Estes Park, the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, is ready to reopen with the rest of Colorado, but officials hope there's not a stampede of visitors/Kurt Repanshek file

With Colorado now entering a scaled-down phase of its coronavirus response, transitioning from “Stay at Home” to “Safer at Home,” Estes Park’s chamber of commerce has launched a full-court press to provide its members with consistent information to ensure a safe, yet limited, reopening of local lodging and curbside retail service.

Effective April 27, updated public health orders from the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment and the Town of Estes Park allow the reopening of multiple unit short-term lodging with no more than 50 percent occupancy. This includes hotels, motels, lodges, cabins, RV parks, campgrounds and inns. Additionally, single unit short-term rentals, such as vacation homes and bed and breakfasts, with no more than eight individuals, are also allowed to reopen.

Non-essential retail may begin delivery and curbside pick-up.

These are bold first steps for the town nestled in Estes Valley and surrounded by Rocky Mountain National Park. With nearly 4.7 million visitors to the park last year, the town of Estes Park, with a normal population of fewer than 10,000 residents, fills to the brim during the summer.  While the national park remains closed, National Park Service staff has begun planning how to guide its reopening.

Donna Carlson, executive director of the Estes Chamber of Commerce, sees the role of the chamber critical in communicating safety and health standards needed for the scaled-back reopening of lodging and retail and is working closely with businesses to help them achieve those measures.

High country scenery like Hallet Peak brings scores of hikers and climbers to Rocky Mountain National Park/Kurt Repanshek file

“Many businesses have said they will not be able to survive another 30 days without opening their doors,” Carlson said last week.  “This is why we’re working so hard to create confidence among state and local officials to show we’re reopening with the greatest care for the health and safety of our citizens and our employees.”

Founded in May 2019, with membership recruitment starting only this past October, the Estes Chamber of Commerce has some 140 members from a pool of 800 businesses in the community.  Ambitious membership recruitment goals for the coming year are now on the backburner as the fledgling chamber, which is staffed by Carlson and one part-time employee, works to furnish business owners with guidelines on reopening.

Carlson said the chamber is providing a “common playbook and common language” in complying with state guidelines for health practice measures and safety standards. The chamber is also offering cooperative procurement of items such as hand sanitizer, Plexiglas shields, and facemasks. The chamber is communicating daily with the membership and facilitating opportunities not just for members to share their own reopening plans but with the entire business community.

“Our focus right now is trying to equip our businesses for the slow-rolling start on Monday,” Carlson explained. “We’re going to be stronger if we maintain the same approach, use the same language and enforce the same levels of compliance that we’re committing to for the safety of our employees and visitors. I haven’t heard from our national park about whether they’re going to be open or not so that will make a big difference.”

Carlson has been holding focus group sessions for three business sectors -- retail, restaurants, and lodging. She’s compiling their specific health concerns in the activation of their own reopening plans and sharing the feedback with Estes Park town officials.  

“We want them to have the confidence that businesses are taking the health and safety precautions from the governor’s office seriously and letting them know specifically how we’ll operate once we are able to conduct business.”

The chamber is also hosting a weekly Monday Business Recovery Call to allow business owners to share their own strategies to reopen and what worked for them during past crises, including the 2013 Big Thompson River flood that destroyed 200 businesses, damaged another 500, and left major roads leading into the town severely damaged.

“We still don’t know so many things,” Carlson said. “We can anticipate what we think people are going to do, but we’re not sure even when we’re officially allowed to open the door. We’re not sure how many people are going to get out and travel.  Some estimate that we’ll be flooded with visitors who are not going to fly anywhere this summer and have decided to get in their car and drive to Estes Park. We don’t know until it actually happens so being prepared for the unknown is a challenge that we’re trying to help our members navigate.”

Larimer County health department officials hope the state's reopening doesn't lead to a stampede of visitors to Estes Park.

“As we start our phased approach to lifting our stay at home orders, it is necessary to proceed slowly and cautiously," said Health Director Tom Gonzales in a statement posted on the department's website. "We need to continue protecting the health of the people in the Estes Valley area and minimize the impacts of this pandemic locally. Statewide orders will continue to prohibit non-essential travel outside of your county of residence, and we need others not to travel up to the Estes Valley at this time.”

It was the arrival of too many visitors that prompted Estes Park Mayor Todd A. Jirsa on March 20 to urge Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to close the national park.

"The Department of Interior's current promotions are driving visitors to parks and communities like Estes Park. This increase in visitation is compounded by spring break travel and the recent closure of ski resorts elsewhere in our state," Jirsa told Bernhardt in a letter. "We have an older, high-risk population with many retirees, and limited critical resources. Some of our businesses are closing and others are on restrictions to comply with public health orders. Medical and emergency services, as well as basic supplies like groceries, must be available to meet the needs of our community at this time.

"Estes Park is not in a position to support the potential needs of extra guests at this time." 

Alberta Falls is a short walk from the Bear Lake parking area/Kurt Repanshek file

While the cautious and limited reopening of Estes Park lodging will undoubtedly bring much-needed revenue into this stressed gateway community, Carlson wonders whether it will be enough to sustain the season and beyond. 

“Lodging owners are concerned with recovering their losses. Not to speak on their behalf, but there have been questions about discounted lodging. The word I’m hearing is we need visitors, we need people to come and stay here and enjoy Estes Park, and we all need to recover our business losses right now so discounting our rates is not part of our strategy.”

Rentals from the national park may provide some relief. The chamber has received and forwarded a request from Rocky Mountain National Park officials looking to the lodging community for longer term seasonal rentals for its summer workforce as the park prepares to modify staff housing to maintain social distancing.  

The Estes Park Economic Development Corporation has also forwarded the notice to lodging owners. Whether they will be willing to accommodate park staff remains to be seen.

“I have not personally received a response,” Carlson said, adding, “It’s a great idea to come to the aid of the park and help with lodging. We have so many needs right now. My first and highest goal is making sure that we’re focusing on the needs of our founding members. They’re the ones keeping us afloat right now.”

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