Trail Ridge Road across the top of Rocky Mountain National Park has closed for winter. This shot was taken in August, when a storm temporarily closed the road/NPS file

Winter is getting a bit of an early start at Rocky Mountain National Park, where Trail Ridge Road has closed for the year due to wintery conditions.

A year ago motorists could cross the roof of the park on the road until mid-November -- November 17, exactly -- but this year conditions forced closure of the road on Monday.

Many popular driving destinations for this time of year including Bear Lake Road, Moraine Park, Horseshoe Park and the section of Trail Ridge Road along the Kawuneeche Valley, are all open.   

Trail Ridge Road is not designed to be an all-season road, with 11 miles above 11,500 feet, few guard rails and no shoulders.  Winter conditions of drifting snow, high winds and below- freezing temperatures occur above 10,000 feet. Weather permitting, Trail Ridge Road will remain open to Rainbow Curve on the east side of the park and to Milner Pass on the west side of the park.  Eventually, those closures will move down in elevation for the winter season to Many Parks Curve on the east side and Colorado River Trailhead on the west side. 

Trail Ridge Road normally opens the last week in May, weather permitting. This year Trail Ridge Road opened on May 29. 

Old Fall River Road closed for the season to vehicles on October 4. Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road will remain open to bicycles and leashed pets through November 30.

Leashed pets and bicycles are only allowed on the road, not on side trails. On December 1, both of these roads will revert to "winter trail status" which means that bicycles and leashed pets are no longer permitted beyond the closed gates but pedestrians, snowshoers and skiers are.