean °F (°C)	17.9 (−7.8)	18.8 (−7.3)	25.7 (−3.5)	30.2 (−1.0)	38.5 (3.6)	47.1 (8.4)	52.4 (11.3)	50.6 (10.3)	44.9 (7.2)	34.6 (1.4)	24.3 (−4.3)	16.8 (−8.4)	33.5 (0.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	7.2 (−13.8)	7.3 (−13.7)	13.1 (−10.5)	18.2 (−7.7)	26.0 (−3.3)	33.1 (0.6)	38.9 (3.8)	37.7 (3.2)	32.5 (0.3)	23.5 (−4.7)	14.3 (−9.8)	6.9 (−13.9)	21.6 (−5.8)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	−12 (−24)	−10 (−23)	−6 (−21)	2 (−17)	11 (−12)	26 (−3)	33 (1)	31 (−1)	20 (−7)	5 (−15)	−5 (−21)	−13 (−25)	−17 (−27)
Record low °F (°C)	−24 (−31)	−34 (−37)	−17 (−27)	−18 (−28)	−2 (−19)	11 (−12)	28 (−2)	20 (−7)	7 (−14)	−20 (−29)	−22 (−30)	−21 (−29)	−34 (−37)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.87 (98)	3.79 (96)	3.75 (95)	4.87 (124)	3.92 (100)	1.83 (46)	1.95 (50)	2.15 (55)	2.16 (55)	2.86 (73)	3.33 (85)	3.60 (91)	38.08 (968)
Source 1: XMACIS2^[1]
Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation)^[2]

Picture gallery

Map By USGS

2.3 Miles High
Creek At Fall River Pass

References

^ "xmACIS2". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
^ "Willow Park, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved November 3, 2023.