Ranger Guided

Bring your students to the outdoor classroom of Rocky Mountain National Park!

NPS

Rocky Mountain National Park offers year-round educational programming for grades K-12.

Field trips are offered on the East Side (access through Estes Park) and on the West Side (access through Grand Lake). Ranger-led education programs are free but reservations are required.

East Side (Estes Park) Field Trips

Before Making Your Reservation
Please review the selection of field programs offered for your grade level. Programs are offered for grades K-12 and are offered mid January - early November.

Elementary Programs
Secondary Programs

Make a Reservation for the East Side
Email us to schedule a program for the East Side. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend that you reserve at least three months in advance of your desired date.

Please have the following information when requesting your trip:

1. Three or more preferred dates.
2. The age/grade and number of students.

• Spring and fall programs are limited to 60 students.
• Winter programs are limited to 30 students (Multiple days can be scheduled to accommodate larger schools). We request a minimum of 7 participants.

3. Contact information: school phone number and address, and your phone number (cellphone is preferred) and e-mail address.
4. Special needs or other pertinent information for your group.
5. The topic or program that you would like for your group.

Confirmation of Your Reservation
After making your reservation, you will receive an email with a confirmation letter and pre-visit packet that includes directions, a fee waiver for free entrance into the park (if applicable), a list of field trip essentials, student expectations, and chaperone expectations.

Cancellations
To cancel a program, please let us know at least two weeks in advance of the date of your program. Programs may be canceled due to inclement weather. In the case of a weather cancellation, we will contact you to discuss rescheduling options. Monitor weather conditions in advance. Programs may be rescheduled to a later date, however we cannot guarantee a reschedule date. Programs may be canceled for groups who are more than 30 minutes late without prior contact with us.

West Side (Grand Lake) Field Trips

Before Making Your Reservation
Please review the selection of field programs offered for your grade level. Programs are offered for grades K-8.

West Side Field Trip Programs (flyer, 1.7 KB)
West Side Winter Programs (flyer, 1.5 KB)

Make a Reservation for the West Side
Send an e-mail to schedule a program for the West Side. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend that you reserve at least two weeks in advance of your desired date.

*Fall Programs are offered mid September - mid November. Reservations are accepted starting August 1.
*Winter Programs are offered mid January - mid March. Reservations are accepted starting December 1.

Please have the following information when e-mailing to reserve your trip:

1. Three or more preferred dates.
2. The age/grade and number of students. Group limits are dependent on staffing levels.
3. Contact information: school name, and your phone number and e-mail address.
4. Special needs or other pertinent information for your group.
5. The topic or program that you would like for your group.

Confirmation of Your Reservation
After making your reservation, you will receive an email with a confirmation letter and pre-visit packet that includes directions, a fee waiver for free entrance into the park (if applicable), a list of field trip essentials, student expectations, and chaperone expectations.

Cancellations
To cancel a program, please send an e-mail at least two weeks in advance of the date of your program. If it's less than two weeks, please call the Kawuneeche Visitor Center at 970-586-1513. Programs may be canceled due to inclement weather. In the case of a weather cancellation, we will contact you to discuss rescheduling options. If you are concerned about the weather conditions, please call us. Programs may be rescheduled to a later date, however we cannot guarantee a reschedule date. Programs may be canceled for groups who are more than 30 minutes late without prior contact with us.

General Information for All Field Trips

Field Trip Duration: Most programs are designed for a 4 hour visit, including lunch.

Chaperone to Student Ratio: We require that you provide at least one chaperone for every 10 students. We recommend a ratio of one to six for grades K-2 and a ratio of one to eight for grades 3-5.

Field Trip Cost: All education programs offered by Rocky Mountain National Park are free for school groups. Our program is funded by your tax dollars and donations to the Rocky Mountain Conservancy. If you would like to make a donation, please contact the Rocky Mountain Conservancy at 970-586-0108.

Accessibility: There are a few wheelchair accessible trails within the park and all of our visitor centers are ADA accessible. Most of our programs can be relocated or modified to provide accessibility. Please let us know if you have any participants that require an accessible site.

Location and Directions: Please click here for a park map and driving directions. For a look at your field trip site check out our Education Sites Video Tours.

Weather: Please click here to connect to NOAA's weather page for Estes Park.
Click here to connect to the NOAA weather page for Grand Lake/Kawuneeche Valley.

 

A Big Thank You to Our Park Partner

Rocky Mountain Conservancy, one of Rocky Mountain National Park's philanthropic partners, provides funding to support educational field trips and programming.

This program, and many other park projects like it, would not be possible without donations to the Rocky Mountain Conservancy.