Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park proposes fee increase at some campgrounds

Rocky Mountain National Park may be charging more at four campgrounds beginning next year. The four campgrounds include Moraine Park, Glacier Basin, Aspenglen and Timber Creek Campgrounds.

The proposed $10 increase would be from $35 to $45 per night. There is also a proposed increase of $10 per night for the new electrical sites that are being constructed at Moraine Park Campground. The proposed fee for the 49 electrical sites is $55 per night. 

There are no fee changes to group sites, the Longs Peak Campground which is a first-come, first-served summer campground with no water available, or winter rates.

According to Rocky Mountain National Park, the proposed fee increases are necessary to improve and maintain high-quality visitor services. The recreation fees are used to support new projects and the ongoing maintenance of park facilities. 

Additional Information from Rocky Mountain National Park:

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) is the legislation that allows the park to collect entrance and amenity fees. This law allows parks like Rocky Mountain National Park to retain 80% of the fees collected in park for use on projects that directly enhance the experience of park visitors. The remaining 20% of all collected fees is distributed for use throughout the National Park System.

Some of the projects funded through the collection of entrance station and campground fees at Rocky Mountain National Park include:

• Hazard Tree Mitigation: The park is among many areas along the Rocky Mountains where trees have been dying from a beetle epidemic. Recreation fee monies have funded extensive mitigation of hazard trees in or near developed areas and other popular park facilities, such as campgrounds, parking lots, road corridors, housing areas and visitor centers.

• Campground Improvements:  The park continues to use recreation fee monies to replace tent pad log linings, fire rings, maintain walking paths and repair and replace picnic tables.

• Hiking Trail Repairs and Improvements: Many hiking trail repair projects have been funded by recreation fee monies, such as repairing washed out sections of trail, the installation of bridges, and the installation of vault toilets at heavily used trailheads.    

• Bear Management: Park entrance and campground fees help keep bears wild at Rocky Mountain National Park. Thanks in part to fee dollars collected over the past 20 years, 100% of the park's garbage cans, recycling bins, and dumpsters are now bear-resistant. The park has also gone from zero food storage lockers to 352. Your recreation fees also help support visitor education programs focused on black bears. 

Public engagement is an important part of the park's planning process. Rocky Mountain National Park is accepting public comments on the proposed fee increases. Please submit all comments to: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/RMNP_FrontcountryCampground_Fees_2024

Comments may also be submitted via mail to:

            Rocky Mountain National Park

            Office of the Superintendent

            1000 US Hwy 36

            Estes Park, CO 80517

Please be advised, before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. Although you can ask in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so. 

All public comments on the proposed fee increases will be accepted through May 23, 2024.

For additional information on Rocky Mountain National Park, visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park's Information Office at (970) 586-1206.