at any time of year: bring more clothes than you think you need, including a rain jacket. The weather in the park can change quickly, and even when it’s sunny and warm in Estes Park, it can be cold, windy, and snowing up on Trail Ridge Road (yes, even in summer). Afternoon thunderstorms are common (almost daily) in the summer, and almost every hike in this book has a note of warning about exposure to thunderstorms. Lightning is a very real danger in the mountains, so check weather forecasts, plan accordingly, and watch for clouds building into storms in the early afternoon. Summer hiking, even at 10,000 feet (3048 m), can be warm in full sun but also exposed to a chilling mountain wind at the next turn. Packing a few light layers, a hat, and a rain jacket can make the difference between having a comfortable day out and suffering near-hypothermia.
WHEN TO VISIT
Rocky Mountain National Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but many roads and facilities—such as Trail Ridge Road, which is open from approximately mid-May through mid-October, depending on weather—are open only during the summer season. The majority of the park’s hiking trails are snow-free from early June through late September, and campgrounds in the park typically open for the summer around the last week of May and stay open through mid-September (and some through mid-October). Summer brings the mildest temperatures to the park, but as elevations vary widely, temperatures can drop below freezing and, it bears repeating, snowstorms can happen in nearly any month, even summer.
CAMPGROUNDS
Rocky Mountain National Park has five campgrounds, three of which are reservable, and two of which are first come, first served. Reservations can be made up to six months in advance of your visit, and the park strongly recommends making advance reservations when possible, as spots in campgrounds are filled every night by reservation. Outside of the park on both the east and west sides, several public campgrounds and several Forest Service campgrounds are available.
With the exception of Longs Peak and Moraine Park Campgrounds, the campgrounds in the park open for the summer season typically sometime in late May and close sometime in mid-September to mid-October each year. Longs Peak Campground has a shorter season, typically opening in late June and closing in early September, while Moraine Park is open year-round, with sixty-four of its sites available during the off-season on a first-come, first-served basis. For details on opening and closing dates, and to make reservations, visit the Campgrounds page on the Rocky Mountain National Park website (see Contacts).
Llamas pack in gear to Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls (Hike 20).
ASPENGLEN CAMPGROUND
The Aspenglen Campground, just inside the east side of the park at the Fall River Entrance on US Highway 34, has fifty-two campsites (all reservable), trash and recycling receptacles, food storage lockers, staff on site, an amphitheater, flush toilets, drinking water available seasonally, and ice and firewood for sale seasonally. There is no cell phone reception.
GLACIER BASIN CAMPGROUND
The Glacier Basin Campground, 5.8 miles (9.3 km) west on Bear Lake Road from the Beaver Meadows Entrance on the east side of the park, has 150 campsites (all reservable), trash and recycling receptacles, food storage lockers, staff on site, an amphitheater, flush toilets, drinking water and an RV dump station available seasonally, and ice and firewood for sale seasonally. There is no cell phone reception.
MORAINE PARK CAMPGROUND
The Moraine Park Campground on US 36, 2.2 miles from the Beaver Meadows Entrance on the east side of the park, has 244 campsites (239 of which are reservable during the season), trash and recycling receptacles, food storage lockers, staff on site, an amphitheater, drinking water and an RV dump station available seasonally, and ice and firewood for sale seasonally. Flush toilets are available seasonally, and vault toilets are available year-round. There is no cell phone reception.
LONGS PEAK CAMPGROUND
The Longs Peak Campground, located just north of the Longs Peak Trailhead, 9 miles south of Estes Park on Colorado Highway 7, is first come, first served, and has 26 tent-only sites. It has trash and recycling receptacles, food storage lockers, drinking water available seasonally, and vault toilets. There is no cell phone reception.
TIMBER CREEK CAMPGROUND
The Timber Creek Campground, the only park service campground on the west side of the park, is located 8 miles north of the Grand Lake Entrance Station on US 34. It has 98 campsites, all first come, first served. Because of a pine beetle infestation, almost all the trees at the Timber Creek Campground had to be removed, so there is no shade at campsites. It has trash and recycling receptacles, staff on site, an amphitheater, flush toilets, drinking water and an RV dump station available seasonally, and firewood for sale seasonally. There is no cell phone reception.
PARK RULES AND REGULATIONS
Rocky Mountain National Park is the third most visited national park in the United States. Such popularity calls for everyone to follow some commonsense regulations.
FEES
Entry to Rocky Mountain National Park requires paying fees when entering the east side of the park at the Beaver Meadows Entrance on US 36, the Fall River Entrance on US 34, and the Wild Basin Entrance off of CO 7, and on the west side of the park at the Grand Lake Entrance on US 34. Hikes using the Cow Creek Trailhead, Lumpy Ridge Trailhead, Longs Peak Trailhead, Lily Lake Trailhead, and Twin Sisters Trailhead do not require paying entrance fees. See the Fees & Passes page on the park’s website for details.
A sign at the top of the Keyhole Route (Hike 25) on the summit of Longs Peak
DOGS
As wonderful as it can be to have your best four-legged friend along with you, dogs are prohibited on all the routes within this guide. As with most national parks, dogs are allowed on paved and unpaved roads in Rocky Mountain National Park so long as they are leashed, and they are also welcome within campgrounds and picnic areas. If you find this restriction onerous, bear in mind that the park has deemed that pets pose a threat and disruption to wildlife and, given the park’s mandate to protect the flora and fauna within it, wildlife gets priority. It is prohibited to leave a pet unattended and tied to an object.
FISHING
