Rocky Mountain National Park

Visitor Centers:
Opening and closing dates and hours vary seasonally for visitor centers at Rocky Mountain. Check the park's website for current operating hours.

• Alpine Visitor Center: Hours vary by season. Open year round.
• Beaver Meadows Visitor Center: 8 am to 4:30 pm. Open year round (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas).
• Fall River Visitor Center: 9 am to 5 pm through October 12. Winter hours and days vary.
• Kawuneeche Visitor Center: 8 am to 4:30 pm. Open year round (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas).
• Moraine Park Discovery Center: 9 am to 4:30 pm through October 12.

Rocky Mountain National Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, weather permitting. Summer and fall are the busiest seasons in the park. Parking lots can be full and roads congested. Arriving early or coming into the park in the late afternoon can help.

Due to the high elevations and exposure, park roads are subject to rapid weather changes and strong winds. Road conditions in and around the park can change quickly, particularly in the spring and fall, and some roads in the park are closed seasonally. Information on current road closures and conditions can be found here.

Fees & Passes:
To learn more about park fees, click here.

Purchase an annual pass for all national parks sites, $80

If you are planning to camp overnight in the park, you must be in one of the designated campgrounds or backcountry campsites. Camping reservations are strongly recommended during the summer and fall. Call 1-877-444-6777 or reserve online at: reserveamerica.com or recreation.gov.

• Aspenglen Campground: Open May 26 through September 26
• Glacier Basin Campground: Group sites are also available.
• Longs Peak Campground: Seasonal closures vary by year.
• Moraine Park Campground: Open year round.
• Timber Creek Campground: Seasonal closures vary by year.

Additionally, there are a wide range of backcountry camping experiences available in Rocky Mountain. Overnight travel in the backcountry requires a permit which is available at two backcountry offices. These offices are open seven days a week, seasonal hours vary. Call 970-586-1242 or visit www.nps.gov for more information regarding backcountry camping in the park.

The Trail Ridge Store, which includes a café and coffee bar and is adjacent to the Alpine Visitor Center, is the one restaurant inside the park and is open from approximately late May through early October. There are no grocery stores in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Rocky Mountain Conservancy sells very limited food items in the park visitor centers and bottled water at Bear Lake and Park & Ride during summer and fall.

Restaurants and grocery stores can be found in the local communities of Grand Lake and Estes Park. If you prefer to bring your own food into the park, there are several picnic sites that provide tables and, sometimes, restrooms and fire grates.

Guided Tours:
Rocky Mountain National Park offers a variety of ranger-led programs that vary by season. All programs, unless otherwise specified, are free and open to the public. To learn more about these ranger-led programs and to see the current events calendar, click here.

Free Shuttles:
The park's free shuttle buses operate late spring, summer, and early fall. The buses do not run in late fall, winter, or early spring.

• Moraine Park Route: Runs between Park & Ride and Fern Lake Bus Stop and leaves every 30 minutes from 7 am to 7 pm.
• Bear Lake Route: Runs between Park & Ride and Bear Lake and leaves every 10-15 minutes from 7 am to 7 pm.
• Hiker Shuttle Route: Makes stops at the Estes Park Visitor Center, the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, and Park & Ride. The first bus leaves the Estes Park Visitor Center at 7:30 am and last bus leaves Park & Ride at 8:00 pm.

REI Adventures:
REI offers over 30 national park trips led by expert guides capable of taking you off the beaten path to discover hidden gems that many visitors never see.

Check out REI Adventures' national park offerings here.

Those looking for other ways to explore Rocky Mountain National Park will not be disappointed by the variety that the park offers. Road biking, rock climbing, bouldering, fishing, horseback riding, backcountry camping, and wildlife viewing are among the many activities that the park affords in the summer. In the winter, you can continue your exploration by snowshoeing or cross country skiing or by sledding at Hidden Valley. Visit Rocky Mountain's website for more information on the park's other activities.

To download a variety of free brochures to help plan your visit, click here.