ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (KDVR) — The National Park Service has extended the comment period on visitor access to Rocky Mountain National Park to July 26.
Public comments on visitor strategy started on May 21.
RMNP is considering strategies to prevent overcrowding and protect park resources after a 44% increase in visitation since 2012.
RMNP implemented a first-of-its-kind reservation system in 2020 due to COVID concerns. The park is now bringing back timed entry permits for the summer and fall with reservations that are meant to keep park visitation around 75 to 85% of full capacity to avoid overcrowding and degrading natural resources. There’s also a proposal for a permanent visitor access pass strategy.
A petition against the system gained world wide support.
Questions asked during public comment period:
| 1. What experiences in Rocky Mountain National Park do you find most important? What kind of experiences do you want future visitors/generations to have when they come to Rocky Mountain National Park? |
| 2. What issues most interfere with your desired park experience? |
| 3. How can the park better protect resources for future generations? |
| 4. What strategies would you like the planning team to consider when brainstorming visitor use management? |
| 5. What is the park doing well to manage these issues that you would like to see continue? |
