Rocky Mountain requires timed reservations

Rocky Mountain National Park is bringing back timed-entry reservations for summer 2026. That matters because this is one of the country’s most crowded national parks, and the difference between a good day and a traffic-jam day can be huge. The basic change is simple — if you want to drive in during certain hours starting Friday, May 22, you’ll need more than the normal park entrance pass. You’ll also need a reservation booked through Recreation.gov. (nps.gov) ### What actually starts on May 22? The reservation system begins Friday, May 22, 2026. From then through Monday, October 12, visitors entering most of the park between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. need a timed-entry reservation. For the Bear Lake Road Corridor — the park’s busiest zone and the jumping-off point for places like Bear Lake, Dre(nps.gov)ugh Sunday, October 18. (nps.gov) ### What are the two reservation types? There are two options. “Timed Entry” gets you into the rest of Rocky Mountain National Park, but not Bear Lake Road Corridor, during your two-hour arrival window. “Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road” includes Bear Lake and also covers the rest of the park. That second one is the more flexible permit, and for a lot of first-time visitors it’s the one that matters most. (nps.gov) ### Do you still need to pay park admission? Yes — and this is the catch that trips people up. The reservation is not your entrance fee. It’s just your access slot. The reservation itself carries a nonrefundable $2 Recreation.gov processing fee, and you still need a park pass or standard entrance payment on top of that. Reservation(nps.gov)isitor centers. (recreation.gov) ### Can you enter without a reservation? Yes, but only outside the controlled hours. For most of the park, that means before 9 a.m. or after 2 p.m. For Bear Lake Road Corridor, it means before 5 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Basically, the park is trying to spread cars out instead of having everybody show up in the same late-morning crush. (nps.gov) ### When do reservations go on sale? The first batch opened at 8 a.m. Mountain Time on May 1 for visits from May 22 through June 30. After that, additional blocks release on a monthly schedule through the summer. There’s also a smaller next-day release in the evening before each visit date, which gives last-minute travelers one more shot if the main batch sells out. (coloradoan.com) ### Why is the park doing this again? This is no longer a one-off pandemic-era crowd experiment. Rocky Mountain’s timed-entry system now sits inside a formal Day Use Visitor Access Plan finalized in May 2024. The park’s goal is straightforwa(coloradoan.com) temporary exception. (home.nps.gov) ### Who really needs to plan ahead? Day visitors do — especially anyone aiming for Bear Lake Road, sunrise hikes that start after the gate-control window, or a tight Colorado road-trip itinerary. Campers and lodge guests should still check the exact rules tied to their booking, but for most people driving in for the day, the safest assumption is that summer access now requires advance planning. (nps.gov) ### Bottom line If Rocky Mountain National Park is on your 2026 summer list, treat the reservation like part of the ticket. The park is still open. But the old habit of just rolling up mid-morning is a much riskier bet now. (nps.gov)