National Park News

The annual visitation for Rocky Mountain National Park in 2011 was approximately 3,335,862 people, only 1.3% less than the record set in 2000.

For many visitors, winter is their favorite season to enjoy Rocky Mountain National Park.

The holiday season is a great time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. In addition to beautiful scenery, wildlife viewing and a variety of winter recreational activities to do on your own, some fun activities with park rangers are offered.

Looking for a unique gift idea for the holidays? A Rocky Mountain National Park Annual Pass is a great gift for that person who enjoys visiting the park or would like to visit more often.

Due to ongoing hazard tree mitigation from last weekend’s storm, the Sprague Lake parking area and the trail around the lake will be closed to the public for safety reasons until further notice.

The Alpine Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC), based in Rocky Mountain National
Park, is celebrating its 30-year anniversary.

On Thursday, October 27, 2011, Trail Ridge Road officially closed for the season to through travel.

Fire managers from Rocky Mountain National Park plan to take advantage of any upcoming winter weather conditions to burn piles of slash from several forest thinning and hazard tree mitigation projects.

Please join park and local officials from the Tusheti Protected Areas in Georgia for a special program at the Estes Park Museum on Thursday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m.

Beginning on Monday, October 17, the lobby at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park will be closed through the winter for a major remodeling project. Park rangers will still provide information to visitors from a temporary office trailer in the front parking lot of the visitor center.

Don’t miss the final two scheduled evening programs for 2011.

At 3:20 p.m. on Saturday, October 1, park dispatch was notified of a smoke report in the West Creek area of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Beginning on Tuesday, October 11, Longs Peak Campground in Rocky Mountain National Park will be closed through this winter for hazard tree mitigation.

The National Park Service is accepting applications beginning October 1 through November 15, 2011, for its summer 2012 Artist-in-Residence Program, at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Rocky Mountain National Park Superintendent Vaughn Baker announced that Bruce Rosenlund, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (USFWS) is the recipient of the 2010 Rocky Mountain National Park Stewardship Award.

On Saturday, September 24, at 7:00 p.m. at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park, join park ranger, Kristen Luetkemeier for a closer look at the Civilian Conservation Corps program in the park.

A special evening program will take place at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 23. Doc Wild (formerly the “Critterman”) is just one of the alter-egos of Denny Olson, who for more than 30 years has been a student and teacher of the natural world.

Rocky Mountain National Park staff are preparing a new Fire Management Plan for the park

Rocky Mountain National Park staff will be completing significant road maintenance on Old Fall River Road starting the week of September 19.

Permits are available by lottery to collect firewood generated from hazard tree removals on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park near Grand Lake.

On Saturday, September 17, at 7:00 p.m. at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park a special panel will discuss National Parks Around The World: Are They All The Same?

On September 1, park officials put closures in place for travel on foot or horse off established roadways or designated trails from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Ever wonder about the “good old days” in Rocky Mountain National Park and what it was like to be a young ranger making decisions during the early years of the National Park Service?

Hazard tree removal, fuels reduction, and material piling will begin along road corridors on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park and on the north side of Deer Mountain as early as September 6 and continue through fall of 2011 until completed.

Permits are available by lottery to collect firewood generated from hazard tree removals within Rocky Mountain National Park.

Jim Herdman is Program Manager of Historic and Visitor Assets for the Department of Conservation in New Zealand at the South Marlborough Area Office.

Rocky Mountain National Park is partnering with the Town of Estes Park, the Federal Highway Administration – Central Lands Highway Division and Colorado Department of Transportation to encourage visitors to ride a shuttle bus.

On Thursday, August 4, staff from Rocky Mountain National Park and the United States Forest Service joined by Grand Lake Mayor Judy Burke, dedicated a new one mile section of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Rocky Mountain National Park Superintendent Vaughn Baker announced today that funding has been secured for the second phase of the Bear Lake Road reconstruction.

Continuing on Tuesday evenings is the Science Behind The Scenery Series.