 The Tonahutu Trail on July 13; photo by Chris Reveley RMNP UPDATE - July 20, 2022
Park staff are adjusting the trail status of the Upper Tonahutu Creek Trail. The Upper Tonahutu Creek Trail from the junction of Onahu Trail at Tonahutu to Flattop Mountain has closed again for ongoing evaluation. The Green Mountain/Onahu Trail loop will remain open to hikers. The Green Mountain Trail remains closed to stock users. All stock users are advised to use the Onahu Trail in and out. On the west side of the park, the Sun Valley and River Trail and the Lower Tonahutu Trail (between Big Meadows and the KVC Turkey Spur Trail) remain closed to all users. In the northwest area of the park the Mirror Lake area trail system remains closed. On the east side of the park the Spruce Lake Trail remains closed. Park visitors should be aware of additional hazards when recreating in burn areas including:
For current fire information, maps and details on areas closures within RMNP, visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/fire-information-and-regulations.ht
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 Incident on Ptarmigan Fingers: female being littered to air ambulance July 11/ Photo Courtesy Rocky Mountain National Park RMNP UPDATE - July 11, 2022 Yesterday afternoon, Sunday, July 10, park rangers were notified that a 61-year-old male from Boulder, Colorado, had been injured in a significant tumbling fall on a snow couloir in the Ptarmigan Fingers area above Odessa Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was later determined that a 59-year-old female from Boulder, also suffered injuries from a fall in the same area. Bystanders heard her calls for help and aided her. Bystanders were able to use their satellite communication devices to contact park rangers. Northern Colorado Med Evac air ambulance assisted Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members with air reconnaissance to determine the man’s exact location. Because of the location and severity of injuries of the male, the park requested assistance from a Colorado National Guard helicopter from Buckley Air Force Base to extricate the man via a hoist operation, using a winch operated cable. Rocky Mountain Rescue assisted with the helicopter hoist operations. This occurred at approximately 8 p.m. last night. The man was flown to Upper Beaver Meadows, transferred to Northern Colorado Med Evac air ambulance, and then flown to Medical Center of the Rockies.  Incident on Ptarmigan Fingers: female being littered around Odessa Lake to air ambulance July 11/ Photo Courtesy Rocky Mountain National Park The female also suffered serious injuries and was cared for overnight by Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members and overnight campers at Odessa Lake. She was flown out by Northern Colorado Med Evac air ambulance this morning at approximately 11 a.m. Over 45 people were involved with this two day incident. Several agencies assisted Rocky Mountain National Park’s Search and Rescue team with this incident including Northern Colorado Med Evac, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Colorado National Guard and Larimer County Search and Rescue. No further information is available at this time.  Ptarmigan Fingers above Odessa Lake with Northern Colorado Med Evac Helicopter July 11 / Photo Courtesy Rocky Mountain National Park RMNP UPDATE - July 5, 2022 Beginning Tuesday, July 19, through Friday, July 22, the Wild Basin Road in Rocky Mountain National Park will be closed to all uses, including vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians for road maintenance. This closure will occur at the Wild Basin Entrance Station and will include the entire two-mile section of the road to the Wild Basin Trailhead.
The park’s roads crew will be spreading gravel and grading this narrow road to address ruts, potholes and help with drainage. Due to the road being closed to all uses from July 19 through July 22, visitors should avoid this area of Rocky Mountain National Park during this time. For further information about Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.  East Troublesome Fire Damage around Green Mountain in RMNP, photo by Barb Boyer Buck, July, 2021 RMNP UPDATE - July 9, 2022 The Green Mountain Trail and Tonahutu Trail from Big Meadow to Flattop Mountain on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park have reopened to hikers and backpackers. The Green Mountain Trail remains closed to stock users. All stock users are advised to use the Onahu Trail in and out.
These trails have been closed since 2020, due to impacts from the East Troublesome Fire. On October 21, 2020, the East Troublesome Fire made an 18-mile and over 100,000-acre run in Grand County, Colorado. The East Troublesome Fire was the largest fire in Rocky Mountain National Park’s 107-year history. It burned over 21,000 acres within the park. On the west side of the park, the Sun Valley and River Trail and the Lower Tonahutu Trail (between Big Meadows and the KVC Turkey Spur Trail) remain closed to all users. In the northwest area of the park the Mirror Lake area trail system remains closed. On the east side of the park the Spruce Lake Trail remains closed. Park visitors should be aware of additional hazards when recreating in burn areas including:
 Federal, state, and county agencies remind visitors and residents alike that fire danger is high in Colorado and recreating on public lands requires knowledge of area fire restrictions and bans. RMNP UPDATE - June 30, 2022 Denver, Colo. – While campfires often accompany camping, as do fireworks with the Fourth of July, extreme caution needs to be exercised this holiday and throughout the summer due to Colorado’s continued drought and the frequency of human-caused fires. Visitors enjoying public lands have a responsibility to know where campfires are allowed, how to properly extinguish them, and that all fireworks are banned on Front Range public lands.
Between 2017 and 2021, 89% of wildfires in the United States were caused by people, according to the U.S. Department of Interior and the Insurance Information Institute. Each year in Colorado, campfires that burn out of control are the leading human cause of wildfires. Public land agencies along northern Colorado’s Front Range emphasize that although parts of Colorado have received moisture in the last month, drought conditions are still present. According to the National Weather Service U.S. Drought Monitor, as of June 21, 99% of Colorado is still experiencing abnormally dry to exceptional drought conditions. Specifically, 38.5% of Colorado is classified as moderate drought, 30.3% as severe drought, and 12.5% as extreme drought. Tips for fire safety and prevention include:
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Rocky Mountain National Park is seeking public input on a proposed $15 expanded amenity fee to provide voluntary fast pass automated gate transponders to interested visitors with valid annual or lifetime passes.
In 2004, Rocky Mountain National Park constructed a fast pass lane at the Beaver Meadows Entrance and in 2011, an additional fast pass lane was installed at the Grand Lake Entrance. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the only national parks that has a fast pass lane for visitors. Visitors who purchased an annual park pass or lifetime pass were able to use their pass to operate the automated gate. However, in 2019, the National Park Service modified the format of annual and lifetime passes. The new national passes are not compatible with the park’s existing fast pass gate system technology and the fast pass gate has not been operational for the last few years. Based upon this technological challenge, the park is proposing to transition to windshield transponders for interested annual and lifetime pass holders to access the fast pass lane, outside of any pilot timed entry permit reservation system times. A transponder is a small, credit card-sized device that attaches to a vehicle’s window. Transponders are not removable or transferable and would function for the lesser of one year or through the expiration month of an existing valid annual pass. If the park moves forward with this proposal, the park would anticipate initiating transponder sales late spring of 2023. For more information and a list of frequently asked questions please visit www.nps.gov/romo/getinvolved/proposal-for-expanded-amenity-fee-for-transponder-device.htm Public engagement is an important part of the park’s planning process. Rocky Mountain National Park is accepting public comments from July 1 to July 31, 2022, on the proposed voluntary expanded amenity fee. Please submit all comments to: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/RMNP_FAST-PASS_TRANSPONDER_2022 Comments may also be submitted via mail to: Rocky Mountain National Park Office of the Superintendent 1000 US Hwy 36 Estes Park, CO 80517 Please be advised, before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. Although you can ask in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so. For additional information on Rocky Mountain National Park, visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.  Chasm Falls off Old Fall River Road in July, 202. Photo by Barb Boyer Buck Travelers Are Reminded To Plan Ahead For Timed Entry Reservation Permit System RMNP UPDATE - July 1, 2022
Old Fall River Road opened to vehicles on Friday, July 1. Old Fall River Road normally opens by fourth of July weekend. Old Fall River Road was built between 1913 and 1920. It is an unpaved road which travels from Endovalley Picnic Area to above treeline at Fall River Pass, following the steep slope of Mount Chapin’s south face. Due to the winding, narrow nature of the road, the scenic 9.4-mile route leading to Trail Ridge Road is one-way only. Vehicles over 25 feet and vehicles pulling trailers are prohibited on the road. Travelers should plan ahead for Rocky Mountain National Park’s pilot temporary timed entry permit reservation system which began on May 27. There are two types of reservations. One reservation permit is for the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which includes the entire corridor and access to the rest of the park. This reservation period is from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. The second reservation permit is for the rest of Rocky Mountain National Park, excluding the Bear Lake Road corridor. This reservation period is from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. and includes Old Fall River Road and Trail Ridge Road. Permits issued using the reservation system allow park visitors to enter the park within two-hour windows of availability. The reservation system applies to all areas of the park. For more information and a link to recreation.gov visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206. |
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