ESTES PARK, Colo. (KDVR) — Rocky Mountain National Park will bring back its timed entry permit system for Summer and Fall 2023. The system requires visitors to book permits in advance to enter the parks.
According to the park, the system was piloted to ease congestion and improve the visitor experience.
Reservations will run from May 26 to Oct. 22 and will include two types of permits. A $2 recreation.gov processing fee will be charged to book reservations.
The first permit will be for the Bear Lake Road corridor, including the entire corridor, as well as the rest of the park. The reservation period will be from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The second will be for the rest of the park excluding the Bear Lake Road corridor. The reservation period will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Both permits will allow visitors to enter the park within two-hour windows of availability with no set time for departure.
How to apply for a RMNP timed entry permit
Reservations will be available through recreation.gov starting at 8 a.m. May 1. Permits will be sold in phases depending on the date:
- The first round of reservations will be available May 1 for May 26 through June 30
- The second round will be available June 1 for the month of July and any remaining days in June that have not been booked
- The third round will be available July 1 for the month of August and any remaining days in July that have not been booked
- The fourth round will be available Aug. 1 for the month of September and any remaining days in August that have not been booked
- The fifth round will be available Sept. 1 for the month of October and any remaining days in September that have not been booked
Additionally, 40% of permits will be made available online at 5 p.m. the day prior. However, these permits were expected to run out quickly and visitors were encouraged to plan ahead if possible.