Parking
Start at Harbison Picnic Area, roughly one mile north of Kawuneeche Visitor Center on Trail Ridge Road. The mapped circuit lies just west of the picnic-area point; follow the signed path to join it.
Overview
About Sun Valley Trail
Why go
- A full loop with only 50 feet of gain in the historic park listing
Heads up
- Fire-affected open stretches have little shade
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Rocky Mountain map
Full mapElevation8,691–8,760 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Rocky Mountain alerts
- ClosureSun Valley burn-area access remains closedMentions this trailThe area and trail west of Sun Valley Trail remain closed, including the route used for angler access to the Colorado River, because of impacts from the 2020 East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires;…Official details
- ClosureOld Fall River Road closed to vehiclesOld Fall River Road is closed to motor vehicles for the season.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Rocky Mountain Tour Guide
Your drive to Sun Valley Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Rocky Mountain National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Rocky Mountain audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Harbison Meadows: Lunch at the Sisters' Ranch0:00 / 0:25
“Harbison Meadows Picnic Area is coming up, with covered and open-air tables looking across the valley.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Rocky Mountain Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Kawuneeche Visitor Center: Get Your Bearings
- Green Mountain Trailhead: Big Meadows in Two Hours
- Water Beneath the Mountains
- North Inlet: The Walk to Cascade Falls
- 79 audio storiesacross Rocky Mountain’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Elk, Moose, Mountain Goat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 136 trails, 88 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…No cell service for majority of the day but had continuous access to the app - the maps, the tour guide as you drive is amazing. Highly recommend purchasing the subscription.”
Trail guide
Hiking Sun Valley Trail
A gentle valley loopSun Valley is a roughly 2.
Sun Valley is a roughly 2.4-mile loop from Harbison Picnic Area, crossing open meadow and woodland in the Kawuneeche Valley along a river corridor. A historic park route table lists a 2.5-mile loop with 50 feet of gain. Allow about 1–1.5 hours; the grade is easy, but the route sits high in the Rockies.
Stay on the marked circuitThe loop links Valley and River Trail segments by short connectors.
The loop links Valley and River Trail segments by short connectors. Follow the main marked route at junctions; older park material describes orange markers. Harbison Picnic Area is about a mile north of Kawuneeche Visitor Center. Pets are prohibited on park trails.
A landscape changed by fireThe East Troublesome Fire entered the park in October 2020 and burned over 21,000 acres inside…
The East Troublesome Fire entered the park in October 2020 and burned over 21,000 acres inside its boundaries. This open valley includes fire-affected ground with standing dead trees and scattered debris. Shade is limited; in burned terrain, unstable trees, weak stump holes, loose logs or rocks, flash flooding and debris flows are real hazards.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Rocky Mountain
3,124 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,601 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
19 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
19 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
30 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
270 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Rocky Mountain. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
