40.3428° N, 105.6836° W
THIS IN-DEPTH ADVENTURE GUIDE ON ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK COVERS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO ABOUT EXPLORING THE PARK; INCLUDING, THE BEST TIME TO VISIT AND THE TOP ADVENTURES.
Rocky Mountain National Park or RMNP for short, was established in 1915 - making it one of the oldest national parks in the whole USA National Park System. While it is widely known for its rugged mountains, clear alpine lakes and abundant wildlife, RMNP has a lot more to offer the adventurous explorer.
We have been lucky enough to call the national park our home park for much of our lives (Luke even grew up in Estes Park) so we have definitely spent our fair share of time exploring all of its nooks and crannies. And while the park is often ranked as one of the busiest and most visited (it came in 4th in visitation in 2020) there are still plenty of places to get away from the crowds and get back to nature.
Below is our in-depth adventure guide on everything you need to know about exploring one of the most beautiful national parks in the country.
HISTORY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
The history of Rocky Mountain National Park began when Paleo-Indians, most notably Ute and Arapahoe, traveled along what is now Trail Ridge Road to hunt and forage for food. In 1820, the Long Expedition, led by Stephen H. Long for whom Longs Peak is named, approached the Rockies via the Platte River. Settlers began arriving in the mid-1800s, which eventually led to the displacement of the Native Americans who mostly left the area voluntarily by 1860, while others were removed to reservations by 1878.
The towns of Lulu City, Dutchtown, and Gaskill in the Never Summer Mountains were established in the 1870s when prospectors came to the region in search of gold and silver. But the mining boom would end a short time later around 1883. The railroad reached Lyons, Colorado (just down canyon from the park) in 1881, while the Big Thompson Canyon Road—a section of U.S. Route 34 from Loveland to Estes Park—was completed in 1904.
Eventually, in 1915 the Rocky Mountain National Park Act was signed by President Woodrow Wilson and in the 1920s there was an increase in building infrastructure in the park. This included building lodges like the Bear Lake Trail School, and roads in the park. This building boom culminated with the construction of Trail Ridge Road to Fall River Pass between 1929 and 1932, then to Grand Lake by 1938. This construction would be mostly done by the Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC.
❔ GOOD TO KNOW: in 1976, UNESCO designated the national park as one of the first World Biosphere Reserves.
Today, the park is one of the most visited in the whole National Park System, ranking as the third most visited national park in 2015. In 2019, the park saw record attendance yet again with 4.6 million people, a 44% increase since 2012.
THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE GUIDE TO ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
\\ Rocky Mountain National Park | Fast Facts
YEAR ESTABLISHED
1915
STATE
Colorado
SIZE
265,873 acres
NUMBER OF VISITORS
3.3 million in 2019 (ranked 4th in visitation)
COST TO ENTER
$25 for a car for 1-day ($35 for 7 days), $15 per person (1-day), $25 per motorcycle (1-day)
BEST FOR...
Hiking, backpacking and snowshoeing
\\ Important Things to Know About Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park spans the Continental Divide and consists of dozens of rugged, often snowcapped, mountains. Due to its size and location, there are two main entrances to the park: Estes Park on the east side (the most popular entrance) and Grand Lake on the west side (much quieter).
The east side of the park is where most of the popular trails are located (Bear Lake, Mill’s Lake, Sky Pond, Long’s Peak), while the west side tends to see fewer people overall. Another difference to take note of is that the west side tends to be much greener and lusher than the east side. This is because the western slope of the Continental Divide tends to see more rain and water.
💬 INSIDER TIP: if you are looking to do some hiking and want to avoid much of the crowds, we suggest heading over to the west side instead. Some of our favorite hikes include Mount Ida and the East Inlet Trail.
TIMED ENTRY PERMITS
Due to the increase in visitation, RMNP decided to begin a timed entry permit system during the busy season. The permit will be required between May 28th and October 11th. There are 2 reservation options to choose from: Bear Lake Road Corridor from 5AM - 6PM and Rest of Park and, Rest of Park Area (this includes the Wild Basin area, Long's Peak, Trail Ridge Road and Fall River Area) 9AM - 3PM. Now one important thing to note is that you can get the Bear Lake Road Corridor permit and still visit the rest of the park. You just cannot get the Rest of Park permit and go to Bear Lake.
💬 INSIDER TIP: the Bear Lake Trailhead is by far the busiest trailhead in the park. If you do want to visit we suggest going before 5 AM, getting a permit and riding the shuttle (see below) or visiting during a weekday (and still maybe taking the shuttle).
Outside those times no reservations/timed entry permits are needed. You do also need to get a park pass or pay the entrance fee even with the timed entry permit (the permits are free). You can learn more about the timed entry permit system here.
PARKING VS PARK SHUTTLE
Due to an increase in park visitation, during the peak summer months the popular trailhead parking lots often fill up by mid-morning. Therefore it is smart to plan on taking the park shuttle bus into the park so you don’t have to worry about parking.
The park shuttle not only cuts down on parking issues (which can become intense during the summer weekends), but it also helps cut down on emissions and allows everyone to enjoy the scenery and decreases the stress of having to maneuver the winding roads, wild animals and other drivers.
❔ GOOD TO KNOW: the park shuttles run from May 27th to October 17th. The first bus leaves the Estes Park Visitor Center at 6:30 AM and the last one heads out at 7:30 PM. There are no bus routes that run on the west side of the park or that cross over Trail Ridge Road.
There are multiple bus routes within the park. Below is a quick breakdown.