Reservation system may stay at Rocky Mountain park

DENVER — A long-range planning process, which is expected to result in timed-entry reservations becoming permanent at Rocky Mountain National Park during peak visitation months, is entering its final stages, as officials hold public meetings and solicit public comment as part of an environmental assessment of the proposal.

The plan is necessary “to provide day-use visitor access in a way that protects resources while creating opportunities for high-quality visitor experiences,” park officials said in a statement. A permanent reservation system is needed, they argue, because the park saw a 44 percent increase in visitation from 2012 to 2019. But since a “pilot” timed-entry reservation system was introduced in 2020, those numbers have leveled off.

“Rapid growth in day-use visitation and changing use patterns in the park have degraded natural and cultural resources, diminished quality of the visitor experience, increased visitor and staff safety concerns, and created a heavy strain on the park’s facilities and ability to perform daily operations,” according to the news release from the park.

“The goal of the plan is to identify strategies that will help protect park resources, offer varied opportunities for high-quality visitor experiences, and enhance visitor and staff safety.”

The National Park Service has laid out four potential “alternatives” under consideration to manage access in peak periods. Under its “preferred alternative,” park rules would be similar to those that have been in place for several years now. Visitors would have two reservation options. One would provide access to the entire park, including the popular Bear Lake Corridor, with reservations required from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. The other would allow access to all areas of the park except the Bear Lake Corridor. In that case, reservations would be required from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Reservations would be required from May through October.

Next summer’s reservation requirement will still be considered a “pilot” plan, according to public affairs officer Kyle Patterson. The official long-range plan would go into effect in the summer of 2025.

The public comment period regarding the long-range visitor access plan will end on Dec. 14. The public is invited to comment online or by a letter addressed to Superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park, 1000 U.S. Highway 36, Estes Park, CO 80517.