Old Fall River Road Will Open To Vehicles Saturday July 3 Travelers Are Reminded To Plan Ahead For Timed Entry Reservation Permit System

View of the Alpine Visitor's Center and several elk from Old Fall River Road in 2020. Photo by Barb Boyer Buck

RMNP News Release - July 2, 2021

Old Fall River Road will open to vehicles on Saturday, July 3. 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 28. Park staff are managing for significant increases in visitation to public lands in Colorado, including Rocky Mountain National Park, along with continued Covid-19 concerns, ongoing park seasonal staff shared housing challenges, reduced shuttle bus capacity and residual fire impacts in some areas of the park from historic fires in 2020.   
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.    

Timed entry reservations are full for the month of July.  However, twenty-five percent of reservation permits are being held and available for purchase the day prior at 5 p.m. through recreation.gov. These continue to sell out quickly and visitors are encouraged to plan ahead when possible. 
For more information and a link to recreation.gov visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm