Colorado runners and hikers will once again need to obtain permits to visit Rocky Mountain National Park this summer. The park will implement its timed entry permit reservations beginning May 27.
Park officials say they’ve seen a 42% increase in visitation over the past seven years with 2019 registering over 4.6 million visitors. Due to visitor congestion, RMNP has experienced negative impacts on safety, resource protection and visitor experience.
Reservations will run from May 27 through Oct. 10 and include two types of permits. The first permit is for the Bear Lake Road corridor. It will include the entire corridor from the junction of Trail Ridge Road to the Bear Lake Trailhead as well as access to the rest of the park. The reservation period for this permit will run from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The second permit will be for the rest of RMNP excluding the Bear Lake Road corridor. The reservation period for this permit will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Each permit will allow visitors to enter the park within two-hour windows of availability.
How to apply for a permit
RMNP reservations will go on sale through the recreation website at 10 a.m. on May 2. The park will sell permits in phased releases depending on the date, the phases are below:
- The first round of permits will go on sale May 2 with available dates from May 27 to June 30
- The second round will go on sale on June 1 with available dates for the entire month of July and any remaining dates not booked in June
- The third phase will go on sale July 1 with available dates for the entire month of August and any remaining dates not booked in July
- The fourth phase will go on sale Aug. 1 with available dates for the entire month of Septmeber and any remaining dates not booked in August
- The final phase will go on sale Sept. 1 with available dates for October and any remaning dates not booked in September