Plan Your Summer Trip to Rocky

Planning to visit Rocky Mountain National Park this summer? The summer season spans from late May to mid-October. There is something for everyone to enjoy! Rocky Mountain National Park is a land of extremes, with elevation in the park ranging from areas around 7,800 feet to over 14,000 feet above sea level.

There are three main ecosystems in Rocky Mountain National Park that you can explore: the montane, subalpine, and alpine life zones.

Explore the forest floor and open meadows of Moraine Park or Horseshoe Park, take a scenic drive up Trail Ridge Road or Old Fall River Road and experience the wonders of the Alpine Tundra. Explore the majestic Kawuneeche Valley located on the west side of park by taking a hike along the Colorado River or take a step back in time when exploring the Holzwarth Historic Site.

How to Begin Planning for a Summer Visit to Rocky?

Take Time to Plan Ahead!

• Talk with your group, find out what they would most like to see and do.
• Do some research on Rocky Mountain National Park. The park's website is a great resource.
• Decide what destinations and activities are best for you. Do you want to hike? Take a scenic drive? Go camping? Go fishing? For tips, see below!
• Find out what reservations you will need when visiting RMNP. A Timed Entry Reservation is required to enter the park during certain hours of the day. These are only available via Recreation.gov. See below for details. You will also need a park entrance pass, which can be purchased upon arrival.
• When you know what you want to do, make a Trip Plan!

Get Ready for Summer - Learn About Timed Entry Reservations

Planning to visit Rocky Mountain National Park from May 23 through mid-October? A timed entry reservation is required to enter the park during certain hours of the day. For specific details and instructions on how to make a reservation, visit Rocky's Timed Entry webpage.

What's the Weather Like?

When planning for a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, it is important to think about the weather. Weather and conditions can vary in the park, based on changes in elevation. In May and June, be prepared for winter hiking conditions in areas above 9,000 feet in elevation.

Weather can change quickly in the Rocky Mountains, plan for varying conditions. From May through September, a day can start sunny with bluebird blue skies and by afternoon clouds can roll in with rain and snow. For details on weather and to see weather forecasts, visit RMNP's Weather webpage.

In May and June, expect snow at higher elevations. There are SNOWTEL monitors at different locations in RMNP. This is how park rangers know how much snow is at different locations across the park. Visit the Trail Conditions webpage to see snow depth at different locations in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Fees & Passes

A valid entrance fee or park pass is required to enter Rocky Mountain National Park 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Several different entrance fee and pass options are available.

All park entrance fees and passes are available for purchase at Rocky's staffed park entrance stations.

Learn about Rocky's park entrance fees and discover all of the different park entrance fee and pass options that are available. Visit RMNP's Fees & Passes webpage for details.

Learn About Fun Things to Do When Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park!

There is something for everyone to enjoy in Rocky Mountain National Park. Summer is a special time of year. As snow melts, enjoy exploring areas in the montane, subalpine, and alpine lifezones of the park. Explore below for different ideas on things to enjoy throughout the park.

Explore Destinations in the Bear Lake Road Corridor

The Bear Lake Road corridor is a gateway to incredible scenic views, a wide variety of hiking trails great for all ages, and spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities and camping. There is a reason the Bear Lake Road Corridor is one of the most visited areas of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Bear Lake Road is a paved road that is 9.2-miles long. This road starts near Beaver Meadows Entrance at an elevation of 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) and climbs up to an elevation of 9,475 feet (2,888 meters) when it dead ends at Bear Lake Parking Area and Trailhead.

Bear Lake is an alpine lake that offers views of Hallett Peak and the Continental Divide. To visit Bear Lake, start at Bear Lake Trailhead and walk a short distance to the viewing areas for Bear Lake. There is a scenic loop trail around the lake.

To see a map of Bear Lake Road and to learn more about the area, visit the Exploring the Bear Lake Road Corridor webpage.

Take a Scenic Drive on Trail Ridge Road

Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuously paved road in North America. Click here to learn more about driving on Trail Ridge Road

Go Camping!

Camping is fun for the whole family and there are a variety of camping experiences available inside Rocky Mountain National Park.

• Looking for information on camping at Glacier Basin, Aspenglen, Timber Creek, Moraine Park or Longs Peak? Learn about Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Planning for a Wilderness Backpacking Trip?

Interested in hitting a trail and going overnight wilderness backpacking? Rocky Mountain National Park offers some great opportunities for wilderness overnight backpackers to get their boots on the trail. To learn about the ins and outs of planning for your next overnight wilderness backpacking adventure, visit Rocky's Wilderness Overnight Backpacking webpage.

Go Fishing!

Fishing is fun for all ages.Click here to learn more about Fishing in Rocky Mountain National Park

Attend a Ranger-led Walk, Talk or Program

Want to learn more about different topics related to Rocky Mountain National Park? Check out one of the park's ranger-led walks, talks or programs. Programs vary throughout the season. Visit the Ranger-led Programs page to see a schedule.

Interested in exploring the wonders of the night sky? Check out the park's Night Sky Programs page for upcoming program schedules and details.