Update: 5/26/2020

​Rocky Mountain National Park will begin a phased reopening on May 27, with limited services including basic park road and trail access. Visitor centers will remain closed. Many outlying areas will reopen; however, the Wild Basin area will remain closed to all public access during this initial phase. Trail Ridge Road will be open to Rainbow Curve.
When the park initially reopens, park staff will evaluate the level of visitation, crowding, and congestion, and will meter access based on the level of visitation. This will be evaluated throughout the day. Visitors may be delayed entering or asked to return later if visitation and congestion warrants. Visitors should expect restricted vehicle access, particularly in the Bear Lake Road corridor, when parking areas fill and heavy congestion warrants. At this time, visitors can only purchase entrance passes at entrance stations with credit cards; no cash will be accepted.
When recreating, park visitors should follow local area health orders and avoid crowding and high-risk outdoor activities. Please don’t visit if you are sick or were recently exposed to COVID-19. Park staff will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.

• Keep your distance. Give others plenty of room whether you are on a trail or in a parking lot. If staying at least six feet from others is not possible, wear a cloth face covering. Wear cloth face coverings while in park restrooms.
• Keep it with you. If you brought it, take it with you. Trash pickup and restroom facilities will continue to be limited in many park areas. Follow Leave No Trace principles.
• Know your limits. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the busiest search and rescue parks in the country. Many of these incidents could be avoided with visitors planning and making responsible decisions. Winter-like conditions exist in high elevation areas of the park. Bear Lake currently has 14 inches of snow. During the ongoing health crisis, it is critical to make wise choices to keep our national park rangers and first responders out of harm’s way.
• Protect wildlife. Obey speed limits and be aware of wildlife. During the closure, due to lack of vehicular traffic, park rangers have observed more wildlife congregating adjacent to or on internal park roads.

UPDATE: 05/19/2020 - The Secretary of the Interior has not yet given approval to implement the time-entry reservation system, so reservations on Recreation.gov, which were slated to begin today, are not availalbe at this time. From RMNP's PIO, Kyle Patterson, "Once we have an approval, update and a final plan we'll send out a news release!"When asked if the delay in approval will cause a delay for RMNP's opening day (May 27), Patterson said, "If the timed entry proposal is not approved, we will revert to other entry restrictions similar to those that have been in place over the last 5 years. These strategies result in turning away hundreds of visitors when parking lots fill, leaving many visitors disappointed that they can not access the park. It also increases the likelihood for crowding and congestion within Estes Park in particular."

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