All Parks Ahead

Parks / The Northern Rockies

Rocky Mountain

Stop 39 of 51 on the loop. Stay in Estes Park CO, give it 2 nights, and plan the day around Trail Ridge Road.

Cub Lake with reflections. Yellow and brown grasses line the edge of the lake.
Cub Lake in fall. Photo: NPS/J.Marino
State
CO
Stay in
Estes Park CO
Nights on this route
2
Month on this route
June
Don't miss
Trail Ridge Road
Getting here
486 mi from Jackson WY, about 9 h 22 min. Plan 1 overnight stop.
Next stop
Wind Cave, 352 mi, about 6 h 50 min.
Estes Park CO

On This Route

Rocky Mountain comes in July, after Grand Teton. Trail Ridge Road is open, the tundra is in bloom, and afternoon lightning is almost daily. Plan to be off exposed ridges and the high road by early afternoon.

Plan the Day

  • Before 5 a.m.: the Bear Lake corridor to beat the permit window. Walk the short loops around Bear, Nymph, Dream and Emerald Lakes.
  • Midday: Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the country, topping out at 12,183 feet. Stop at Forest Canyon Overlook and the Alpine Visitor Center. It’s 48 miles across to Grand Lake if you want the west side.
  • Evening: elk in Moraine Park or Horseshoe Park near dusk.

Timed Entry, 2026

This is the one park on the loop that still needs a timed entry permit. From May 22 to October 18, 2026, there are two types:

  • Park access + Bear Lake Road: required in the Bear Lake corridor from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Park access only: required everywhere else from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., through October 12.

Book on Recreation.gov ($2 fee). July permits release on June 1, and a small batch opens at 7 p.m. Mountain time the night before. Without a permit, enter before the window opens. Rocky Mountain is also one of 11 parks with a $100 per-person surcharge for visitors who aren’t U.S. residents in 2026.

Where to Stay

Estes Park sits at the east entrance with the most rooms and restaurants. There’s no lodging inside the park.

Entrance Fees

  • $30–$35 Private Vehicle
  • $25–$30 Motorcycle
  • $15–$20 Per person (walk or bike in)

Visitors who aren't U.S. residents pay an extra $100 per person here in 2026.

An $80 America the Beautiful annual pass covers entry at every national park; on a trip like this it pays for itself after three parks. Fees from the NPS, checked 2026-10-18.

A man is standing on a bridge and looking up at a waterfall
Photo: NPS
A pika has harvested a tundra thistle
Photo: NPS/A.Schonlau

Nearby Parks

Sources

Official site: https://www.nps.gov/romo/. Guide reviewed 2026-10-18. Route data checked 2026-10-19.