​Today, National Park Service staff were joined by elected officials, congressional staff, project contractors, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, and other special guests to celebrate the completion of the Fall River Entrance Station construction project.

The project included three new entrance kiosks, a new office, an updated entrance sign, a dedicated transponder lane, and road widening. It also involved major improvements to utility systems: the wastewater and water systems serving the Fall River Entrance and the Bighorn Ranger Station were upgraded or replaced. A new on-site wastewater treatment system was installed, several water system components were modernized, and the water treatment building saw significant upgrades.

This project addresses aging infrastructure as part of a broader effort across national parks to reduce the agency's maintenance backlog. Funding came through the National Park Service Line-Item Construction and Repair-Rehabilitation programs, which are authorized by Congress to support critical visitor service investments.

More than a decade in the making, this marks the fifth iteration of an entrance station in the Fall River area - a reflection of the park’s continued evolution over its 110-year history.

    The primary goal of the project is to reduce the threat of wildland fire to adjacent communities and NPS infrastructure by using prescribed fire to reduce the amount of fuels available in this area. When fighting the East Troublesome Fire in 2020 and the Fern Lake Fire in 2012, firefighters were able to take advantage of previous and existing prescribed fire and hazardous fuels treatment areas that provided a buffer between the fire and the town of Estes Park. Prior hazard fuels projects were instrumental in stopping the fire from jumping Bear Lake Road and Trail Ridge Road.
 
    If conditions are favorable, ignitions are planned to occur on Tuesday, April 15. Firefighters will be on scene for the duration of the operation and will be patrolling the burned area. Smoke from the prescribed burn will be visible throughout the day of the burn, mostly during the warmest part of the day. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low-lying areas.
 
    Additional information will be shared on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cormp-front-country-prescribed-fire, on www.nps.gov/romo and on Rocky Mountain National Park’s official social media channels. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X @RockyNPS.
 
     Smoke may be visible both inside and outside the park.  Every effort will be made to minimize smoke impacts on visitors and the adjacent community; however, some smoke is anticipated to disperse east of the park.  Smoke may affect your health: For more information see https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health. No trail or road closures are anticipated but visitors passing through active burning areas may be escorted by fire personnel to ensure their safety.
 
     Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality, personnel availability and environmental regulations are continually monitored as a part of any fire management operation.  For more information, please contact the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.

Additional park ranger-led programs and activities will be happening all week long!
​ 
    On Sunday, April 20:
 
    Join us on the east side of RMNP at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center at 2 p.m. for the program “Efforts to Restore Boreal Toad Populations in RMNP,” presented by Jonathan Lewis, Conservation Biology Program Manager for Rocky Mountain National Park. This special program is the final presentation in Rocky Mountain National Park and Rocky Mountain Conservancy’s 2025 Winter Speaker Series. To learn more, visithttps://rmconservancy.org/
 
    For RMNP’s full National Park Week program schedule, visit the park’s webpage at https://go.nps.gov/romo/npweek    

    Unable to visit in person? Join Rocky’s digital celebration! Visit our webpage and check out RMNP’s page on the NPS App. Follow us @RockyNPS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We’ll be sharing fun and interesting facts and stories related to this year’s program theme “Your National Park Playlist.”
​
    To learn more about Rocky Mountain National Park and to plan for your next trip, visit our website atwww.nps.gov/romo, download the NPS App, or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.

Pd is an invasive fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fatal disease that impacts bats. This fungus can spread rapidly, primarily through bat-to-bat contact.

WNS does not cause illness in humans, but humans are able to spread the fungus to new places. To protect yourselves and conserve bat populations, we recommend visitors:

Report dead/injured bats to park personnel. To protect yourself and bats, never touch or pick up a bat. Although WNS does not cause illness in humans, a small percentage of bats can be infected with other dangerous diseases, such as rabies.

Decontaminate. Ensure you properly decontaminate your gear and outerwear after visiting a cave or other bat habitat. 

Earlier this year, swabs taken from bats in the Holzwarth area of the park found a probability of Pd. Following this probable result, National Park Service wildlife biologists at the park collected bat guano from locations in the Holzwarth Historic Site area for follow up testing to verify the results. The results of these tests have positively detected Pd.
 
Any new detection of Pd is worrisome because bats are vital for healthy ecosystems. Rocky Mountain National Park is home to nine known species of bats, five of which have been found living in areas above 11,000 feet. WNS has been blamed for millions of bat deaths nationwide since its initial detection in New York State in 2006. In July 2022, the first confirmed case of WNS was reported in Southeastern Colorado. Pd and WNS have also been confirmed in Larimer County, Colorado.
 
Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the USGS, along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service, have been conducting WNS surveys for over a decade, monitoring bats for presence of Pd. Colorado is home to 19 native bat species, at least 13 of which may be susceptible to this disease. Colorado's native bats are all insect eaters and use various habitat types across the state. They are most active during the summer months and spend the winter either hibernating in underground roosts throughout the state or migrating south. The National Park Service and other state and federal agencies will continue to monitor bats throughout Colorado.
 
To learn more about White Nose Syndrome and how it impacts bats, visit https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/

     During activities within Rocky Mountain National Park on February 17 and March 1, park rangers received reports of a vehicle driving recklessly with disregard for the safety of others. 
 
     Rangers are investigating these reports and are seeking information from the public, including any photographs or video material.  At this time, no further information will be provided regarding this ongoing investigation. 
 
     If you have information that could help investigators, please contact us. You don't have to tell us who you are, but please tell us what you know. Please contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Tip Line 888-653-0009, or submit a tip online at go.nps.gov/SubmitATip or Email [email protected]

Originally from the state of New York, Goddard graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in economics and earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Kansas. She retired from the university in 2020 but advises campus leaders on budget reviews and optimization practices with the National Association of College and University Business Officers. ​

Diane, husband Stephen, and their three children, vacationed in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park every summer for 35 years. Because of their love of Rocky and the many outdoor activities in the park and connection to the Estes Valley, they purchased a home in Estes Park in 2016 where they now live full time and regularly enjoy hosting their lifelong friends.  ​

“We enjoy watching our four grandchildren discover all the magic of Rocky Mountain National Park and develop their own deep love of nature as well as the understanding of the need to protect and conserve this amazing natural resource,” said Goddard.

​    Based upon the potential for favorable weather and fuels conditions, fire managers at Rocky Mountain National Park are planning to conduct a prescribed burn beginning on Monday, March 10, 2025. Firefighters plan to burn approximately 50 acres of the 334-acre Headquarters Unit. This burn unit is located inside Rocky Mountain National Park, west of the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and south of U.S. Highway 36. Because of the fuel type that will be burned, which include mainly grasses, heavy and prolonged smoke is not expected from this operation.
 
    The primary goal of the project is to reduce the threat of wildland fire to adjacent communities and NPS infrastructure by using prescribed fire to reduce the amount of fuels available in this area. When fighting the East Troublesome Fire in 2020 and the Fern Lake Fire in 2012, firefighters were able to take advantage of previous and existing prescribed fire and hazardous fuels treatment areas that provided a buffer between the fires and the town of Estes Park. Prior hazard fuels projects were instrumental in stopping both fires from crossing Bear Lake and Trail Ridge Roads.
 
    If conditions are favorable, ignitions are planned to occur on Monday, March 10. Firefighters will be on scene for the duration of the operation and will be patrolling the burned area. Smoke from the prescribed burn will be visible throughout the day of the burn, mostly during the warmest part of the day. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low-lying areas. 
 
    Fire operations near the Beaver Meadows Entrance to RMNP may cause brief delays or temporary road closures. Traffic may be diverted through Fall River Entrance. Motorists should watch for fire vehicles on the roads and allow extra time for entering and exiting the park. Traffic control will be in place on U.S. Highway 36 within the burn area. Additional information will be shared on InciWeb athttps://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cormp-front-country-prescribed-fire and on RMNP’s official social media channels.

​    Rocky Mountain National Park and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy are accepting applications for the 2025 Bailey Research Fellowship. This program provides opportunities and support for qualified graduate students to conduct research inside the park and share their work with the public.
 
    Graduate student researchers are important contributors to the field of science and to our understanding of Rocky Mountain National Park. Past Bailey Research Fellows have conducted projects focused on the following topics: habitat selection of white-tailed ptarmigan, disease susceptibility among boreal toad populations, elevational occupancy by pika subspecies, plant physiology and riparian ecosystem recovery, and risk analysis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in soil and water.
 
    Staff with Rocky Mountain National Park and Rocky Mountain Conservancy are proud to support the next generation of park scientists and stewards through the Bailey Fellowship.
 
    Who can apply? Bailey Fellowship applicants must be currently enrolled graduate students, show excellence in research, have a career interest in work with public lands, and be able to communicate effectively with public audiences. This fellowship includes housing inside RMNP, a living stipend, and financial support for research supplies and professional conference attendance.
 
    Areas of research can include wildlife management, vegetation and riparian studies, fire ecology, cultural sciences, archeology, historic structures preservation, as well as topics in the fields of botany, zoology, geology, history, and ecology. All projects should aim to promote the informed decision making and adaptive management of Rocky Mountain National Park or the education of NPS staff to promote professional development and growth.
 
    For application guidelines and to apply, visit https://rmconservancy.org/work-with-us/bailey-research-fellowship/
 
    Applications will be accepted through Sunday, February 16, 2025.