Obtaining Permits and Passes for Rocky Mountain National Park

During the busy season (May 24, 2024 through October 20*, 2024) you will need a timed-entry permit during peak hours, as well as a park pass to enter Rocky Mountain National Park. You can only get the timed-entry permit by purchasing them online in advance. Park passes are required all year long, but they can be purchased at the park entrance.

The Permit System

Before you take that trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, make sure you have secured a timed-entry permit for each day you want to enter the park. This is a new requirement for visiting the national park during the busy summer and autumn season.

Summary:

If you are visiting Rocky Mountain National Park between late May and mid-October, a timed-entry permit is required between 5am-6pm for Bear Lake Road Corridor, and between 9am and 2pm for the rest of the park. If you arrive before the start of the permit time or after the end of the permit time, then you will not need a permit. However, you will always need a park pass.

Why it is needed:

Visitation to Rocky Mountain National Park has grown so much over the years that it has begun to take a significant toll on the health of the park itself and on the visitor experience. Over the last few years, the trails have become so busy that not only are the trails and surrounding forest damaged, but the busyness has greatly detracted from the visitor experience. To address these problems, the National Park Service created a timed-entry permit system that limits the number of people who can enter the park each day and spreads out the time of visitor arrivals to limit congestion. This system is used during the busy season (late May through mid-October). It has made the experience in the park much better with less-crowded trails and more of a chance to take in the wonder of this place. It may still seem busy when you visit, but it was much busier before this system was implemented.

How it works:

Timed-entry permits are required from late May through mid-October during peak hours (5am-6pm for the Bear Lake Road Corridor from May 24 through October 20*, and 9am-2pm for the rest of the park from May 24 through October 15*), unless you have a camping permit, are part of a guided tour, or are entering via the Hiker Shuttle. The timed-entry permits need to be purchased in advance online. They specify which day and what time you are allowed to enter. They cannot be purchased at the entrance stations to the national park.

The timed-entry permits are per vehicle, not per person. After arriving within the designated time frame, your permit will allow your vehicle to leave and return to the park as needed during that day.

As well as a timed-entry permit you must also show a national park (or interagency) pass to gain entry. These park passes can be purchased at the entry station or online. You always need a park pass to enter Rocky Mountain National Park. Read more about park pass options below.

How to Obtain a Timed-Entry Permit:

The timed-entry permits usually go on sale on the first day of each month at 8am at www.recreation.gov. The permits are always for the following month. So, if you want to visit in July, you’ll want to purchase your permit when they go on sale on June 1st.

If you missed this opportunity, you still have a chance to get a permit. Some percentage of each day’s allotted permits are saved and made available at 5pm the evening before the date of entry. So, if you were visiting on July 10th and forgot to get your permit on June 1st, you could try at 7pm on July 9th. Be aware that these last-minute permits are in high demand and tend to sell out within a minute or even less.

The Recreation.gov Process:

Before you can purchase a permit, you’ll need to setup an account with www.Recreation.gov. I suggest doing this in advance. You’ll then need to navigate to the page for Rocky Mountain National Park. On that page you’ll see several different permit options such as campground permits, wilderness camping permits, etc. You’ll want to select “Rocky Mountain National Park Timed Entry”.

Next you will have two choices: “Park Access +" (Includes Bear Lake Corridor) or “Park Access" (Excludes Bear Lake Rd Corridor). The Bear Lake Road area is the busiest place in the park and so has its own permitting system which runs from 5am until 6pm. If you choose this option, you can visit the popular areas along Bear Lake Road plus all the rest of the park, but these permits are likely to sell out first.

If you choose the second option, you can visit everywhere else in the park except for the Bear Lake Road Corridor. The rest of the park falls under the permitting system from 9am-2pm and this permit is often easier to obtain.

New in 2023: visitors with Park Access+ Timed Entry Permits who enter the Bear Lake Road corridor and who want to exit and return later in the day, may only re-enter the Bear Lake Road Corridor anytime after 2pm.

Not sure which reservation to choose? The chart below may help you decide.

Next you’ll select the date and time you want to enter and add it to your cart. Once it is in your cart, no one else can purchase it and you can select other dates. You have at least 5 minutes of inactivity before your selections are removed from your cart and made available to others.

Screenshot of selecting date and time on the Rec.gov website

Lastly, you’ll go through the checkout process and pay for the permits. When you complete this, you’ll be sent a confirmation via email. You can either print this out to show at the park entrance station or you can show them the confirmation email on your phone.

The cost for timed-entry permits is just $2 per day and are non-refundable and non-transferrable. The recreation.gov website is run by an external contractor, not the National Park Service. The National Park does not receive any income for this permitting system. The fee goes to recreation.gov to pay for their administration of this system.

The timed-entry permit system could change as the national park refines the system. For the most up-to-date information from the national park about the timed-entry permit system, visit: the National Park website.

Alternative Options

If you were not able to obtain a permit, you are not completely out of luck. You just have to arrive before the permitting time begins in the morning or after the permitting time ends in the afternoon or evening. (9am-3pm for most of the park, 5am-6pm for Bear Lake Road corridor). Just be aware that at these times the lines to get into the park can be long.

  • A first option is to consider taking the Estes Park Hiker Shuttle from the Estes Park Visitor Center to the Park & Ride Transit Hub on Bear Lake Road. You need to reserve your ticket in advance online. Your ticket for the Hiker Shuttle serves as your entry permit. You can only purchase tickets the evening before you need it. Traveling this way is better for the environment, frees you from the stress of finding parking, and provides you with a relaxing drive into the park. Learn all the details about the Hiker Shuttle here.
  • A second option is to take the bus from Boulder, Colorado. On weekends and holidays during the summer there is also a bus that leaves from Boulder called "The Bustang". It will take you firstly to the Estes Park Visitor Center and then into Rocky Mountain National Park to the Park and Ride transit hub. Your bus ticket serves as a timed-entry permit. Learn more here.
  • A third option is to consider is to use one of the authorized guiding services to take you into the park. These guiding services are allowed to take their clients into the park without needing to reserve a timed-entry permit. The guiding options vary from jeep tours, to fly fishing, photography, hiking tours, rock climbing tours, etc. Check out our page of certified guiding services in Rocky Mountain National Park.
  • Lastly, if you have reserved a campsite at one of the park campgrounds or have made reservations for wilderness camping you do not need a timed-entry permit. Your camping permit will serve as your timed-entry permit. New in 2023, campers at Aspenglen, Glacier Basin, and Timber Creek Campgrounds will be able to initially enter the park beginning at 1 p.m. on the first day of their camping reservation, which is also the check in time for all park campgrounds. Campers who plan to enter the park earlier in the day will have to enter the park outside of the times when Timed Entry Permits are in effect (for example, before 9 a.m. for most areas of the park) or reserve a Timed Entry Permit Reservation. Just like last year, park visitors who have reservations to camp at Glacier Basin and Aspenglen Campgrounds will have access to the Bear Lake Road corridor as well as all other areas of the park. Park visitors who have reservations to camp at Timber Creek Campground will have access to areas of the park, excluding the Bear Lake Road Corridor.

For more information on the Timed-Entry Permit System and to find answers to frequently asked questions, visit Rocky Mountain National Park's official website.


Park Passes

There are a number of different national park passes available that can be purchased at the park entrance stations or online. You will need to pay with a credit or debit card, as cash and checks are not accepted. You will need to pay with a credit or debit card, as cash and checks are not accepted. If you only have cash, then stop at one of the visitor center stores to purchase a park pass there before heading to the park entrance. You are required to have one of these park passes to enter the park both day or night. Here are primary park passes for Rocky Mountain National Park.

  • 1-Day Pass - Automobile - $30.00 Valid for date of purchase. Covers single, non-commercial vehicle with capacity of less than 16 passengers.
  • 1-Day Pass - Per Person - $15.00 Valid for date of purchase. Applies to walk-ins, bicycles, and non-commercial groups.
  • 1-Day Pass - Motorcycle - $25.00 Valid for date of purchase. Covers one motorcycle.
  • 7-Day Vehicle Entrance Pass - $35.00 Rocky Entrance Fee - vehicle entrance pass valid for 7 consecutive days
  • 7-Day Motorcycle Entrance Pass - $30.00 Rocky Entrance Fee - motorcycle entrance pass valid for 7 consecutive days
  • Rocky Mountain National Park Annual Pass - $70.00 Unlimited entry for one year from date of purchase.

There is an additional class of passes that also work. These are the interagency passes which are part of the America The Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series. They include access to 2,000 federal recreation areas throughout the United States, including Rocky Mountain National Park.

  • Annual Pass: $80
  • Annual Military Pass: Free (Details)
  • Annual Fourth Grade Pass for US students in fourth grade: Free
  • Annual Senior Pass: $20
  • Lifetime Senior Pass: $80
  • Lifetime Access Pass: Free
  • Annual Volunteer Pass: Free (250 hours of volunteer service at any of the six participating federal agencies is required)

A portion of the park pass fees collected by the government is returned to the parks through The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. These are put towards park improvements such as trail and road repairs, campsites, hazard tree mitigation, etc.

You can find more information on the various park passes at: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/fees.htm