Rocky Mountain National Park Timed Entry Permit Reservations

Timed entry permits are required to enter the Park from May 26 through October 22, 2023, entrance passes continue to be required. You can secure a timed-entry permit and leave the car in town by using the Hiker Shuttle.

2023 Details

Timed Entry Permit Reservations are required, along with a park pass or entrance fee, to enter Rocky Mountain National Park from May 26 to October 22, 2023.

How to Make a Rocky Mountain National Park Reservation

Timed entry permit reservation tickets are available online at recreation.gov or by :

• Reservation Line: 877-444-6777
• Reservation International: 606-515-6777
• Reservation Line (TDD) 877-833-6777
• Recreation.gov mobile app (iOS/Android).
• Note: Reservations are not available at park entrance stations or park offices

Once you make your reservation, you will receive an email confirmation with an attached reservation ticket. You'll need to present this at the entrance station and because cell phone service can be spotty we recommend downloading, screenshotting, or saving the ticket prior to arriving at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Access Levels

There are two different access levels for timed entry permits in 2023, access with Bear Lake Road (option 1, below) and access without Bear Lake Road (option 2, below). The time slots for these access levels are also different. To access Bear Lake Road between the hours of 5am and 6pm you'll need a timed entry permit. Outside of Bear Lake Road, you only need a timed entry permit from 9am to 2pm. 

When you can make a Rocky Mountain National Park Reservation

• Reservations will become available on May 1 at 8 a.m. (MDT) for reservations to enter the park from May 26 through June 30.

• Reservations will become available on June for reservations to enter the park during the month of July (and any remaining days that have not been booked for June).

• Reservations will become available on July 1 for reservations to enter the park during the month of August (and any remaining days that have not been booked for July).

• Reservations will become available on August 1 for reservations to enter the park during the month of September (and any remaining days that have not been booked for August).

• Reservations will become available on September 1 for reservations to enter the park during the month of October (and any remaining days that have not been booked for September).

40 percent of permits will be held and available for purchase the day prior at 5 p.m. through recreation.gov. These are expected to sell out quickly and visitors are encouraged to plan ahead when possible.

Questions? See RMNP's page on the timed-entry permit system here.

2022 Hiker Shuttle

The Hiker Shuttle will operate between the Estes Park Visitor Center and the Bear Lake Park & Ride from May 27 to October 10, 2022.

As part of the park’s overall pilot timed entry system, two things will be needed to ride the Hiker Shuttle: reservation tickets for all passengers plus a valid park entrance pass. One person may reserve up to 4 tickets per $2 reservation. At 5 p.m. the night before, a limited number of tickets will be available for seven specific time slots at  RMNP Hiker Shuttle Reservations. Park entrance passes are also required. 

The Hiker Shuttle will depart from the Estes Park Visitor Center to the Bear Lake Road Park & Ride at 9 am, 9:45 am, 10:30 am, 11:15 am, noon, 12:45 pm, 1:30 pm, and 2:15 pm, May 27 through October 10.  Passengers are required to depart from the Estes Park Visitor Center using the specific time slot reserved.

The Hiker Shuttle will return from the Park & Ride to the Estes Park Visitor Center roughly every 45 minutes beginning at 9:45 am through 5:15 pm.  Passengers can return using any Hiker Shuttle throughout the day. The last shuttle will depart from the Bear Lake Road Park & Ride at 5:15 pm.  There are no other buses back to the Estes Park Visitor Center after this time.  For further details on the Hiker Shuttle and the Bear Lake and Moraine Park routes please visit RMNP Shuttle Buses.