Alternate Routes To Get To Estes Park After Colorado Flooding [DETOUR]

With the recent flooding there is a lot of rebuilding and a lot of road construction to be done. There are a limited number of roads to get into Estes Park, Colorado to begin with, but as of right now, there is only one way. That one way is a road which usually closes for the season in October and is currently only open to emergency personnel. (It closed on October 17th last year.)

Right now Trail Ridge Road is the ONLY road open to get in or out of Estes Park, and that is restricted to emergency personnel. So, these alternate routes are not for you to go lookey-looing at flood damage. Stay out of the way and let our emergency personnel do their jobs and help get everyone up there to safety and start then rebuilding process. You can use these routes once city officials in Estes Park say they want you back in their town and it's safe to drive there.

These routes are not quick either, driving from Fort Collins to Estes park with these directions is a four-plus hour drive.

Hopefully as the flood waters recede and road crews see to the mountain highways, more routes will open. Highway 34, Highway 66, Highway 14, Highway 36 are all currently closed after being decimated by the flood. Highway 7 is still restricted by the National Guard to Estes Valley residents or family arriving to assist them, people who work in Estes Park, supply deliveries and emergency services.

Estes Park, CO from Fort Collins, via Laramie, WY

Estimated drive time: 5-hours and 1-minute

• Head north on Highway 287
• Merge onto I-80 W via the ramp to Rawlins
• Turn left onto WY-130 W/WY-230 W/Snowy Range Rd
• Continue to follow WY-230 W Entering Colorado
• Continue onto CO-127 S
• Continue straight onto CO-125 S
• Turn right onto CO-125 S/Main St (signs for Granby/Steamboat Springs/Denver)
• Continue to follow CO-125 S
• Turn left onto US-40 E
• Turn left onto US-34 E
• Continue onto US-36 E

Estes Park, CO from Fort Collins, via I-70

Estimated drive time: 4-hours and 10-minutes

•  Take I-25 south towards Denver
• Take exit 216 to merge onto I-76 W towards Grand Junction
• Take the exit onto I-70 West
• Take exit 232 toward U.S. 40 E/Empire/Granby
• Merge onto US-40 W
• Turn right onto US-34 E
• Continue onto US-36 E
• Take Interstate 25 north to CO 66 (about 36 miles).
• Take CO 66 west to Lyons (about 15 miles).
• In Lyons, get in the right lane and continue through the center of town. Don’t speed! At the end of town, follow US 36 west (it will be a right turn).
• Continue on US 36 until you get to Estes Park (about 22 miles).