NPS Photo Permits are available through recreation.gov. Please follow this link: www.recreation.gov to make a reservation for your wilderness backpacking camping permit.
Frequently Asked Questions - Overnight Backpacking Wilderness Camping
All reservations will be made online at www.recreation.gov beginning on March 1, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. mountain time. There will be no in person, phone, mail, email, or fax reservations.
No, all reservations will be available through www.recreation.gov beginning on March 1, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. mountain time. There will be no in person, phone, mail, email, or fax reservations.
No, you can visit www.recreation.gov and create an account at any time. We strongly encourage you to log onto www.recreation.gov and create an account before March 1.
Wilderness backpacking camping dates from May 1 through October 31.
1-7 persons are permitted at individual sites and 8-12 persons are permitted at group sites.
There is a $36 administrative fee for reservations from May 1 - October 31. This fee is non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
The administrative fee is non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
No. A dash tag will be issued for your overnight parking and you will display this on your vehicle. Parking at any specific trailhead is not guaranteed. Wilderness users are advised to arrive early to find parking at your desired trailhead parking area.
Yes. For details, visit RMNP's Fees & Passes webpage.
Permits must be picked up in person at the Wilderness Offices at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center near Estes Park, CO or the Kawuneeche Visitor Center near Grand Lake, CO.
Backcountry Permits must be picked up in person at the Wilderness Offices at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center near Estes Park, CO or the Kawuneeche Visitor Center near Grand Lake, CO.
Only with the expressed permission of the permitholder by contacting the Wilderness Office in advance.
On March 15, 2026 - Availability will be limited.
No. Walk up permits for day of trip backpacking trips are available on a limited basis. However, setting up an account at recreation.gov and scheduling advance reservations are encouraged.
No.
Backpacking wilderness camping permits must be booked in advance through www.recreation.gov.
If you don't have access to a computer, you can call the Recreation.gov Reservation line (Toll-Free) at (877) 444-6777, the Reservation line (International) (606) 515-6777, or the Reservation line (TDD) (877) 833-6777. Many public libraries have free computer or internet access available.
On May 1, 2026. The summer season is from May 1 through October 31.
Contact the Wilderness Office beginning in October for off season and winter camping from November 1 through April 30.
Yes. A $10 administrative fee will be charged for off season camping from November 1 through April 30. This fee is non-refundable and non-exchangable.
Please contact the Wilderness Office at 970-586-1242 for specific questions and details. Frequently Asked Questions - Wilderness Camping Permits & Entrance Fees
Yes. RMNP's Wilderness Office is open 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. daily. You can pick up your permit a few days ahead of your trip.
The Wilderness Office is closed New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day / Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. To pick up your permit on these federal holidays, please call 970-586-1242 to make arrangements.
Yes, A valid entrance fee or park pass is always required to enter Rocky Mountain National Park, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
All park entrance fees and passes are available for purchase at Rocky's staffed park entrance stations. Fees and passes can also be purchased online at https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74291 for more details, visit RMNP's Fees & Passes webpage.
Yes. For passholders with a Rocky Mountain National Park Annual Pass or any of the America the Beautiful Interagency Annual, Senior, Access, Military, or 4th Grader Passes, your pass covers your park entrance fee.
No. Rocky Mountain National Park accepts payment for all entrance and campground fees in the form of debit/credit card only. Most credit/debit cards and digital forms of payment are accepted.
Traveling only with cash? No problem! Visitors with cash can purchase most park entrance passes from the Rocky Mountain Conservancy Nature Store located at Beaver Meadows, Fall River, or Kawuneeche Visitor Centers. Frequently Asked Questions - Pack Animals
Yes. Contact the RMNP Wilderness Office for details.
Frequently Asked Questions - Pets
No. Pets and owners have a special bond. But a national park is not always the best place for pets. Pets are prohibited on all trails, tundra, meadows and wilderness areas. See RMNP's Pets webpage for more details on where pets can go while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park.
No. Whether walking on their or or being carried in any device, pets (incluidng dogs, cats, rabbits, and all pets) are prohibited on all trails, tundra, meadows, and wilderness areas in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Leashed pets may accompany you only in the following areas: on established roads and parking areas or in established campgrounds and picnic area. For additional details, visit RMNP's Pets webpage. Frequently Asked Questions - Food Storage
Yes. You are going to be wilderness camping in bear country. A hard sided, lockable, commercailly-made carry-in/carry-out bear-resistant food storage canister is requried. Wilderness campers must secure all food items, scented items (soap/lotions/toothpaste, etc), and garbage inside.
Hanging food items, scented items and garbage is not permitted April 1 - October 31. You must secure all food and scented items inside a hard sided, lockable, commercailly-made carry-in/carry-out bear-resistant food storage canister.
Frequently Asked Questions - Parking
No. Parking is not guaranteed in any particular parking area or at any specific trailhead.
Frequently Asked Questions - Related to my campsite
This is the date, based on the 20-year average, that a campsite has been free of snow and campers can expect to camp on dry ground. It may be summer at sea level during the month of July, but that is not always true in the Rocky Mountains.
It is best to use a paper map, compass, and to have orienteering knowledge and skills. GPS systems do not work with consistency in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Depending on your carrier, cell service is available in some places within Rocky Mountain National Park, but cell connectivity is not dependable in many areas.
For most wilderness campsites, water is available in nearby streams. Purify all water in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Yes, giardia has been detected in waters in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is advised to purify any water that you draw from streams in the park.
No. Campfires are strictly prohibited in wilderness in Rocky Mountain National Park. Use portable stoves only.
Yes, in the backcountry only. It must be out of sight of other campers, with discretion, and using buffer pads to protect the trees.
No, it is not necessary to check out. Have a safe trip home!
It is a best practice to notify the Wilderness Office if you end your trip early. This will also open the site(s) for other interested campers.
Frequently Asked Questions - Sprague Lake Accessible Wilderness Campsite
An Accessible wilderness campsite is only available to groups that have a person with a disability on the trip with them on their overnight wilderness backpacking stay.
|
Last updated: June 27, 2026