You are here

Plan Your Rocky Mountain National Park Vacation Wisely

Share
Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park/Kurt Repanshek

Make the most out of your Rocky Mountain National Park vacation by planning early and strategically/NPS

Editor's note: The following is an unedited release from Rocky Mountain National Park.

In 2015, Rocky Mountain National Park was the third-most visited national park with over 4.1 million visitors. So far this year, Rocky is experiencing an 11 percent increase in visitation. Over the last 100 years, the reasons people visit are the same; to experience nature, to seek solitude, to enjoy scenic grandeur, to watch wildlife, and to partake in outstanding recreational activities.

Popularity and high visitation during the summer and fall, particularly during 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. can mean full parking lots, congested roads, busy trails, and long lines and wait times at entrance stations. Park staff will continue to address impacts of visitation, particularly vehicle congestion, related to visitor and staff safety, resource protection, visitor experience and operational capacity. During periods of high vehicle congestion, park staff may restrict vehicle access, when needed, in specific areas of the park. We expect this will occur more frequently in the upper Bear Lake Road corridor and Old Fall River Road.

Plan ahead for a more enjoyable visit to Rocky!

• Hike early or hike late.

• Check the weather forecast before you arrive at the park to better plan your day and destinations. If you plan to hike later in the day, it is critical that you know the weather forecast for the elevation of your destination.

• Carpool

• Take advantage of the park shuttle

• Trailhead parking lots fill early in the day:

Glacier Gorge Trailhead by 6:00 a.m.

Bear Lake Trailhead by 8:30 a.m.

Park and Ride by 10:30 a.m.

Wild Basin Corridor by 9:30 a.m.

• If you want to hike in the Bear Lake Road corridor and plan to arrive after 11, your best option, and on some days your only option, will be to take the Hiker Shuttle from Estes Park

• The Alpine Visitor Center parking lot is busy between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• More than eighty percent of park visitors arrive through the east entrances of the park

• Camping is popular in the park. Reserve a campsite up to six months before your visit. The two first-come, first-served campgrounds fill up quickly. Timber Creek Campground, located on the west side of the park, fills up last.

• In September, visitation is 50 percent higher on weekends than weekdays

Two webcams operate at the Beaver Meadows Entrance and Fall River Entrance. The webcams face east, depicting the flow of vehicles entering the park, www.nps.gov/romo/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm

The remaining fee free days for the season are August 25 through August 28, September 24 and November 11. These are typically very busy days in the park.

For further information about Rocky Mountain National Park, please call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206 or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/romo

Comments

And don't get run over by any of the 2500 bicycles that will be clogging Trail Ridge Road for nine hours today in the Tour of the Rockies.


And why are those 2500 bike riders any less worthy of riding Trail Ridge Rd than anyone else?  Heck, I would think those that worship at the feet of the "climate change" god would far prefer the bikes to cars.  


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.