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RMNP UPDATE - June 29, 2023  Iconic views and wildlife are abundant on Old Fall River Road/photo by Barb Boyer Buck Old Fall River Road will open to vehicles on Saturday, July 1. It is currently closed to all uses, including bicycles and pedestrians, until Friday morning, June 30, for dust abatement. This historic road normally opens by the 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. There are two types of reservations. One 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 permit is for the rest of Rocky Mountain National Park, excluding the Bear Lake Road corridor, and includes Old Fall River Road. This reservation period is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. To learn more visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm
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RMNP UPDATE - June 22, 2023  Gary Ingram was selected to serve at Rocky's new superintendent/ photo courtesy of NPS ESTES PARK, Colo. – The National Park Service (NPS) has selected Gary Ingram as superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park. Ingram will begin his new assignment in August. As superintendent, Ingram will oversee 150 permanent staff and approximately 250 seasonal staff and will work to continue to address complex challenges such as climate change and wildland fire; ecosystem restoration; and managing day use visitation that sustains the park's resources and offers varied quality visitor experiences. “Gary is a seasoned leader who comes to Rocky with a wealth of knowledge and experience gained during his 30 years with the NPS,” said Regional Director Kate Hammond. “His energy, enthusiasm and optimism will elevate an already high-functioning, high-performing team.” Most recently, Ingram served as the superintendent at Cumberland Island National Seashore and Fort Frederica National Monument. Prior to that he was superintendent at Jimmy Carter National Historic Park and special assistant to the Alaska Regional Director. He began his NPS career in Yosemite National Park where he served in variety of positions including law enforcement, horse patrol, emergency medical services, fire fighter, shift supervisor, chief liaison officer, and management assistant. "I am profoundly honored to be selected as the superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park,” said Ingram. “The magnificent natural wonders and rich cultural history make it one of the world's most special places. I look forward to working with and serving the visitors, park staff, park partners, and affiliated Tribes as we continue to protect and enjoy this incredible resource." Ingram will be moving to the area with his wife, Athena. He succeeds Darla Sidles who recently retired after serving seven years as the park superintendent. Kyle Patterson, Rocky Mountain National Park’s Public Affairs Officer, will serve as interim superintendent between Sidles’ departure and Ingram's arrival. RMNP UPDATE - June 14, 2023 Beginning Tuesday, July 18, through Friday, July 21, 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 18 through July 21, visitors should avoid this area of Rocky Mountain National Park during this time. The trailhead parking area for the Sandbeach Lake Trail will not be impacted by this closure. 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.  Red-tailed Hawk perched on top of a pine tree. NPS/Schonlau photo Sheep Mountain Closure Added, Other Closures Removed or Continued for the Protection of Nesting Raptors in Rocky Mountain National ParkEach year, to protect breeding and nesting sites used by raptors (also known as birds of prey), Rocky Mountain National Park officials initiate temporary closures in the park. These raptors include multiple species of hawks, owls, golden eagles, and peregrine falcons. To ensure that these birds can nest undisturbed, specific areas within the park are closed temporarily to public use during their breeding and nesting season. These areas are monitored by park wildlife managers. Due to raptor nesting activity, Sheep Mountain, located north of Lumpy Ridge, has been added to the park’s closure list. In addition to Sheep Mountain, the following areas remain closed: Twin Owls, Rock One, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Sundance Buttress, The Needle and Cathedral Wall. These closures include all climbing, approach and descent routes for the indicated formations on all sides of those formations. Visit the park’s website at https://www.nps.gov/romo/raptor-closures.htm for maps and all details on specific raptor closure areas. Closures have been lifted in the following areas: The Book, Left Book, The Bookmark Pinnacle, Bookmark, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Checkerboard Rock, and Lightning Rock. The National Park Service is committed to preserving birds of prey. If nest sites are located or territorial behaviors such as aggressive divebombing/vocalizing or birds fleeing nest sites due to human disturbance are observed, please report the general location to ROMO_Information@nps.gov. The same cliffs that are critical for raptors also appeal to climbers. The cooperation of climbing organizations and individuals continues to be essential to the successful nesting of raptors in the park. Raptor closures began on February 15 and will continue through July 31, if appropriate. These closures may be extended longer or rescinded at an earlier date based on nesting activity. For further information on Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.  VIP (Volunteers in Parks) raptor monitoring at the Lumpy Ridge trailhead. NPS/ROMO photo  Rocky Mountain National Park trail crews dig out the Alpine Visitor Center May 23 2023/ photo ourtesy Rocky Mountain National Park RMNP UPDATE - May 25, 2023 Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park will opened Friday, May 26, at 6 a.m. for the season. Due to melting snow on the road and the potential for freezing temperatures visitors should be prepared for icy conditions. At this time, nightly closures will not be implemented. However, because weather conditions may change rapidly at higher elevations, park visitors should be prepared to adjust travel plans accordingly at any time and are encouraged to call the park’s Trail Ridge Road recorded status phone line at (970) 586-1222. Park staff will update the recorded line when/if the road status changes. Alpine Visitor Center will open on Saturday, May 27. Trail Ridge Store will have limited services this weekend. Timed Entry Permit Reservations Effective Friday, May 26 Rocky Mountain National Park is implementing a pilot timed entry permit reservation system which will begin tomorrow, May 26. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the busiest national parks in the country, with over 4.3 million visitors in 2022. Visitor crowding and congestion have led to increased negative impacts to visitor and staff safety, resource protection, visitor experience and operational capacity. The park has piloted various visitor use management strategies since 2016, including first-come, first-served as well as different parkwide Timed Entry Permit Reservation system pilots since 2020. In 2023, there are two types of reservations available. One 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 permit is for the rest of Rocky Mountain National Park, excluding the Bear Lake Road corridor, and includes Trail Ridge Road. This reservation period is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Permits issued using the reservation system will allow park visitors to enter the park within two-hour windows of availability. The reservation system will apply to all areas of the park. To learn more visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm Trail Ridge Road historically opens on Memorial Day weekend; last year the road opened on May 27. The earliest the road has opened was on May 7, 2002; the latest June 26, 1943. Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the United States, climbs to 12,183 feet and connects the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake. Trail Ridge Road officially closed for the season last year on October 24. National Park Service plow operators began clearing the snow in the middle of April. Crews from the west side of the park and crews from the east side of the park move along the road and eventually meet at the Alpine Visitor Center. The visitor center is the highest in the National Park Service, sitting at 11,796 feet above sea level. Spring storms often impact plowing activities. This year, crews ran into average snowpack. For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206. For a recorded status line on Trail Ridge Road please call (970) 586-1222.  Trail Ridge Road at Rock Cut_5.24.2023/ photo courtesy Rocky Mountain National Park  NPS Photo; Sprague Lake Boardwalk Replacement Project, May 18, 2023 he Sprague Lake Trail, Picnic and Parking Area will be closed to all users on Thursday, May 18. This closure will be in place for the safe staging of building materials and equipment that will be used to replace and repair a 210-foot-long section of the Sprague Lake Boardwalk.
Located along Bear Lake Road, Sprague Lake is a popular destination for many park visitors. There is a 0.7-mile loop trail around the lake, as well as an accessible backcountry campsite, picnic area, and vault toilets near the parking area. Sprague Lake offers spectacular scenic views of the lake itself and the Continental Divide. The Sprague Lake Boardwalk was first constructed in 2000 and is due for repairs. During the Sprague Lake Boardwalk Replacement Project, the park’s trail crew, assisted by a Rocky Mountain Conservancy Conservation Corps trail crew, will replace failing wooden boards, as well as widen a section of the boardwalk. Crews will also repair the substructure by replacing with steel beams to extend the total life of the bridge. These improvements will improve accessibility for visitors who use wheelchairs and strollers. The project will also improve two scenic overlooks. Once complete, the new Sprague Lake Boardwalk will look very similar to the Lily Lake Boardwalk. While the staging of equipment and building materials will happen on May 18, the majority of the boardwalk replacement work will take place beginning in August 2023. This will help minimize impacts to wetlands areas, as the water in the impacted area will be lower and the ground in the wetlands dryer. Once project work begins, there will be a full closure in place for a small portion of the Sprague Lake Trail. The majority of the Sprague Lake Trail will remain open to park visitors. This trail project is scheduled to be completed in late fall 2023. For more information on Rocky Mountain National Park, please call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/romo  Kevin Sypher RMNP UPDATE - May 5, 2023 On Monday, May 1, park rangers were notified of a missing man in the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park. Kevin Sypher, 56, was last seen on Sunday afternoon, April 30, in the Sandbeach Lake parking area near the Wild Basin Entrance Station.
Mr. Sypher was first reported missing from Parker, Colorado on Thursday, April 27 by Parker Police. He was located on Saturday, April 29 in the Denver area and reunited with family. On Sunday, April 30, he was with a family member near the Wild Basin Entrance in Rocky Mountain National Park when he is reported to have willingly walked away from a vehicle he was traveling in. On Monday, May 1, Rocky Mountain National Park was notified that Sypher was missing when a park ranger encountered a group of people searching for an individual. Park rangers started an investigation and began initial search efforts. From the initial investigation on May 1, park rangers learned that a man matching Sypher’s description was seen by park staff the afternoon of Sunday, April 30, travelling on foot near Copeland Lake walking west on the Wild Basin Road. Due to this information, search efforts continued along the Wild Basin Road and river corridor and up the summer trailhead. On May 3, Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members were assisted by a dog team from Front Range Rescue Dogs and search efforts were concentrated around the summer trailhead and up to Copeland Falls. During search efforts, a park visitor who regularly hikes in this area mentioned seeing a man matching Kevin’s description near the Wild Basin summer Trailhead on Monday, May 1. Kevin Sypher is 6’2,” 180 pounds with gray hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, blue baseball cap, blue jeans and cowboy boots. Active search efforts have been suspended. Patrols will continue to occur in the search area, and further actions may be considered if there are any further clues or information provided. The incident is under investigation and no further information on the investigation will be released at this time. If you have information that could help investigators, if you may have seen Kevin Sypher, or if you were in the Wild Basin area since April 30, please contact us. You don't have to tell us who you are, but please tell us what you know. CALL or TEXT the National Park Service Investigative Services Bureau Tip Line 888-653-0009, ONLINE form go.nps.gov/SubmitATip or EMAIL nps_isb@nps.gov Rocky Mountain National Park Announces Summer Seasonal Hiker Shuttle Operations Begin May 264/29/2023 RMNP UPDATE - April 18, 2023 Rocky Mountain National Park will operate the Hiker Shuttle during the 2023 summer season beginning on Friday, May 26. 7-day service will operate May 26 through September 4. Beginning on September 9, Saturday and Sunday only service will continue through October 22.
The Hiker Shuttle provides bus service to passengers departing the Estes Park Visitor Center and going to RMNP’s Park & Ride Transit Hub, located on Bear Lake Road. This bus does not provide service to any other stops. At Park & Ride, Hiker Shuttle riders will transfer to the Bear Lake or Moraine Park shuttles to reach destinations and trailheads located along the Bear Lake Road Corridor. All shuttle riders will need two things: a reservation for Hiker Shuttle Tickets and a park entrance pass. Reservations for Hiker Shuttle Tickets will be available online at Recreation.gov beginning on May 1 at 8 a.m. MDT for the dates of May 26-June 30. Reservations can also be made using the Recreation.gov mobile app or by calling the Recreation.gov reservation line at 877-444-6777. Rolling windows for future months begin at 8 a.m. MDT on June 1. Individuals may reserve one Hiker Shuttle reservation per day and a reservation is good for 1 to 4 Hiker Shuttle Tickets. All passengers will need a Hiker Shuttle Ticket, regardless of age. There is a $2 processing fee for each reservation. Additional reservations will be available online at Recreation.gov beginning at 5 p.m. the night before a chosen arrival date. Space on the bus is limited, please only reserve the number of seats needed. For the full Hiker Shuttle departure and arrival schedule and a list of frequently asked questions, visit the park’s website at https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/shuttle-buses-and-public-transit.htm. When returning to Estes Park, passengers can board any Hiker Shuttle bus throughout the day. The last shuttle will depart from RMNP’s Park & Ride Transit Hub at 6 p.m. Remember to plan ahead - the last bus of the day will be crowded. Passengers are advised to plan their day in the park accordingly and return to Park & Ride well before 6 p.m. If you miss the last bus of the day, there are no other buses or public transit back to Estes Park. For more information on Rocky Mountain National Park, please call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/romo.  Trash Clean Up in Rocky/ photo courtesy Rocky Mountain National Park RMNP UPDATE - April 18, 2023 Celebrate National Park Week, Earth Day, and National Junior Ranger Day at Rocky Mountain National Park. What is National Park Week? This is a week-long celebration of our national parks that begins on Saturday, April 22 and continues through Sunday, April 30. National Park Week kicks off with a fee free day on Saturday, April 22. Park entrance fees will be waived. Camping and all other administrative fees will still be in effect. Rocky Mountain National Park's activities include: On Saturday, April 22 join us to celebrate Earth Day. Join NPS and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy staff on the east side of the park at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and enjoy informational booths and interactive activities for all ages. Activities include:
Activities include: On the west side of the park, join NPS staff at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and participate in fun and interactive activities, including:
For more information on Rocky Mountain National Park, please call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/romo  Skins and Skulls display/ RMNP photo  Junior Ranger Cookie Tree/ Photo courtesy of Rocky Mountain National Park  RMNP UPDATE - April 18, 2023 Construction began in early November for a new and improved entrance station at the Fall River Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. The Fall River Entrance is one of two major entrance stations on the east side of the park and is located on U.S. Highway 34, just inside the park boundary. Initially, it was anticipated that the project would be completed by late June. However, due to unforeseen site conditions and utility coordination challenges the revised schedule is for completion in late fall.
The Fall River Visitor Center and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy Nature Store are open during this construction project. The Gateway Gift Shop and Trailhead Restaurant, located next to the visitor center, are also open and welcoming visitors. During this major construction project, only one lane at Fall River Entrance is operational to enter the park and one lane to exit. Park visitors are encouraged to avoid the Fall River Entrance and use the Beaver Meadows Entrance. During this major project, park visitors should expect extended wait times at both major east side entrance stations. Originally designed for summer operations nearly 60 years ago, the facilities at the Fall River Entrance Station no longer meet the safety or operational needs of the park. When the entrance station was designed, the park had approximately one and a half million annual visitors. By 2019, annual visitation had almost tripled, to over four and a half million annual visitors. Improvements are needed to improve visitor access and convenience, reduce traffic congestion, and provide a safe and efficient space for park employees. |
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