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Rocky Mountain Timed Entry Reservation permit area in Rocky Mountain National Park - backcountry hiking destination
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Rocky Mountain Timed Entry Reservation Permit

Rocky Mountain National Park · Colorado

The day-use vehicle reservation required to drive into Rocky Mountain during the busiest hours from late May to mid-October, in two versions depending on whether you want Bear Lake Road.

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70% of the openings our scanner caught on RMNP Timed Entry were gone within 5 minutes.

RMNP Timed Entry reservation dates

Season
May 22 to October 18
route distance, point to point
48mi

How to get a RMNP Timed Entry permit

As of September 2026, RMNP Timed Entry in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado requires a permit issued via first-come, first-served. RMNP Timed Entry is one of the most competitive permits in the United States, rating 9/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. Cancelled RMNP Timed Entry permits are re-released on the booking system, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment one opens. The permit season for RMNP Timed Entry runs May 22 through October 18. The RMNP Timed Entry route covers 48 miles, rated easy.

Type
Day Use
Location
Front Range, CO

  1. Step 1: Create a Recreation.gov account

    Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.

  2. Step 2: Know the release schedule

    Permits release on a rolling basis. Check the release time for your dates.

  3. Step 3: Be ready when permits drop

    Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.

  4. Step 4: Monitor for cancellations

    If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.

Book at Recreation.gov
Learn more:
Best booking timesCancellation huntingRecreation.gov tips

RMNP Timed Entry pro tips

  1. There are two different reservations and only one of them gets you onto Bear Lake Road: check which you are buying
  2. Blocks release at 8 a.m. MDT on the 1st of the month for the following month, and NPS puts more out at 7 p.m. MDT the night before each date
  3. You do not need a reservation at all if you enter before 9 a.m. or after 2 p.m.
  4. Cancellations are allowed up to 24 hours before the visit, so slots do come back
  5. Bear Lake Road re-entry is only allowed after 2 p.m., so leaving the corridor mid-morning costs you the rest of the morning

More on RMNP Timed Entry: Live availability activityWhen RMNP Timed Entry permits open upDo I need a Rocky Mountain Timed Entry permit?

How much a RMNP Timed Entry permit costs

RMNP Timed Entry permit fee: $2 Recreation.gov processing fee.

The RMNP Timed Entry hike

Distance
48 miles
Route Type
Point to Point
Duration
Half a day to a full day
Difficulty
Easy
High Point
12,183 ft

RMNP Timed Entry landmarks

  1. 1Beaver Meadows Entrance

    The main east entrance from Estes Park, and the gateway to the Bear Lake Road corridor.

  2. 2Fall River Entrance

    The other east entrance, also from Estes Park, and the direct approach to Trail Ridge Road.

  3. 3Grand Lake Entrance

    The west entrance and the quiet side of the park. NPS puts it about four hours from Grand Junction.

  4. 4Trail Ridge Road

    48 miles topping out at 12,183 feet. Reachable on either reservation type.

  5. 5Bear Lake Road Corridor

    Moraine Park, Sprague Lake, the Park & Ride, Glacier Gorge Trailhead and Bear Lake. Needs the Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road reservation, 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The $2 booking that decides whether you drive into Rocky Mountain at ten in the morning or sit outside the gate until two in the afternoon.

About this permit

Rocky Mountain requires a timed entry reservation to drive into the park during its busiest hours from Friday, May 22 through mid-October 2026. There are two of them and they are not interchangeable. A plain Timed Entry reservation covers everything except the Bear Lake Road corridor and applies between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. through October 12. Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road adds that corridor and applies between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. through October 18.

Reservations release in monthly blocks at 8 a.m. MDT on the 1st (August 1 puts out September, plus anything left unbooked from August), and NPS drops more at 7 p.m. MDT the night before each arrival date. Its own guidance on those: "These will sell out quickly, it is best to plan ahead!"

The reservation is a two-hour entry window, not a departure time. Once you are through the gate you can stay as long as you want. It costs $2, it is non-refundable and non-transferable, and it can be cancelled up to 24 hours ahead, which is why slots reappear on dates that looked full.

The route

Where you can go depends on which of the two reservations you hold.

A plain Timed Entry reservation opens everything except the Bear Lake Road corridor: Trail Ridge Road over the tundra to the Alpine Visitor Center, the whole west side out of Grand Lake, Wild Basin, Lily Lake. NPS names exactly that set as who the reservation is for. Trail Ridge is the centrepiece: 48 miles topping out at 12,183 feet, the highest continuous paved road in any national park.

Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road adds the corridor on the east side near the Beaver Meadows entrance: Moraine Park, Sprague Lake, the Park & Ride, Glacier Gorge Trailhead and Bear Lake itself. That corridor is gated 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. rather than 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it carries a rule people get caught by: if you leave the corridor you cannot come back until after 2 p.m.

Either way the reservation covers a vehicle, not a person, and it is a date and an entry window, not an itinerary.

Why it matters

Rocky Mountain is the only national park on the Front Range within two hours of Denver, and from late May to mid-October the middle of its day is gated. The reservation costs two dollars and is the single most consequential booking in a trip here, because it decides your morning. The system also ships two versions that look nearly identical on Recreation.gov and are not: one of them does not get you to Bear Lake.

The feeling

You get a two-hour window, not a time. Inside it you drive through Beaver Meadows or Fall River, and after that nobody hurries you. NPS is explicit that "once you enter the park, stay as long as you like. There is no set time for departure." All the pressure is on the front end: hitting the window, and before that, getting the reservation at all when the month opened at 8 a.m. on the 1st and was gone by lunchtime.

RMNP Timed Entry hike highlights

  1. Two similar-looking reservations, only one of which covers Bear Lake Road
  2. A two-hour entry window, and no departure time at all
  3. Monthly 8 a.m. MDT releases plus a 7 p.m. MDT drop the night before
  4. Free entry outside the gated hours: before 9 a.m. or after 2 p.m.
  5. A separate park entrance fee or interagency pass on top of the $2
  6. No in-person option: NPS says these are "not available in person at RMNP's visitor centers or entrance stations"

How hard the RMNP Timed Entry hike is

  • Physical DemandFitness and endurance required1/5
  • Technical SkillClimbing, scrambling, or specialized skills1/5
  • Exposure RiskSteep dropoffs and fall potential2/5
  • NavigationRoute finding and trail clarity1/5
  • CommitmentDifficulty of bailing out mid-route2/5

Best for: Anyone driving into Rocky Mountain between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. in season, and anyone who wants Bear Lake Road at all between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Recommended experience: None. The difficulty here is getting the reservation, not using it.

Not recommended for: Nobody, though it is unnecessary if you can enter before 9 a.m. or after 2 p.m., or if you are visiting between late October and late May.

Trailhead information

Beaver Meadows Entrance

Primary

Main east entrance from Estes Park, and the way into the Bear Lake Road corridor.

  • Restrooms
  • Water on site
  • Moderate

Parking

The Bear Lake corridor fills early. The Park & Ride shuttle lot is the fallback and sits inside the corridor, so it needs the corridor reservation too.

Getting There

NPS: about 2 hours from Denver via I-25 to US-36, and about 90 minutes from Fort Collins via US-34.

Nearest Services

Estes Park, immediately outside the entrance.

Trailhead information

Fall River Entrance

Alternate

The second east entrance, also out of Estes Park.

  • Restrooms
  • Water on site
  • Moderate

Getting There

Reached on US-34 through Estes Park; the direct approach to Trail Ridge Road from the east.

Nearest Services

Estes Park.

Trailhead information

Grand Lake Entrance

Alternate

The west entrance, and the quiet side of the park.

  • Restrooms
  • Water on site
  • Weak Signal

Getting There

NPS: about 4 hours from Grand Junction via I-70 to US-40 and US-34 east. The nearest entrance if you are coming from western Colorado.

Nearest Services

Grand Lake, Colorado.

When to hike RMNP Timed Entry

Best time to visit

The reservation season runs May 22 to October 18. Trail Ridge Road is usually fully open from late May or June through October, and the corridor is busiest in July and August, when the monthly release sells out fastest.

Peak
June-September
Shoulder
Late May and early October

  • Spring

    The system starts May 22, and Trail Ridge may still be opening in stages.

    Crowd level · moderate

    • Advantage: The first monthly release covers May 22-June 30 in one go
    • Advantage: Fewer people than midsummer
    • Challenge: Trail Ridge Road may not be fully open
    • Challenge: Snow at the higher trailheads

  • Summer

    Peak. Every gated hour is contested and the monthly releases go fast.

    Crowd level · high

    • Advantage: Everything open, including Trail Ridge and the Alpine Visitor Center
    • Advantage: Longest days, so pre-9 a.m. and post-2 p.m. entry are genuinely usable
    • Challenge: Hardest reservations of the year
    • Challenge: Afternoon thunderstorms above treeline
    • Challenge: Bear Lake corridor parking fills long before the corridor window closes

  • Fall

    Elk rut, aspen colour, and the last weeks of the system.

    Crowd level · high

    • Advantage: Plain timed entry ends October 12 and the corridor October 18, so late October needs nothing
    • Advantage: Elk in Moraine Park at dawn
    • Challenge: September weekends are as contested as summer
    • Challenge: Early snow can close Trail Ridge with little warning

  • Winter

    No timed entry system at all.

    Crowd level · low

    • Advantage: No reservation needed
    • Advantage: Quiet park
    • Challenge: Trail Ridge Road closed
    • Challenge: Limited services in Estes Park and Grand Lake

Weather Forecast

Trailhead (5,000 ft)

⚠️

Backcountry Tips

  • Today: Expect 25°F colder at summit. Layer up.
  • Today: Freezing temps at elevation. Bring insulation even if warm below.
  • Tomorrow: Expect 25°F colder at summit. Layer up.

Today

🌫️

46°

36°

Fri

🌧️

47°

35°

33%

Sat

🌧️

52°

35°

Sun

🌧️

57°

38°

Mon

🌧️

50°

35°

72%

Tue

🌧️

42°

34°

74%

Wed

🌧️

46°

34°

36%

View full NWS forecast →Mountain weather changes rapidly. This forecast is a guide—always be prepared for worse conditions.

RMNP Timed Entry photography guide

Golden Hour

Sunrise on Bear Lake and last light on the tundra along Trail Ridge. Both fall outside the reservation window, which is one good argument for an early start instead of a booking.

Best Light

Early morning before the 9 a.m. gate, or late afternoon after 2 p.m. when no reservation is needed at all.

Beat the Crowds

The whole system exists to spread arrivals out. The genuinely quiet options are entering before 9 a.m., after 2 p.m., or from Grand Lake on the west side.

Classic Shots

  1. Hallett Peak reflected in Bear Lake, which needs the corridor reservation
  2. Alpine tundra and the Never Summer Mountains from Trail Ridge Road
  3. Moraine Park in early light with elk in the meadow
  4. Sprague Lake's accessible shoreline loop

RMNP Timed Entry rules, gear and safety

Gear checklist

Required
  • The reservation itself, on your phone or printed
  • A park entrance pass or the entrance fee, which the $2 reservation does not include
  • Layers for 12,000 feet: Trail Ridge Road is well above treeline

Recommended gear

  • Downloaded maps, because cell service is patchy past the entrance stations
  • A backup plan for a pre-9 a.m. or post-2 p.m. entry if no reservation comes free
  • Water for the whole day, since the alpine sections have no services

Rules & regulations

  1. 01Timed entry required 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, May 22 through October 12, 2026
  2. 02The Bear Lake Road corridor requires the Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road reservation, 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 22 through October 18, 2026
  3. 03You must enter within your designated 2-hour window; miss it on Bear Lake Road and you are turned around until after 2 p.m.
  4. 04Bear Lake Road corridor re-entry is only allowed after 2 p.m.
  5. 05Reservations are non-refundable and non-transferable
  6. 06Cancellations are accepted up to 24 hours before the visit
  7. 07Reservations can only be made on Recreation.gov, not at visitor centers or entrance stations

Hazards & considerations

  • Afternoon thunderstorms above treeline on Trail Ridge Road through summer
  • Altitude: the road tops out at 12,183 feet with no gradual acclimatisation
  • Snow closures on Trail Ridge into June and again from October
  • Wildlife on the road, particularly elk in Moraine Park at dawn and dusk

Safety & planning

Emergency Info

Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for RMNP Timed Entry.

Food Storage

Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.

Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for RMNP Timed Entry · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides

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RMNP Timed Entry FAQ

Do I need a timed entry reservation for Rocky Mountain National Park?

Only for part of the day, and only in season. NPS: "Timed Entry Reservations will be needed to enter Rocky Mountain National Park between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily beginning on Friday, May 22 through Monday, October 12, 2026." Outside those hours NPS says: "Don't have a reservation? That's ok! You can enter the park before 9 a.m. or anytime after 2 p.m. without a timed entry reservation."

What is the difference between the two Rocky Mountain timed entry reservations?

One covers Bear Lake Road and one does not. NPS: plain Timed Entry reservations "provide access to all areas in Rocky Mountain National Park, excluding locations within the busy RMNP Bear Lake Road Corridor." Timed Entry+ Bear Lake Road adds Moraine Park, Sprague Lake, the Park & Ride, Glacier Gorge Trailhead and Bear Lake, and applies 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May 22 through October 18.

When do Rocky Mountain timed entry reservations get released?

In monthly blocks plus a nightly drop. NPS releases the next month at 8 a.m. MDT on the 1st (August 1 releases September, plus anything unbooked from August), and then, in its own words, "Additional timed entry reservations will be released on a first-come, first-served basis on Recreation.gov at 7 p.m. MDT on the night before a desired arrival date. These will sell out quickly, it is best to plan ahead!"

Can I get a Rocky Mountain timed entry reservation after they sell out?

Sometimes. Reservations are non-refundable and non-transferable, but NPS allows cancellation "up to 24 hours prior to your visit," and those slots return to Recreation.gov. That plus the 7 p.m. nightly release is what makes a cancellation alert worth setting on a date that currently shows nothing.

How much does a Rocky Mountain timed entry reservation cost?

NPS: "The only cost associated with making a timed entry reservation is a non-refundable $2 Recreation.gov processing fee." The park entrance fee or an America the Beautiful pass is separate and still required.

RMNP Timed Entry trail conditions and trip reports

Trail Conditions

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Alternatives to a RMNP Timed Entry permit

  • Similar ExperiencePermit required

    RMNP Wilderness Camping

    The park's overnight wilderness permit, on Recreation.gov 4675320.

    Tradeoffs

    A backcountry night instead of a day drive, and a completely separate booking system. A wilderness permit does not substitute for timed entry on the day you drive in.

  • Similar ExperiencePermit required

    Longs Peak Overnight

    Overnight camping at the base of the park's only fourteener.

    Tradeoffs

    Far more commitment, though the Longs Peak trailhead sits outside the Bear Lake Road corridor.

  • Similar ExperiencePermit required

    Indian Peaks Wilderness Overnight

    The wilderness immediately south of Rocky Mountain, with its own overnight permit and no timed entry.

    Tradeoffs

    No vehicle reservation to chase, but you are backpacking rather than driving to a viewpoint.

Where to stay near RMNP Timed Entry

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