General Travel Planning |
Is there lodging available inside the park? |
No, but a large variety is available in Estes Park on the east side, and some on the west side in Grand Lake. See the Lodging Page. |
Is there camping available inside the park? |
Yes, at five campgrounds throughout the park. See the Camping Page. |
Is there food available inside the park? |
Limited food is available at the Trail Ridge Store within the Alpine Visitor Center at the top of Trail Ridge Road. |
Is there fuel available inside the park? |
No, but it is available right outside the park in Estes Park and Grand Lake. |
What is the location and hours of the visitor center(s)? |
There are four main visitor centers. The Alpine Visitor Center is at the top of Trail Ridge Road and is open when the road is open, usually 9:00AM to 5:00PM. The Fall River Visitor Center is located just outside the Fall River Entrance and is open 9:00AM to 5:00PM May through October and weekends only 9:00Am to 4:00PM the rest of the year. The Beaver Meadows Visitgor Center is just inside the park at the Beaver Meadows Entrance on Trail Ridge Road and is open widely variable hours year-round. The Kawuneeche Visitor Center is on the west side of the park on Trail Ridge Road and is open about 8:00AM to 5:00PM year-round. |
What are the visitation seasons in the park? |
Summer is when the huge majority of the visitation takes place. Most of the park is covered in snow by November, and does not melt out until May or later. |
Are the roads open on a year-round basis? |
No. Most of Trail Ridge Road and all of Old Fall River Road are closed by snow October to May, the latter often is closed until July. Bear Lake Road is normally kept open year-round. |
How much time is needed for a visit? |
One very full day for a mostly-driving tour of Trail Ridge Road. Add a second day for the Bear Lake area or the Wild Basin area. A week is recommended for anyone wanting to do some real hiking of the area, and it would take many years to really cover the hiking options. |
Park Features |
What wildlife can be seen in the park? |
63 known species of mammals, including mule deer, elk, black bears, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, coyotes, several types of fox, mountain lions, bobcats, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and voles. Reptiles and amphibians are fairly uncommon in the park due to the prolonged cold spells, but include tiger salamanders, boreal toads, western chorus frogs, wood frogs, and garter snakes. In 2000, Rocky Mountain National Park was designated as a Globally Important Bird Area. 280 species have been found here since the park's creation. Along with a huge variety of common and migratory species, many of the species of the park are unique to the mountainous habitats of the Southern Rocky Mountains. Specialty species include white-tailed ptarmigan, blue grouse, gray jay, Clark's nutcracker, Williamson's sapsucker, three-toed woodpecker, mountain chickadee, pygmy nuthatch, American dipper, western tanager, pine grosbeak, red crossbill, Townsend's solitare, Wilson's, MacGillivray's and Virginia's warblers, brown-capped rosy finch, black swift and northern pygmy owl. |
What plant communities are in the park? |
The lowest elevations in the park are montane forests and grassland. Ponderosa pine is most common. At higher elevations douglas fir trees are found. Above 9,000 is the subalpine forest, including Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir. Above tree line (about 11,500 feet) is the vast alpine tundra of mostly grasses and small flowering plants. |
How was the park created? |
James Grafton Rogers, Denver lawyer and outdoorsman, drafted the legislation. Enos Mills' original proposal included what is now the Indian Peaks Wilderness, but the borders were drawn very close to the current border of the park. The bill passed Congress and was signed by President Woodrow Wilson on January 26, 1915. The park size has increased over time, with the largest addition being the Never Summer Range in 1929. |
