Rocky Mountain National Park is proposing to increase its daily vehicle entrance fee and campground overnight fees.
According to the park, the proposal would increase the Daily Vehicle Entrance fee by $5, from $25 to $30. In addition, both summer and winter campground fees will go up. The summer fee for camping at Moraine Park, Glacier Basin, Aspenglen, and Timber Creek Campgrounds would increase from $30 to $35 per night, and winter campground fees would increase at Moraine Park Campground from $20 to $35. Group campsite fees in Glacier Basin Campground would increase by $10 per night.
These proposals do not affect the park weekly pass, park annual pass, or any interagency American the Beautiful passes.
This possible increase is based on fees for nearby campgrounds and will help park staff improve and maintain its visitor services.
Basic park operations are funded by Congress, but the recreation fees collected are used to support new projects and ongoing maintenance, the park staff said.
As outlined by the park, this includes projects such as:
- Hazard Tree Mitigation: The park is among many areas along the Rocky Mountains where trees have been dying from a beetle epidemic. Recreation fee monies have funded extensive mitigation of hazard trees in or near developed areas and other popular park facilities, such as campgrounds, parking lots, road corridors, housing areas and visitor centers.
- Hiking Trail Repairs and Improvements: Many hiking trail repair projects have been funded by recreation fee monies, such as repairing washed out sections of trail, the installation of bridges, and the installation of vault toilets at heavily used trailheads.
- Wilderness Campsites Improvements: Rocky Mountain National Parks wilderness campsites are used by thousands of backcountry campers each year. Recreation fee monies help fund the maintenance of these cherished campsites.
- Bear Management: Park entrance and campground fees help keep bears wild at Rocky Mountain National Park. Thanks in part to fee dollars collected over the past 20 years, 100% of the park’s garbage cans, recycling bins, and dumpsters are now bear-resistant. The park has also gone from zero food storage lockers to 352.
- Restoration of Historic Rock Walls along Trail Ridge Road: The historic rock walls along Trail Ridge Road provide for visitor safety and a visually pleasant drive. Originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, recreation fee program funding allows for damaged sections of these rock walls to be restored by Rocky Mountain National Park staff who specialize in rock work.
The RMNP is accepting public comments on this proposal. To submit a public comment, click here or mail a letter to:
Rocky Mountain National Park
Office of the Superintendent
1000 US Hwy 36
Estes Park, CO 80517
Your entire comment may be posted online and open to the public, so be sure not to include any person information, such as address, email address or phone number.
The comment period is open through Jan. 7, 2022.
