Getting Around the Rocky Mountains: 9 Transportation Modes

The Rockies span 3,000 miles from New Mexico to British Columbia. Transportation varies by sub-region, season, and purpose. Here's the menu:

1. Road: The Backbone

• Interstates (I-70, I-80, I-90, I-15, I-25) cross major passes.
• Scenic byways: Trail Ridge Rd (RMNP), Going-to-the-Sun Rd (Glacier), Peak to Peak (CO), Beartooth Hwy (MT/WY).
• Seasonal closures common (Oct–May on high passes). Check CoTrip.org, 511, park sites.

2. Public Transit in Parks

• Shuttles: Zion, Bryce, Yosemite (not Rockies), but RMNP (Bear Lake), Glacier (Going-to-the-Sun), Banff/Lake Louise (Roam Transit).
• Reduces parking congestion, allows one-way hikes.

3. Rail: Amtrak's Scenic Routes

• California Zephyr: Chicago–Emeryville via Denver, Glenwood Canyon, Moffat Tunnel, Salt Lake. The Rockies train ride.
• Empire Builder: Chicago–Seattle/Portland via Glacier National Park (Mariass Pass).
• Coast Starlight: Not Rockies (Cascades/Sierra).

4. Air: Regional Gateways

• Major: DEN (hub), SLC, PHX, LAS, YYC, YEG.
• Mountain: ASE (Aspen), EGE (Vail), JAC (Jackson), BZN (Bozeman), FCA (Kalispell), YYC (Banff via Calgary).
• Expensive, weather-prone, but time-saving.

5. Cycling

• Paved: Trail Ridge, Going-to-the-Sun (vehicle-free hours), Legacy Trail (Steamboat), Vail Pass.
• MTB: Kingdom Trails (VT? no, that's not Rockies), Phil's World (CO), Whitefish (MT), Canmore (AB). IMBA epic centers.

6. Horseback

• Outfitters in most gateway towns (Jackson, Estes Park, Banff, Jasper). Day rides to multi-day pack trips.
• Access wilderness trails closed to bikes/vehicles.

7. Foot: The Original Mode

• Thousands of miles of trails: CDT, Colorado Trail, Teton Crest, Skyline, Highline, Berg Lake, etc.
• Backpacking = self-supported; hut systems (10th Mountain, ACC, Alpine Club of Canada).

8. Gondolas / Trams / Funiculars

• Ski resorts (summer ops): Aspen, Vail, Breck, Whistler, Banff, Jackson, Snowbird.
• Non-ski: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (not Rockies), Sandia Peak (NM), Royal Gorge (CO).

9. Winter Over-Snow

• Snowmobiles (groomed trails: WY, MT, CO, AB).
• Snowcoaches (Yellowstone winter, some resort access).
• Fat bikes (groomed Nordic centers).
• Skis/snowshoes (human-powered).

Match mode to mission: sightseeing → car/shuttle; adventure → foot/bike/horse; distance → air/rail; winter → snowmobile/coach.