Chapin Pass

Overview

Chapin Pass gives access to the remote northern area of Rocky Mountain National Park, including the west side of the Mummy Range. It is the typical starting point for the Mummy Mania, the traverse of range that takes in five 13'ers and one 12'er in 16 miles, which ends at the Lawn Lake Trailhead

Driving Directions

Chapin Pass is most easily reached from the Fall River Road Entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. From Estes Park take US Highway 34 bypass to the Fall River Entrance. This highway is on the north side of Estes and is accessible from several locations on the east, west, or center of town. Depending on where you pick it up, it is 4 - 4.5 miles to the National Park entrance.

From the entrance follow the road for nearly 2 miles, keeping an eye out for bighorn sheep, until you are rounding the curve on the west side of Horseshoe Park. Turn right (west) on the Fall River Road.

If you are coming from the Beaver Meadows entrance you will turn right on to 34 at the Deer Mountain Junction, and it will be a left turn into fall River Road.

Go past the Lawn Lake trailhead and continue to the gated entrance of Fall River Road. This is a one way, good dirt road that exits at the Trail Ridge Road visitor center. From the turn at Horseshoe Park it is about 6.5 to 7 miles to Chapin Pass, where there is limited parking.

This road is open from about early July to late September in a typical year.

External Links

Maps of Estes Park showing access roads to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Images

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