Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado.It features majestic mountain views, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to back-country trails...

's Alpine Visitor Center is located at 11,796 feet above sea level

Sea level

Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...

 at Fall River Pass

Fall River Pass

-Fall River Pass:Fall River Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States. It is located on the in the Front Range, within Rocky Mountain National Park. The pass is traversed by U.S. Highway 34 on Trail Ridge Road between Estes Park and Granby...

, about two miles north of the highest point on Trail Ridge Road

Trail Ridge Road

Trail Ridge Road is the name for a stretch of U.S. Highway 34 and is the highest continuous highway in the United States. Also known as Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway, it traverses Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park, Colorado in the east to Grand Lake, Colorado in...

 in the U.S. state of Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

. The Alpine Visitor's Center includes restrooms, a restaurant

Restaurant

A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

 and an information and gift shop. The visitor center opens around Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...

 and closes around mid-October due to snow. In mid-summer, the visitor center is also accessible by Old Fall River Road, which is one-way going up.

The original visitor center building, constructed in 1936, remodeled in 1938 and added to in 1965. It was renovated recently in 2000 and 2001. Its rear decks face southeast and offer views of Fall River, and Estes Park and Longs Peak

Longs Peak

Longs Peak is one of the 53 mountains with summits over 14,000 feet in Colorado. It can be prominently seen from Longmont, Colorado, as well as from the rest of the Colorado Front Range. It is named after Major Stephen Long, who explored the area in the 1820s...

in the distance.