Longs Peak Wilderness Permit (Overnight)
Rocky Mountain National Park · Colorado
Wilderness permit for overnight climbs of Longs Peak. Day climbs do NOT require a permit. The Keyhole Route is serious mountaineering terrain despite being 'non-technical.'
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Longs Peak Quick Facts
Longs Peak Permit Facts
- As of September 2026, Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado requires a permit issued via reservation.
- Longs Peak is a high-demand permit, rating 7/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The permit season for Longs Peak runs May 1 through October 31.
- The Longs Peak route covers 6 miles with 3,360 feet of elevation gain, rated strenuous.
- Cancelled Longs Peak permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Key Dates
Permit Details
Pro Tips
- •The $36 is per trip, not per person. A party of six pays the same as a solo hiker, which makes this one of the cheapest good permits in the system.
- •Sleeping at the Boulderfield is the whole point - it turns a 2 am parking-lot start into a first-light start from 12,760 feet.
- •Buy or borrow a hard-sided canister before you go. RMNP accepts nothing else between April 1 and October 31, and the Boulder Field is named specifically.
- •Reserve at least three days before your first camping date; the park will not take a request closer than that.
- •Your permit covers timed entry, but only once you have the physical copy in hand. Collect it at a Wilderness Office between 7 am and 3:30 pm.
- •Start for the summit by 3:00 AM. Afternoon thunderstorms on the exposed ground above the Boulderfield are the single most predictable danger here, and the only defence is being back below treeline before they build.
- •Bring a helmet and turn around if the weather is building. Loose rock is constant on the Keyhole Route, and the park's own framing is that an unroped fall there would likely be fatal.
What to Expect
Route Details
Highlights
- •Four designated camps: Goblins Forest, Moore Park, Battle Mountain Group and the Boulderfield
- •The Boulderfield is 6 miles and 3,360 feet from the trailhead, at 12,760 feet, with nine sites and a privy
- •$36 per trip reservation, not per person or per night
- •1 to 7 people at individual sites; 8 to 12 at the Battle Mountain group site
- •Bear canisters required April 1 to October 31, including at the Boulder Field
- •No campfires anywhere in the park's wilderness - portable stoves only
- •Your wilderness permit doubles as a timed entry reservation, but you still pay the entrance fee
Best Time to Visit
Mid-July through mid-September. The park's twenty-year average snow-free date for the Boulderfield is June 19, and its July 10, 2026 report had Longs Peak almost entirely in summer conditions, with trails snow-free to both the Boulderfield and Chasm Lake. Outside that window the park's blunt framing applies: for most of the year Longs Peak is in winter conditions, requiring winter mountaineering experience and specialized equipment.
Hazards & Considerations
- !The Keyhole Route above the Boulderfield. The park's own words: not a hike, a climb crossing enormous sheer vertical rock faces, often with falling rocks, requiring scrambling, where an unroped fall would likely be fatal
- !Afternoon thunderstorms on completely exposed ground at 12,760 feet
- !Winter conditions, which the park says are present on Longs Peak for most of the year and can return at any time
- !Altitude - the Boulderfield sits above 12,700 feet with a 3,360-foot climb to reach it
- !Wildlife incidents at the Boulder Field, which is why the canister rule reaches above treeline there
Summit Information
Longs Peak
Climbing RoutesClick for details
Base Camp
Technical Gear Required
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
Today
77°
46°
Sun
86°
53°
Mon
77°
49°
Tue
75°
44°
Wed
77°
49°
Thu
77°
53°
28%
Fri
78°
58°
How to Get This Permit
Create a Recreation.gov account
Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.
Know the release schedule
Permits typically release on a rolling basis. Check the specific release time for your desired dates.
Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
Monitor for cancellations
If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.
Difficulty Assessment
Fitness and endurance required
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Route finding and trail clarity
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
Backpackers acclimatised enough to sleep at 12,760 feet, whether or not they intend to go higher. The trail to the Boulderfield is a hike.
Recommended Experience
Multi-day backpacking at altitude and comfort camping on open talus in wind. The exposure rating here covers the camp approach and the ground around the Boulderfield; the summit route above it is a different and far higher rating.
Not Recommended For
Anyone treating the Keyhole Route as an extension of the hike. Above the Boulderfield the park classifies it as a climb where an unroped fall would likely be fatal.
About This Permit
Rocky Mountain National Park is a designated-site wilderness with no dispersed camping, and the Longs Peak trail carries four of those sites: Goblins Forest (6 sites, 1.2 miles, 10,120 feet), Moore Park (2 sites, 1.7 miles, 9,760 feet), Battle Mountain Group (1 site, 2.8 miles, 11,000 feet) and the Boulderfield (9 sites, 6 miles, 12,760 feet). Every one has a privy.
The fee structure is unusual and in your favour: $36 is a Wilderness Administrative Fee for each trip reservation - not each night and not each person - non-refundable, from May 1 to October 31. Winter reservations cost $10. Walk-ins pay the same $36. Park entrance fees are separate. Summer reservations for the 2026 season opened March 1 at 8:00 am MST on Recreation.gov, and requests must be made at least three days before your first camping date. Between November 1 and April 30 the park accepts no reservation requests at all.
Party size: individual sites take 1 to 7 people, group sites take 8 to 12, and groups over seven may not camp in neighbouring individual sites - they must use a group site or split up and camp at least a mile apart. On this trail the only group site is Battle Mountain. Stay limits are seven nights June through September, fourteen nights October through May with no more than 21 total per year, and no more than three consecutive nights in one camp area.
Bear canisters are required from April 1 to October 31 - a hard-sided, commercially made, carry-in/carry-out canister, with no other method permitted. The park applies this to wilderness areas below tree line and, explicitly, in the Boulder Field of Longs Peak, due to recurring wildlife incidents. Store the canister 70 adult steps - 200 feet - from your campsite. Campfires are prohibited park-wide in the wilderness; portable stoves only.
Permits and dashtags must be picked up in person at a park Wilderness Office, open 7 am to 3:30 pm daily, and a permit not collected by noon on the first day of your trip is cancelled and reissued. One good side effect: a Wilderness Overnight Backpacking permit serves as your timed entry reservation, though you still need a valid park entrance fee or pass, and you have to pick up the physical permit first.
The Experience
Why It Matters
Camping on this trail is how most people give themselves a real chance at the summit: sleep at the Boulderfield and you start the Keyhole Route at first light instead of 2 am from the parking lot. It is also the one place in Rocky Mountain National Park where the bear canister rule reaches above treeline - the park names the Boulder Field of Longs Peak specifically, because of recurring wildlife incidents.
The Route
The park publishes the four camps from the Longs Peak Trailhead at 9,405 feet: Goblins Forest, 6 sites, 1.2 miles in at 10,120 feet with 720 feet of gain; Moore Park, 2 sites, 1.7 miles at 9,760 feet; Battle Mountain Group, 1 site, 2.8 miles at 11,000 feet with 1,600 feet of gain; and the Boulderfield, 9 sites, 6 miles at 12,760 feet with 3,360 feet of gain. Every one has a privy. The park's twenty-year average snow-free dates run from May 28 at Moore Park to June 19 at the Boulderfield.
What it does not publish is a round-trip distance or total gain to the summit, and we are not going to invent one. What it does publish about the summit route is a warning worth quoting in full: the Keyhole Route is not a hike, it is a climb that crosses enormous sheer vertical rock faces, often with falling rocks, requiring scrambling, where an unroped fall would likely be fatal.
The Feeling
Goblins Forest is still in the trees. Battle Mountain is at the edge of them. The Boulderfield is not a campsite so much as a field of talus with rock rings and a privy, at 12,760 feet, with the Keyhole notch visible above you and weather that arrives without asking.
Trailhead Information
Longs Peak Trailhead
9,405 ft elevationThe single access point for the Longs Peak area campsites and the Keyhole Route.
Parking
NPS says parking at any specific trailhead is not guaranteed and advises arriving early. Parking is free, and a dash tag is issued for overnight parking and must be displayed on the vehicle.
Notes
Wilderness permits and dash tags must be picked up in person at an RMNP Wilderness Office, open 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. The east-side office is at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, 1000 U.S. Hwy 36, Estes Park, CO 80517, phone 970-586-1242. RMNP requires a self-provided hard-sided, lockable bear canister for all food and scented items.
Rules & Regulations
- •A wilderness permit is required to camp overnight in the wilderness of Rocky Mountain National Park
- •Individual sites take parties of 1 to 7; group sites take 8 to 12. Groups over 7 may not camp in neighbouring individual sites
- •Between April 1 and October 31 all food, scented items and garbage must be in a hard-sided commercially made bear-resistant canister; no other method is permitted
- •Store the canister 70 adult steps - 200 feet - from your campsite
- •Maximum 7 nights June through September; 14 nights October through May, and no more than 21 nights per year
- •No more than 3 consecutive nights in one camp area
- •Campfires are prohibited; use portable stoves only
- •Permits and dashtags must be collected in person at a Wilderness Office, and are cancelled if not picked up by noon on day one
Gear Checklist
Required
- A hard-sided commercial bear canister - required, and no alternative is accepted
- A stove; campfires are prohibited
- Wind and cold protection rated for 12,760 feet in any month
- Water treatment
- A helmet if you intend to go above the Boulderfield - the Keyhole Route has falling rock
Recommended
- Trekking poles for 3,360 feet of gain with a pack
- Traction and an ice axe outside the short summer window
- A headlamp for a pre-dawn summit start
- A tent that stands up to sustained wind on open talus
Plan Your Trip
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Longs Peak
Shuttle Services
Trailhead transportation options
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Key Landmarks
Landmarks (6)
🏔️Mountaineering Resources
Guide Services
Find authorized guide services and mountaineering schools for this peak.
Authorized guide services:
- • Check with ranger station for current list
- • Verify NPS/USFS authorization
Gear Rentals
Don't own technical gear? Find rental shops near the trailhead.
Required gear you can rent:
Route Conditions
Real-time route status, snow levels, and climbing conditions.
Current conditions include:
- • Route status (open/closed/caution)
- • Snow level elevation
- • Crevasse and glacier conditions
- • Recent trip reports
Avalanche Forecast
Check avalanche conditions before winter and spring climbs.
Avalanche info includes:
- • Current danger level
- • Avalanche problems (wind slab, persistent slab)
- • Travel advice
- • Links to regional avalanche centers
Longs Peak FAQ
Do I need a permit to camp at the Boulderfield on Longs Peak?
Yes - a Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness permit. It costs $36 per trip reservation, which is not per night and not per person, from May 1 to October 31, plus the park entrance fee. The permit must be picked up in person at a Wilderness Office and is cancelled if not collected by noon on day one.
How far is the Boulderfield campsite from the Longs Peak trailhead?
Six miles one way, from 9,405 feet at the trailhead to 12,760 feet at the camp - 3,360 feet of gain. There are nine sites and a privy. The park's twenty-year average snow-free date for it is June 19.
Do I need a bear canister on Longs Peak?
Yes, and specifically at the Boulder Field. From April 1 to October 31 the park requires all food, scented items and garbage to be stored in a hard-sided commercially made carry-in/carry-out bear-resistant canister, in wilderness areas below tree line and in the Boulder Field of Longs Peak, due to recurring wildlife incidents. No other storage method is permitted. Keep it 200 feet from your campsite.
How hard is the Keyhole Route on Longs Peak?
The park is unusually direct about it: the Keyhole Route is not a hike, it is a climb that crosses enormous sheer vertical rock faces, often with falling rocks, requiring scrambling, where an unroped fall would likely be fatal. It has narrow ledges, loose rock and steep cliffs, and can experience winter-like conditions at any time of year. The park publishes no round-trip mileage or elevation gain for it.
Can a group of ten camp on the Longs Peak trail?
Only at Battle Mountain, which is the trail's single group site, 2.8 miles in at 11,000 feet. Individual sites take 1 to 7 people, group sites take 8 to 12, and the park does not allow groups over seven to spread across neighbouring individual sites - you either use a group site or split up and camp at least a mile apart.
Does a wilderness permit cover timed entry at Rocky Mountain National Park?
Yes. The park states that a Wilderness Overnight Backpacking permit serves as your timed entry reservation - but you must first pick up the physical permit at a Wilderness Office, and you still need a valid park entrance fee or pass. Timed entry itself runs 9 am to 2 pm from May 22 through October 12, 2026, with the Bear Lake Road corridor running 5 am to 6 pm through October 18.
Do I need a permit for Longs Peak?
Only for overnight trips. Day climbs of Longs Peak do NOT require a permit - if you start and finish in the same day, you need nothing but a park entrance pass and a timed-entry reservation in season. A wilderness permit is required only if you are camping, at the Boulderfield, Battle Mountain, Goblins Forest or one of the other designated sites in the Longs Peak district.
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Trip Reports
Write ReportPhotography Guide
Golden Hour
Sunrise from the Boulderfield, with the Diamond catching first light and the plains a hundred miles east.
Best Light
Early. Storms build over the Front Range most summer afternoons and the peak is often in cloud by 1 pm.
Beat the Crowds
The trailhead parking is full by 3 am on summer weekends with day-hikers going for the summit. As an overnight party you can start at a civilised hour and have the trail to yourself going up.
Classic Shots
- 📍The Diamond - the Longs Peak east face - at first light
- 📍The Keyhole notch from the Boulderfield
- 📍Chasm Lake below the east face
- 📍Tents pitched in rock rings on the talus at 12,760 feet
- 📍Krummholz at the treeline edge above Battle Mountain
Can't Get a Longs Peak Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Rocky Mountain Wilderness Permit
Same AreaThe park-wide designated-site wilderness permit, covering every camp area in RMNP's 265,828 acres.
Tradeoffs
Same $36 per-trip fee and same rules, with far more sites to choose from when the Boulderfield is gone.
Paintbrush-Cascade Loop
Similar ExperienceGrand Teton's 19-mile loop over a 10,000-foot divide, on zone-based camping.
Tradeoffs
Comparable altitude and a comparable snow window, but roughly two thirds of Teton permits are held for walk-ups - much better last-minute odds.
Cascade Pass
Similar ExperienceNorth Cascades camps at Sahale Glacier and Pelton Basin, 3.7 to 5.9 miles in with up to 3,940 feet of gain.
Tradeoffs
Cheaper at $10 per person plus $6, and a genuinely alpine camp at 7,600 feet - but reservations are not allowed before July 1 and the access road bars anything over 22 feet.
Where to Stay
Nearby campgrounds to complete your Longs Peak trip
Very HardIn Demand8 sitesDeerlodge Park Campground
Dinosaur National Monument
Very HardIn Demand55 sitesRocky Mountain National Park Aspenglen Campground
Rocky Mountain National Park
Very HardIn Demand147 sitesRocky Mountain National Park Glacier Basin Campground
Rocky Mountain National Park
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