Officials from either side of the Continental Divide were welcomed to Rocky Mountain National Park on Friday afternoon to officially commemorate the opening of Trail Ridge Road for the summer season.

The 48-mile stretch of highway through Rocky Mountain National Park, running from Grand Lake to Estes Park, has the unique distinction of being the highest continuous paved road in the United States and reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet at its highest point.

This year’s seasonal opening tracks closely with the park’s historic opening date for Trail Ridge Road, which is typically held over the Memorial Day weekend. Open as of Thursday, this year beat 2017's opening date by more than a week.

Watch: A quick tour of Trail Ridge Road, from the stretch around the Alpine Visitors Center: