The Alpine Loop, which begins at the mouth of American Fork Canyon on SR 92, has long been a popular destination for its scenic views, particularly of colorful fall trees.

“The alpine views that you get from that roadway are like no other,” said Geoff Dupaix, communications manager for UDOT. “It’s a gorgeous view regardless of the time or season that you’re in, whether it’s snow, during the summertime, or especially during the fall.”

The road is one of nine routes that UDOT closes each winter, typically from November until May or June, depending on weather conditions.

“These are roads where they’re usually narrower. They’re higher in elevation, they’re high mountain pass roads,” Dupaix said. “We close it right around the first of November. That way it allows any of the hunts and other recreation that usually happens in October; those activities wrap up there at the end of October.”

Daily Herald file photo

According to Dupaix, the Alpine Loop and roads like it are closed seasonally so that UDOT can distribute the resources it would take to keep them open year-round to more highly-trafficked roads.

“Resources are finite, and we’re trying to allocate them to where we need them most,” he said.

The Alpine Loop runs through the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, and the Forest Service maintains multiple campgrounds and picnic areas in the vicinity, which see heavy use during the summer and early fall months.

“It’s not just that we’re closing it; it’s in coordination with the Forest Service,” Dupaix said. “They also use that time to make repairs in the campgrounds or other things within that area. It’s just much harder to do if it’s actively being used all the time. It helps both parties allocate their resources in a cost-effective way.”

According to Dupaix, the Alpine Loop, like other UDOT seasonal roads, should open back up near Memorial Day, if road conditions are suitable. If there’s enough snow in the area, the opening could, and has in the past, not come until June.