Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park
General Information

Getting to the Park | Park Entrances | Getting Around the Park
Visitors Centers | Park Regulations | Safety Tips

Getting to the Park

Visitors traveling north or south on I-25 should exit on Highway 34 or Highway 36, westbound to Estes Park. Continue on Highway 34 to the north entrance, or on Highway 36 to the south entrance, where park headquarters is located.

If traveling from the east or west on I-70, visitors should exit Highway 40 north to Granby. Proceed north on Highway 34 to Grand Lake and continue on Highway 34 to the west entrance.

While there is no air, rail, or bus service directly to the park, Amtrak does serve Granby, Colorado. From there, rental cars are available by advance reservation at Granby Mini-Mart, (970) 887-2411.

Transit from Denver to Estes Park is provided by Charles Tour and Travel Services. Rental cars are available at Holiday Inn Resort and Rains Ford Motor Company in Estes Park.

Top of Page

Park Entrances
You can enter Rocky Mountain National Park from the west by Highway 34, coming from Grand Lake, or from the east via either Highway 34 or Highway 36 from Estes Park.

Park Headquarters/Visitor Center Museum and the Fall River Entrance are located on the east side. The Kawuneeche Visitor Center is the gateway to the west edge of the park.

Rocky Mountain National Park is open 24 hours a day year-round. The Park Headquarters and Kawuneeche Visitor Centers are closed on Christmas Day.

Entrance Fees

The entrance fee per week is $10 per vehicle and $5 per hiker, motorcyclist, bicyclist, and bus passenger over 16 and under 62. Children 16 and younger may enter the park for free.

An annual Rocky Mountain Pass can be purchased for $20 and is available at any park entrance. Good in all national parks and recreation areas for one year, a Golden Eagle passport is available for $50. Permanent U.S. residents over the age of 62 may purchase a lifetime Golden Age passport for $10. The free Golden Access passport is available to permanent U.S. citizens with disabilities.

Required backcountry permits are available for $15; call (970) 586-1242 for reservations.

Reservations for school groups must be made in advance. Any applications for school group fee waivers should be made two weeks in advance, (970) 586-3777.

Commercial filming permits are required; call (970) 586-1278 to apply for one.

Top of Page

Getting Around the Park
Personal vehicles and bicycles are allowed in designated areas of the park. Public transportation, in the form of tour buses, is also permitted. During the summer season, a limited shuttle bus service runs on Bear Lake Road.

Access Roads Within the Park

In addition to the numerous shorter dirt roads and trails in the area, the following roads are popular scenic routes near and through the park.

Trail Ridge Road
Fall River Road
Bear Lake Road
Hwy 7
Hwy 14

Shuttles

Summer visitors are encouraged to take advantage of a free shuttle bus that runs frequently every day between the Glacier Basin parking area and Bear Lake. During the peak of the summer season, another shuttle bus runs from Moraine Park Campground to the Glacier Basin Parking area. Day hikers especially favor this shuttle because it stops at a number of trailheads off of Bear Lake Road.

From mid-August through September, the shuttles run only on weekends. High Country Headlines, the free park newspaper, includes the current schedule. A copy can be found at any visitor center or ranger station within the park.

Top of Page

Visitors Centers
The park has five visitor centers staffed by National Parks Service rangers, who are always available to answer questions.

Park Headquarters
and
Visitor Center

Enter the park from the east by way of Estes Park to reach park headquarters. To help with planning your stay, you can view an orientation film and a relief model of the park. Summer hours at headquarters are daily, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. In the fall, winter and spring, open hours are daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Park headquarters and the visitor center are closed on Christmas Day.

Moraine Park

The Moraine Park Museum is located about 2.5 miles southwest of park headquarters on the east edge of the park. Featuring a host of new exhibits designed by the Denver Museum of Natural History and funded by Rocky Mountain National Park Associates, the Moraine Park Museum is open only in the summer.

Kawuneeche Visitor Center

The west portal to the park is the Kawunneeche Visitor Center. Exhibits and presentations offer detailed preview of the park to aid in planning your stay. The center is closed on Christmas Day.

Alpine Visitor Center

High atop Fall River Road lies the Alpine Visitor Center. Accessible only during the summer, via Trail Ridge Road or Fall River Road, the center has bookstore and numerous exhibits about the natural history of the alpine tundra. A gift shop and snack bar are located next door.

Lily Lake Visitor Center

This center is located to the east of the park, along Highway 7. In addition to the lake, nearby points of interest include Longs Peak (elevation 14,255 ft.) and Twin Sisters Peak (elevation 11,436 ft.).

To Park Map

Park Programs

In the summer, a number of fun and educational activities are sponsored by park rangers from short walks covering topics such as flowers, geology, and wildlife, to longer hikes to high-country destinations and campfire programs. Evening slide shows are offered at several campgrounds. Talks, travelogues, and cultural performances are presented throughout the year at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center. High Country Headlines lists current schedules of activities.

Special Services

Wheelchair accessible restrooms are available at headquarters, Kawuneeche Visitor Center, Alpine Visitor Center, and Moraine Park Museum, as well as at several campgrounds. Parking spaces designated for visitors with disabilities, including ramps where necessary, are at all visitor centers.

Trail guides and literature are offered booth in braille and on cassette at visitor centers. Also, large-print copies of some park literature may be checked out, and the park orientation film is captioned. To use a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD), call (970)586-1319.

Stores

Adjacent to the Alpine Visitor Center, The Trail Ridge Store includes the only snackbar and souvenir shop in the park. Ice and firewood may be purchased at campgrounds. Estes Park and Grand Lake each have a variety of stores including groceries, sporting goods shops, pharmacies, etc.

Top of Page

Park Regulations
As taken from the Rocky Mountain National Park guide

Camp only within designated campsites.
All weapons, including air pistols and rifles, bows and arrows, crossbows, and slingshots, are prohibited. The use of firewords and firecrackers is also not allowed.
Gathering firewood within the park is prohibited. Purchase bundles of firewood at campgrounds and in neighboring towns. Fires may be built only in established fireplaces. Please remember to put out fires properly.
When hiking, keep in mind that "shortcutting" trails damages the environment. Also, remember to pack out all your trash.
Pets are permitted in campgrounds, provided they are on leashes not exceeding six feet in length. They must be under physical control at all times and never left unattended. Pets are not permitted on trails, in areas away from roads, or away from any developed area. Kennels are available in Estes Park.
Please take home only pictures and memories. Vandalism or removal of rocks, plants, and fossils is strictly prohibited. Some of the park's wildflowers are protected species. Please don't pick or trample them.
It is illegal to feed, pet, hunt, cpature, or bother wildlife in any way. While some animals seem accustomed to people, they are wild and may cause injury.

Top of Page

Safety Tips
As taken from the Rocky Mountain National Park guide

Swimming is not recommeded in lakes, rivers, or tributaries. The water is exceptionally cold, and the current is deceptively strong. Don't risk it.
Giardia lamblia, a tiny protozoan, flourishes everywhere in the streams and lakes of the Rockies, so don't drink from them. Giardiasis causes diarhea, cramps, and bloating. Carry adequate water and, on longer excursions, boil all water taken from streams and lakes for 10 minutes.
Visitors from lower elevations may experience high-altitude sickness: shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, headache, rapid heartbeat, and occasionally nausea. It takes several days to adjust to the elevation change, but symptoms can be minimized by resting, eating lightly, drinking more fluids, avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, and limiting strenuous activity.
Hyperthermia occurs when you are so chilled that your body can no longer warm itself. This can happen even when you are tired and wet on a chilly summer day. Warning signals are shivering and disorientation. Seek shelter and warm yourself by drinking warm liquids. Medical assistance may be necessary.
Lightning poses a tremendous hazard at high altitudes. If you are hiking and see a storm coming in, retreat to a lower location.
To prevent blisters, the most common ailment on the trail, wear comfortable shoes or boots that suit your needs and the terrain. Likwise, choose quality outdoors socks to wear for cushioning and protection.
Snow often lingers well into the summer on steep mountain slopes. It's easy to lose your footing on these slippery snowfileds and slide into boulders at their bases.
Ticks are found in much of the park, particularly in the meadows. Use a repellent and check for them regularly. A brochure about ticks is available at visitor centers.
Be prepared for rapid changes in weather year-round. Always carry extra clothing and rain gear.
In an emergency, call 911. The Estes Park Medical Center is a full-service hospital with a fully staffed, 24-hour emergency room. Additional emergency transport by ambulance and helicopter is also available. Grand Lake has emergency medical technicians on duty 24 hours a day and a part-time medical clinic. Granby is served by two full-time medical clinics.

Top of Page

Back to Estes Park Information
Discount Desk | Real Estate Planner
Vacation Planner | Raft Colorado
Advertising Information

Hidden Treasures of Colorado is brought to you by Colorado Resort Net, GolfColorado.com, and BigTrout.com

All content property of