Trail Ridge

Amazing views and ample seating. So convenient there was a place to eat once we got up here. That is enough reason to eat here.
The food: It’s meh. I was beyond grateful there was a vegetarian sandwich. (Which actual was vegan so that was a HUGE plus). (Red pepper hummus, cucumbers, lettuce, and tomato if I remember right on wheat bread). Honestly the food is pretty much cafeteria grab and go food. But it’s the only place to grab a bite.
The bathrooms are clean and there are ton of souvenirs to grab and buy it’s a nice place to walk around and stretch your legs.

The Trail Ridge Store & Café is an excellent stopping spot as you make your way through Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road. At 11,796 feet and above tree-​line, the view from the long café windows offer a view like no other.
The bathrooms are clean while the store is full of souvenirs and gear. The food is pretty standard cafeteria offerings with most of it pre-​packaged. There’s no competition up here, so, just be thankful that there is a place to escape the elements and get something warm to eat (or wear).
The coolest part of my visit to Trail Ridge wasn’t the photo opportunities. Sure, those were nice, but I was more excited about seeing a llama when I walked out of the café/​store entrance. It wasn’t a wild llama. It was in the back of a park ranger pick-​up truck just going for a ride (standing up). I have no idea how or why it was there, but the llama looked like one a bad ass animal.
There’s no internet service, so, forget about checking in. You’re in the middle of the Rocky Mountain National Park on a mountain and should just be thankful for a large parking lot, warm shelter, clean restrooms, and café selling some hot caffeine.

So, nobody has Unilocaled this yet? Unbelievable. And that is exactly what you get here. Unbelievable dining views. The food? Well… The views are five stars and the food is a solid three stars. An extra star for the effort and for offering such quality at a place where there is no other option.
I had the Nathan’s Chili Dog. The dog was good. Bun was good. Chili was on the sweet side for me. But I loaded it up with mustard, cheese, extra onions and Tabasco and all was good. In fact, it was great. To have hot food at this altitude (elevation 11,796 feet above sea level) is simply amazing. After a day of hiking around and a white knuckle drive up the Trail Ridge, I was ready for something to eat. And I didn’t want trail mix or a protein bar. They also serve Pulled Pork BBQ on a bun, BBQ chicken sandwiches and German sausage with sauerkraut.
There were vegetarian options in the deli case, and PB&J for the kids. To top it off, they serve some pretty decent coffee. Adjacent is a huge gift shop, so don’t forget your mugs, shirts, miniature license plates, Indian jewelery and bronze wolf statues.
Oh, and they even have trail mix.