Due to blowing snow and white-out conditions roads are closed to vehicles on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park at the Fall River Entrance and Beaver Meadows Entrance.  Roads on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park are currently open, but conditions are deteriorating.  

Winter storms with heavy snow accumulation and strong winds have been forecasted for Rocky Mountain National Park from last night through Saturday morning.

Follow RMNP on twitter @RockyNPS for updated information on road status.
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RMNP UPDATE - 12/15/2021

DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Daron Marquel Ellis has been charged by criminal complaint with assault on a federal officer by use of a deadly weapon in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1), (b).  According to court documents, the alleged assault occurred on or about December 8, 2021, in Rocky Mountain National Park.  Ellis made his initial appearance in Federal Court in Denver on Monday where he was advised by a Federal Magistrate Judge of the charge pending against him and ordered to remain in custody.
 
Assault on a federal officer by use of a deadly weapon carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.
 
Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cramer-Babycz is handling the prosecution.
 
The charge in the criminal complaint is an allegation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
 
Case Number:  21-mj-0204



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RMNP UPDATE - December 8, 2021.

Currently Rocky Mountain National Park is closed from outside the Fall River Entrance (US Highway 34) to Deer Ridge Junction due to a Law Enforcement Incident and Investigation.  No further information is available at this time.  

RMNP UPDATE - December 8, 2021, 1:33 p.m.

On Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at approximately 10:15 a.m. MT, a National Park Service law enforcement ranger was involved in a shooting with two suspects near the Fall River Entrance within Rocky Mountain National Park. The two suspects were reported to be involved in a vehicular pursuit earlier that morning outside park boundaries. During contact with the suspects, the law enforcement ranger was shot, but was protected by their ballistic vest and did not suffer serious injuries. The law enforcement ranger discharged their firearm, and one suspect was injured. Both the law enforcement ranger and injured suspect were transported to a local hospital for medical care. A second uninjured suspect is in custody.

Rocky Mountain National Park remains closed from outside the Fall River Entrance (US Highway 34) to Deer Ridge Junction for the ongoing investigation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assuming the lead role in the investigation.


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Rocky Mountain National Park is proposing a change in its current entrance fees.  
 
    The park is proposing a 5-dollar increase to the Daily Vehicle Entrance fee. This pass would 
increase from $25 to $30 for a day pass to Rocky Mountain National Park. There are no proposed changes to the park weekly pass ($35 per week), park annual pass ($70 per year), or any of the interagency American the Beautiful passes.  
 
    The park is also proposing increases to front-country campground overnight fees:  

• Summer campground fees would increase from $30 to $35 per night at Moraine Park, Glacier Basin, Aspenglen, and Timber Creek Campgrounds. 
    
• Winter campground fees would increase at Moraine Park Campground (the only campground that is open in the winter season) from $20 to $35 per night.
   
• Group campsite fees in Glacier Basin Campground would increase by $10 per night. This would increase the group sites from $40, $50, and $60 per night (depending on the size of the site) to $50, $60, and $70 per night.  

 
    These proposed campground fee increases are based on comparable fees for similar services in nearby campgrounds.    
 
    The proposed fee increases are necessary for Rocky Mountain National Park to improve and maintain high-quality visitor services. While basic park operations are funded by direct appropriations from Congress, the recreation use fees collected by the park are used to support new projects and the ongoing maintenance of park facilities that directly enhance the visitor experience.  
  
    The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) is the legislation that allows the park to collect entrance and amenity fees. This law allows parks like Rocky Mountain National Park to retain 80 percent of the fees collected in park for use on projects that directly enhance the experience of park visitors. The remaining 20 percent of all collected fees is distributed for use throughout the National Park System.  
 
    Some of the projects funded through the collection of entrance station and campground fees at Rocky Mountain National Park include:  
 

• Hazard Tree Mitigation: The park is among many areas along the Rocky Mountains where trees have been dying from a beetle epidemic. Recreation fee monies have funded extensive mitigation of hazard trees in or near developed areas and other popular park facilities, such as campgrounds, parking lots, road corridors, housing areas and visitor centers. 

 

• Hiking Trail Repairs and Improvements: Many hiking trail repair projects have been funded by recreation fee monies, such as repairing washed out sections of trail, the installation of bridges, and the installation of vault toilets at heavily used trailheads.     

 

• Wilderness Campsites Improvements: Rocky Mountain National Parks wilderness campsites are used by thousands of backcountry campers each year. Recreation fee monies help fund the maintenance of these cherished campsites.   

 

• Bear Management: Park entrance and campground fees help keep bears wild at Rocky Mountain National Park. Thanks in part to fee dollars collected over the past 20 years, 100% of the park’s garbage cans, recycling bins, and dumpsters are now bear-resistant. The park has also gone from 0 food storage lockers to 352. Your recreation fees also help support visitor education programs focused on black bears.  

 

• Restoration of Historic Rock Walls along Trail Ridge Road: The historic rock walls along Trail Ridge Road provide for visitor safety and a visually pleasant drive. Originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, recreation fee program funding allows for damaged sections of these rock walls to be restored by Rocky Mountain National Park staff who specialize in rock work.    

 
     Public engagement is an important part of the park’s planning process. Rocky Mountain National Park is accepting public comments on the proposed fee increases. Please submit all comments to: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/RMNP_FEES_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.  
           
    All public comments on the proposed fee increases will be accepted through January 7, 2022. 
 
    For additional information on Rocky Mountain National Park, visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206. ​

RMNP Update:  November 16, 2021

In an abundance of caution, due to the Kruger Rock Fire, Rocky Mountain National Park, in conjunction with the US Forest Service, is closing the Twin Sisters area.  This closure includes the Twin Sisters Trail and parking area.  The Lily Lake area within Rocky Mountain National Park remains open. 


Included is a map of the closure in the Twin Sisters area within Rocky Mountain National Park as well as a map from the US Forest Service of their closure area.

Skeletal remains found on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park are believed to be those of Rudi Moder, a 27-year-old man from West Germany, who disappeared in the park 38 years ago.     
  
On February 13, 1983, Rudi Moder departed the Zimmerman Lake Trailhead on Colorado Highway 17 near Cameron Pass for a two-to-three-night ski mountaineering trip over Thunder Pass and into Rocky Mountain National Park.  Moder, a West German living in Fort Collins, was described as an experienced winter mountaineer.  On February 19, Rudi was reported overdue by his roommate.  Search operations and further investigation were initiated, and search teams were in the field early on February 20, 1983.  Over a foot of snow fell in the Never Summer Mountains on February 19, hampering search efforts in finding tracks and other clues. A food cache belonging to Moder was found at the mouth of Box Canyon, in the northwest corner of the park.  A snow cave, with Moder’s sleeping bag and other gear and items, was found near the food cache. These were the only major clues discovered during the four-day extensive search.    
  
Because Rudi’s point last seen was outside of Rocky Mountain National Park at the Zimmerman Lake Trailhead, the extensive search efforts were coordinated with Larimer County Search and Rescue and Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Teams.  Search efforts occurred mainly in the Box Canyon and Skeleton Gulch areas, including Mount Richthofen. This included ground searchers on skis and snowshoes as well as aerial search operations. Searchers, including an avalanche search dog and handler, also focused efforts in avalanche terrain. The extensive search efforts continued for four days and ended on February 23, however there were numerous search efforts by ground and air that occurred later that spring and summer.     
       
In mid-August of 2020, skeletal remains were discovered by a hiker in the Skeleton Gulch area, near avalanche debris. The area the remains were found were part of the initial search area.  Rangers conducted an initial investigation at the scene but could not complete the investigation due to priorities shifting to the Cameron Peak Fire closing the area, followed by the East Troublesome Fire.  Snow then covered this high elevation area above 11,000 feet.  This summer, park rangers further searched the scene and found skis, poles and boots, along with remains of personal items believed to belong to Moder. The FBI Evidence Response Team assisted park rangers with the recovery of remains. The Grand County Coroner’s office attempted to confirm identification through dental records however, the results were inconclusive.  Officials have worked extensively with the German government for repatriation, family notification and dental record analysis.  
  
In the decades following Moder’s disappearance, search efforts continued periodically by Rocky Mountain National Park staff and Larimer County Search and Rescue Teams.  The discovery and recovery of Rudi Moder’s remains closes out a nearly four decade long cold case at Rocky Mountain National Park.