Guides · Timed entry

Rocky Mountain National Park timed entry, explained.

You can hold a campsite and a week of vacation and still need one more reservation to get in.

Hallett Peak above Dream Lake on a bluebird morning in Rocky Mountain National Park
Photo: Andrew Parlette · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The two permits

  • Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road: the whole park including Bear Lake, Emerald Lake, Alberta Falls and Sprague Lake. Everybody wants it; it vanishes first.
  • Timed Entry (rest of park): Trail Ridge Road, Old Fall River Road and the west side. Easier, but still sells out on summer weekends.

Each one is tied to a date and an entry window. Rules change year to year, so confirm on the official NPS page.

How they release, and why “sold out” isn’t the end

Permits release on Recreation.gov in monthly blocks, plus a short-notice drop. Popular summer dates go almost instantly.

Cancelled and unclaimed slots come back into the pool continuously. People overbook and plans change, so slots reappear, often day-of or the evening before.

Know your exact release morning: the release calendar works it out from your trip date and adds reminders to your calendar.

Getting one after sell-out

  • Catch the 7:00 PM held-back drop. Be logged in at 6:58. Dinner can wait; the drop won’t.

  • Watch your dates for cancellations. They’re unpredictable, which is why refreshing by hand hurts.

    That’s why Campsite Ranger watches RMNP entry slots and emails you when one opens.

  • Know the enforcement hours. Timed entry applies during set hours. Check this year’s rules with NPS before planning around them.

Keep a weather eye

Summer in the park is wildfire season. We watch official closure, fire and air-quality feeds around RMNP and email you if something moves in on your dates, so the permit you fought for doesn’t deliver you into smoke.

A heads-up, not an official source. Verify with NPS before you go.

Chasing an RMNP date? Timed entry, campsites, or both — setting a watch is free.

Set an RMNP watch

Common questions

What are the two Rocky Mountain National Park timed-entry permits?

Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road covers the whole park including the Bear Lake corridor (Bear Lake, Emerald Lake, Alberta Falls, Sprague Lake) — the one everybody wants and the one that vanishes first. Timed Entry (rest of park) covers everything else, including Trail Ridge Road and the west side. Rules and seasons change year to year, so confirm the current setup on the official NPS page.

Can you still get an RMNP timed-entry permit after it sells out?

Yes. Cancelled and unclaimed entry slots come back into the pool continuously — people overbook, plans change, and those slots quietly reappear, often day-of or the evening before. A portion of reservations is also held back and released shortly before the entry date.

How do you catch an RMNP permit cancellation?

Know when the short-notice release drops and be online for it, and watch your specific dates for cancellations. Cancellations are unpredictable by nature, which is why Campsite Ranger watches RMNP entry slots continuously and emails you when one opens inside your dates.

Do you need to worry about wildfire and smoke on an RMNP trip?

Summer in the park is wildfire season. Campsite Ranger watches official closure, wildfire, and air-quality feeds around Rocky Mountain National Park for the trips it is tracking and emails you if something moves in on your dates. It is a planning heads-up, not an official source — always verify with NPS before you go.