ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK CLOSES TO ALL VISITORS

By Barb Boyer Buck for Rocky Mountain Day Hikes
3/21/2020 ESTES PARK

Rocky Mountain National Park closed to all visitors last night, in response to a plea to the Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt by the mayor of Estes Park, Todd Jirsa. (NPS Press Release)

"A continued influx of visitors at this critical time presents a grave public health concern to Estes Park and our surrounding communities," stated Jirsa in his letter. "We have an older, high-risk population with many retirees and limited critical resources."

In 2019, a record 4.67 million people visited RMNP, reported the Park Service in February. Estes Park, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, hosts a majority of these visitors during all seasons of the year. 

After RMNP suspended entrance fees to encourage social distancing outside, the Park experienced heavy visitation this week which raised concerns among residents about keeping everyone – including themselves – safe. 

The Estes Park Medical Center, the town’s only hospital, has only 23 beds and limited resources to serve anyone who may become sick due to the COVID19 pandemic.

Here at Rocky Mountain Day Hikes, while it is a big blow to our mission of encouraging visitors to enjoy the natural splendor of Rocky Mountain National Park, we whole-heartedly agree with this decision. Without the proper resources to control any outbreak of this dreaded disease, we encourage everyone who doesn’t live in the area to stay home. 

Estes Park depends on its visitors and tourism activities for its economic health. This move affects nearly every business owner and resident who works in the tourism field, which is the majority of the population. But this is a time to come together and support each other in keeping everyone safe, healthy, and allow the medical professionals time to get control of this worldwide pandemic. 

Colorado Governor Jared Polis is working on measures to help alleviate the financial burden this situation is having across the state, so it’s time for all of us to be patient and support each other however we can. 

Several Estes Park restaurants, liquor stores, and craft beverage manufacturers have started to offer curb-side take-out and/or delivery options. We encourage all residents of the town to take advantage of this to help support our local small business owners. 
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In the meantime, please visit Rocky Mountain National Park virtually on our site, www.rockymountaindayhikes.com The site features several blogs from local adventurers and historians, countless photos of RMNP in various seasons, trail profiles, wildflowers identifications, and more. We are here to help you visit our beautiful national park virtually! Stay safe everyone!

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