ESTES PARK, Colo. — Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) plans to increase recreational access and services in a phased reopening beginning May 27, the park service said in a news release Tuesday. But park operations and services will be much different this year.
RMNP will continue to work with the state to follow the safer-at-home guidance, as well as with county and local officials as these changes are implemented, the park service said.
> Take a virtual hike through Ouzel Falls in RMNP in the video above.
Colorado's current safer-at-home order encourages Colorado residents to “limit activities to your immediate community, not travel more than 10 miles from your home to recreate or vacation and not travel to mountain areas.”
The park service said Colorado's Tourism Office is currently discouraging vacations to Colorado to limit community spread of COVID-19.
"The health and safety of park visitors, employees, volunteers and partners continues to be paramount," the park service said in the news release. "Rocky Mountain National Park staff continue to examine each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and will be regularly monitored."
RMNP is located in Larimer, Grand and Boulder counties.
Campgrounds
Portions of Moraine Park and Glacier Basin Campgrounds will open on June 4.
The park’s three reservation campgrounds; Moraine Park, Glacier Basin and Aspenglen campgrounds were originally scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend. Park staff have contacted those campers to cancel those reservations.
Only Moraine Park and Glacier Basin campgrounds will partially open on June 4, with approximately half of the campsites available for reservations. Aspenglen, Timber Creek and Longs Peak campgrounds will remain closed.
Wilderness backcountry campsites
Wilderness camping permits will be issued beginning May 27 through autumn. In early May, park staff began contacting wilderness campers who had existing permits for the month of May to reschedule, if possible, their wilderness camping permits for later in the summer.
Shuttle bus operations
Shuttle bus operations within the Bear Lake Road corridor will begin on May 27. It is unknown at this time whether the Hiker Shuttle from the Estes Park Visitor Center will be operating this summer. In order to practice proper social distancing to minimize community spread of COVID-19, the capacity of the shuttle buses in the Bear Lake Corridor will be limited to 15 passengers per trip.
Park staff are still determining the feasibility and timing of park visitor center operations as well as other services.
> Visit nps.gov/romo or call the park’s information office at 970-586-1206 for more information.
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