ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (KDVR) — UPDATE (March 5):
After experiencing technical difficulties on Monday, Rocky Mountain National Park’s backcountry camping permit reservation system is set to launch at 8 a.m. on March 8.
Reservations can be made online.
Below is the schedule for when permits can be booked. They are for backcountry camping only — not car camping at established campsites:
- For May or June overnight backpacking permits, registration begins Monday, March 8, at 8 a.m. Mountain Time (MT).
- For July overnight backpacking permits, registration begins Wednesday, March 10, at 8 a.m. MT.
- For August overnight backpacking permits, registration begins Friday, March 12, at 8 a.m. MT.
- For September or October overnight backpacking permits, registration begins Sunday, March 14, at 8 a.m. MT.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Reservations for wilderness campsites for this season at Rocky Mountain National Park opened on Monday.
Park officials say booking is not available in-person this year due to the pandemic. Additionally, due to the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome wildfires last year, some camping areas and trails are closed off; officials estimate about 30,000 acres were burned in last year’s wildfires and approximately nine percent of the park was impacted.
“Our snow pack this year has been very minimal. So we are very hopeful that in the next couple months we’ll get a lot of snow,” Kyle Patterson, Public Affairs Officer for RMNP, said.
Officials say Green Mountain Trail and Front Lake Trail are still closed off. Some trails and wilderness campsites could reopen in May, as park officials clear debris and have a better idea of how areas have been impacted in the spring.