Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) will implement its 2025 timed-entry reservation system, beginning May 23, 2025. This reservation system provides day use visitor access in a way that protects resources while creating opportunities for high-quality visitor experiences.
The system, established through the Day Use Visitor Access Plan finalized in May 2024, manages day use visitor access in a way that protects the park's resources, maintains positive visitor experiences, promotes safety, and supports the park’s ability to maintain daily operations. The system will be similar to 2024, with two types of reservations available. One permit will be for the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which includes the entire corridor, as well as access to the rest of the park. This reservation period will be from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. The second permit will be for the “rest of the park,” excluding the Bear Lake Road corridor. This “rest of park” reservation period will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Permits issued using the reservation system will allow park visitors to enter the park within two-hour windows of availability, with no set time for departure. The reservation system will apply to all areas of the park. The only cost associated with booking a reservation is a $2 recreation.gov processing fee. The Bear Lake Road Corridor timed entry reservation system will end on Monday, Oct. 20. However, the rest of the park reservation system will end on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
Reservations to enter the park will be available through www.recreation.gov following the below schedule.
* Beginning at 8 a.m. MT on Thursday, May 1. This round of reservations will be available to enter the park from May 24 through June 30.
* The next release will occur on June 1, for the month of July and any remaining days that have not been booked for June.
* July 1, reservations will be available for the month of August and any remaining days that have not been booked for July.
* Aug. 1, reservations will be available for the month of September and any remaining days in August that have not been booked.
* Sept. 1, reservations will be available for October and any remaining days in September that have not been booked.
When planning to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, take time to consider your preparedness, skills, fitness and experience. No matter how you choose to recreate, be prepared to turn back when conditions change or if you are being pushed to your limits. Weather and conditions can change quickly in the Rockies. Before starting any trip, take time to explore the park's website and plan ahead for a safer and more enjoyable visit.
RMNP is one of the most visited national parks. The park experienced a 44 percent increase in visitation from 2012 to 2019. In 2022, the park received 4.3 million visits. Even with a pilot vehicle reservation timed entry system in place, the park received some of the highest visitation in its history. Between 2016 and 2023, the park piloted several day-use visitor management strategies to address crowding, congestion, and impacts on park resources. These pilots demonstrated this strategy is effective at easing congestion impacts and improved the visitor experience in the park. The park also asked the public for their participation in envisioning the future of day use visitor access at RMNP during the summer of 2021 and the winter of 2022-2023.
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