http://www.qgis.org), Temporary Closures In Lumpy Ridge And Loch Vale Areas Begin February 15 to Protect Nesting Raptors, Winter Adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park, RMNP continues pilot timed entry permit reservations from May 26 through Oct 22, Winter Pile Burning Operations On Both Sides Of Park, All material copyright by Morning Light Photography, Inc. All rights reserved. The Information Office is open year-round: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily in summer; 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Mondays - Fridays and 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Saturdays - Sundays in winter. The stone steps in the trail can be 15-20 inches high. Use Trail Ridge Road to return. Rocky Entrance Fee - vehicle entrance pass valid for 7 consecutive days, Rocky Entrance Fee - motorcycle entrance pass valid for 7 consecutive days, America The Beautiful Interagency Annual Pass - $80.00, Annual park pass valid at all U.S. National Park and federal lands, The 13,000-foot Mummy Range rests on the northern side of Rocky Mountain National Park with two roads skirting long its southern edges: a one-way, dirt road that winds up the Fall River called the Old Fall River Road; and a section of Highway 34 famously known as the Trail Ridge Road. Snacks are available for purchase at the Alpine Visitor Center, and there is a snack shop located next door to the Fall River Visitor Center. Along the way explore over 300 miles of hiking trails and incredible wildlife viewing. WebBe advised that visiting Rocky Mountain National Park in the winter months takes proper prior planning. Rocky Mountain National Park with Kids & Toddlers You are required to have one of these park passes to enter the park day or night. I suggest doing this in advance. After arriving within the designated time frame, your permit will allow your vehicle to leave and return to the park as needed during that day. A bookstore offers items for purchase, and there are handicapped accessible restrooms available. Brown, brook, rainbow, and cutthroat trout abound. This is a new requirement for visiting the national park during the busy summer and autumn season. If youre new to the sport you can book a trip with a guide in Estes Park, the Colorado Mountain School or Kent Mountain Adventure Center. Hiking in the winter is a chance to experience the Rocky Mountains at their most majesticsnow-covered peaks, frozen alpine lakes, and evergreen branches bowing to their snowpack. Looking for an epic spring break trip? Alternatively, there is a number that you can text to pay for your parking place. 22. From late May through mid-October there is a shuttle system for the very busy Bear Lake corridor. From May 25 through Oct. 22, and youll pay a reservation fee on top of the standard park entrance charge. Grand Lake is a better option for the summer months (June September) but there is still plenty to see and do on the west side of the Park. Erin McCarthy is a freelance writer and former Colgate University Outdoor Education Leader. Rocky Mountain National Park WebThe main entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park is located on highway 36 just four miles west of downtown Estes Park. Reservations to Enter Rocky Mountain National Park Below are our recommendations for things to do in March: Sledding: Hidden Valley, near Estes Park is a popular sledding spot. Passes cover entrance fees at National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife sites, as well as Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Forest Service, and US Army Corps of Engineers sites. Choose snacks that are high in calories as your body will be burning calories to keep you warm in the cold weather. Yes, it's winter, but: it's never too late to start planning for summer, Rocky's busiest season. Holders of the National Park Pass ($80, allows entry to all national park areas for one year) do not need to pay an entrance fee. A few of the most memorable hikes are listed below. To address these problems, the National Park Service created a timed-entry permit system that limits the number of people who can enter the park each day and spreads out the time of visitor arrivals to limit congestion. Old Fall River Road was built over 7 years, beginning in July 1913 and dedicated on September 14, 1920. This bus will take you from the Estes Park Visitor Center to the Park & Ride Transit Hub in Rocky Mountain National Park where you can connect with the park shuttle system that runs in the Bear Lake Corridor, as described above. The Moving can be an exciting experience. When the traction law is in place in RMNP, if a vehicle is involved in a motor vehicle crash, to include sliding off the road due to icy conditions, motorists will be cited if their vehicle does not meet Colorado Traction Control Law requirements. It is multi-story and often has space. For wildlife seekers, Rocky Mountain National Park offers some fantastic opportunities to view the variety of animals that live inside its borders. Arches National Park Utah. Discover what different park entrance fee and pass options are available. The biggest benefit of visiting Rocky Mountain National Park in the winter is that there are significantly less visitors during the winter months. Estes Park Mountain Shophas rentals and many of the lodges in town provide free snowshoes for their guests. Old Fall River Road is closed to vehicles for the season. Yes, it's winter, but: it's never too late to start planning for summer, Rocky's busiest season. From meadows found in the montane life zone to glistening alpine lakes and up to the towering mountain peaks, there is something for everyone to discover. Elevation: 12,712 (Flattop Mtn - 12,324) Range: Rocky Mountain National Park. Be advised that visiting Rocky Mountain National Park in the winter months takes proper prior planning. These buses run every 30 minutes. Rocky Mountain National Park Entrance Stations If you are looking for reliable group transportation around the Centennial State, Denver Charter Bus Company is the way to go. the page for Rocky Mountain National Park, Learn all the details about the Hiker Shuttle here, https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/fees.htm, Temporary Closures In Lumpy Ridge And Loch Vale Areas Begin February 15 to Protect Nesting Raptors, Winter Adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park, RMNP continues pilot timed entry permit reservations from May 26 through Oct 22, Winter Pile Burning Operations On Both Sides Of Park, Lastly, if you have reserved a campsite at one of the, Annual Fourth Grade Pass for US students in fourth grade: Free, Annual Volunteer Pass: Free (250 hours of volunteer service at any of the six participating federal agencies is required). If you drive in early in the morning or late at night, the fee booths will probably be unmanned. The Bear Lake Route shuttle makes the round trip between the Park & Ride and Bear Lake. WebAll visitors at Rocky Mountain National Park are required to pay an entrance fee. Specify the number of people that will be in your party. Text is available under [http://wikitravel.org/shared/Copyleft Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0] images are available under [http://wikitravel.org/shared/How_to_re-use_Wikitravel_guides various licenses], see each image for details. A smaller option is Eagle County Regional Airport (IATA: EGE) [4] located near the skiing resorts of Vail and Beaver Creek; however, service to this airport is usually seasonal and confined to the winter months. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. Many visitors use Bear Lake or Glacier Gorge as their starting point into the park, both of which can be accessed via the Bear Lake Road. Skate rentals are available. Rocky Mountain National Park There is no alcohol for sale anywhere in the park. A second option is Sprague Lake, a 3.3 mile loop that is perfect for the beginner skier since it is mostly flat. The National Park does not receive any income for this permitting system. One of the most spectacular sights in the mid to late fall is to walk through a grove of Aspen trees as their leaves change from green to gold. Entrance Fee in advance Pass Discounts for Camping. Take US34 ( Big Thompson Canyon) from Estes Park to Loveland. Visitor Information | Rocky Mountain National Park Click here to learn more about National Park Service Fee Free Days. Youll hit a trail junction about a tenth of a mile in. A trip to Rocky Mountain National Park is likely be a more stressful trip in the winter than in the summer as there is inherently more to prepare and more that could go wrong. national Although RMNP is one of the few national parks with a one-day vehicle entrance pass, the fee is not new. There is a recreational vehicle and trailer length limit of 30 feet. Continue along the trail or across Nymph Lake if its frozen. For the safety of all motorists driving in Rocky Mountain National Park during the winter season, the Colorado Vehicle Traction Law may become active at any time, based on weather and road conditions. There are 60 miles (97 km) of hard-surfaced road with a five to seven percent grade. Displays include a topographical relief map of the park and exhibits about the Colorado River and its people. Planning to visit Rocky Mountain National Park between January and May? It is recommended that you travel in a counter clockwise direction along Bear Lake. According to U.S. National Park Service statistics, \( 46.7 \% \) of visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park in 2018 entered through the Beaver Meadows park entrance, \( 24.3 \% \) of visitors entered through the Fall River park entrance, 6.3\% of Applies to walk-ins, bicycles, and non-commercial groups. You can either print this out to show at the park entrance station or you can show them the confirmation email on your phone. It is a perfect time to explore trails on snowshoes, dance on ice skates, or hit the sledding hills. Slopes & Flattop Mtn, Rocky Mountain National Park Trail Ridge Road runs from the east side of the park near Estes Park to the west side of the park near Grand Lake. The small sites fit 10 - 15 people, medium sites 16 - 25 people, and large sites 26 - 40 people. WebRocky Mountain National Park's 415 square miles (265,807 acres) encompasses a spectacular range of mountain environments. One advantage to a winter trip to Rocky Mountain National Park is that oftentimes the lodges are nearly half the price, specifically in Estes Park. If youre seeking more miles, at this juncture you have the option to continue to Emerald Lake (0.6 miles) or to Lake Haiyaya (0.9 miles). From meadows found in the montane life zone to glistening alpine lakes and up to the towering mountain peaks, there is something for everyone to discover. This is the highest continuously paved road in North America. There are no sit-down restaurants inside of the park, but the neighboring towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake have numerous options. On the north side, of the lake youll see Half Mountain and Longs Peak. CATHY ALPER/LWV. SR-66/US-36 run from Denver through Longmont up the Big Thompson River canyon. Beverages may be purchased at the snack bar next to the Fall River Visitor Center or at the Alpine Visitor Center. For a unique cycling experience, check with the park information office for specifics on the Old Fall River Road (gravel surface) and Trail Ridge Road (paved), which are open to bicycles early in the summer season, before they open to vehicles. A week pass entrance fee is $30 for a private vehicle. The Continental Divide cuts almost directly through the center of the park, creating two areas with very different landscapes - a drier and heavily glaciated eastern side, and a wetter, more forested western side. Darla Sidles, Superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park, and Kyle Patterson, Management Specialist and Public Affairs Officer for the Park will be the featured speakers at the League of Women Voters of Estes Park Learn with the League program Wednesday, March 15 at 10 a.m. one mile north of the town of Grand Lake on U.S. Route 34 at the entrance to the park. Fees and passes can also be purchased online through Recreation.gov. There is a book store and snack shop as well as accessible restrooms and vault toilets. Hallett is a 12,712 feet peak on the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park. Of course, any of the roads in the Park present winter driving conditions slippery ice and blowing snow. You can go a bit into RMNP on the east side, currently up to Many Parks Curve lookout (there's a phone number at the link for up-to-date info). Turn left here and follow CO 66 west for 16 miles to the town of Lyons. There are no shoulders and few guardrails. Depending on which entrance you choose, there are rentals for both activities available in Estes Park (east entrance) and Grand Lake (west entrance). On the day Trail Ridge Road closed for the winter, Rocky Mountain National Park announced a major renovation of one of its two main entrance stations. Another alternative for getting to Rocky Mountain National Park is to take a new bus service offered from Boulder, Colorado. Note that snow conditions should be considered before hiking as higher elevations will be snow-covered later into the year. Weather and temperatures can vary greatly in Rocky Mountain National Park. From the Bear Lake trailhead, youll branch off to the left to join Dream Lake trail. Darla Sidles, Superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park, will be retiring in June. Wildlife bull moose sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park Then there is another class of passes that also work. Arrived at the park entrance before 5am which allowed us access to Bear Lake Road before the timed entry kicked in. The Information Office is open 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Mondays - Fridays and 8:00 am - 12:00 pm All park entrance fees and passes are available for purchase at Rocky's staffed park entrance stations. Obtaining Permits and Passes for Rocky Mountain National Park The day pass was implemented in October 2015. Elk, deer, chipmunks, ground squirrels, beavers, porcupines, foxes, and coyotes are all commonly seen in meadows and in and around lakes and streams. Trail Ridge Road is not designed to be an all-season road, with 11 miles above 11,500 feet, few guard rails and no shoulders. Some percentage of each days allotted permits are saved and made available at 5pm the evening before the date of entry. Trail Ridge Road is a high-alpine mountain road. Make sure to look west for view of the snow-capped 12,922 ft Stones Peak. If you already have an Interagency Annual, Senior, Access, Military, or other valid entrance Youll likely pay the $25 daily fee if youre traveling with children. There is almost always space here and a free town shuttle comes by regularly to take you the short distance into town. WebYou could take Peak to Peak Hwy from I70 to Estes Park - that one is open year round. Rocky Mountain National Park sits on the Continental Divide, which separates the park into two distinct regions. Reservations accepted and recommended. The Federal lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) funds projects in Rocky Mountain National Park that will help improve visitor experience and protect resources for future generations. Photos from: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013. Your bus ticket includes a timed-entry permit, but you must already have a park pass. Learn how to be prepared for winter conditions. AWD and 4WD vehicles are advised. Copyright 2018 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Winters bring heavy snowfall, and although there is rarely a deep-freeze the park gets significantly less visitors. guests discover new landscapes, ecosystems, knowledge and ways to Just past 4th Street, veer right onto U.S. 36 and follow it for 20 miles to Estes Park.