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ESTES PARK, Colo. (KDVR) — Parts of Rocky Mountain National Park are opening for the first time since the East Troublesome Fire prompted closures in October and nearly 30,000 acres burned within the park’s boundaries.

Cars lining up Friday at the Fall River Rocky Mountain National Park entrance were welcomed by green flashing arrows and “open” signs.

“It so amazing, I’ve missed my favorite backyard national park,” park visitor Linda Strauss said. 

Strauss occupied herself for the day, exploring the open areas of the east side of the park that were unharmed in the historic burn.

“I’m just so impressed with all the crews, all the fire personnel,” Strauss said. 

Wild Basin, Longs Peak, Lily Lake, Twin Sisters, Lumpy Ridge and US Highway 34 through the Fall River Entrance to Many Parks Curve and Endovalley Road are all reopened. The reopening includes roads, parking areas and trails in these areas.

Old Fall River Road is open to bicycles, leashed pets and walkers.

The west side of Rocky Mountain National Park remains closed due to the level of fire impacts and ongoing safety assessments.  

“We’ll be able to know and understand more what impact it has had in the park, but we do know it has burned 29,000 acres,” RMNP Public Affairs Officer Kyle Patterson said. 

The East Troublesome Fire as a whole has burned 193,812 acres. It is 47% contained.

Some of the structures that burned in the fire include the park’s Trails and Tack Barn and all its contents, the Grand Lake entrance station office (sparing the entrance kiosks themselves), the historic Onahu Lodge and Green Mountain cabins and the Harbison Meadows vault toilet facility. The four-bay garage structure at Trail River Ranch and all its historic contents within were lost.  The main park housing area, the Kawuneeche Visitor Center, the Trail River Ranch main building and Buckaroo Barn were all spared.       

Rocky Mountain National Park will prepare a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Plan which will assess the burned area and potential for post-fire disturbance and recommend activities to mitigate these impacts when possible. The park also will pursue research and monitoring opportunities to track and understand post-fire effects and recovery.  

Areas still closed on the east side of the park:

  • US 36 past the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to Deer Ridge Junction (includes the Beaver Meadows Entrance)
  • Bear Lake Road
  • North Boundary, North Fork and Mirror Lake Trails
  • Mummy Pass
  • Stormy Pass
  • Commanche Peak

Fire activity and safety will determine which parts of the park reopen, and when that will happen.

“You have a lot of unstable trees and ground afterwords so we want to feel as comfortable as we can before letting people back into those areas and we then might open some roadways but not allow use off of the road for safety,” Patterson said.