Reservations for Rocky Mountain National Park summer overnight backpacking permits opens March 1
Are you planning an overnight wilderness backpacking trip to Rocky Mountain National Park this summer?
If your answer is, yes, you’re going to want to jump online starting 8 a.m., Saturday, March 1 because all reservations for summer overnight wilderness backpacking permits for Colorado’s most popular national park go live on recreation.gov, official with the Park announced on X Wednesday.
Rocky Mountain National Park had 4.1 million visitors in 2023, making it one of the most visited national parks in the United States.
Things to remember before heading into the wild:
- Overnight wilderness backpacking requires a physical permit and an overnight dashtag for your vehicle. This permit must be carried with you into the backcountry. Your wilderness permit is an officially issued, hard copy, printed permit. There are no exceptions to this requirement.
- All wilderness permits & dashtags MUST be picked up in person at one of RMNP’s Wilderness Office locations. Wilderness Offices are open 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.
- East Side of RMNP (near Estes Park, CO): Wilderness Office located near Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. Address: 1000 U.S. Hwy 36, Estes Park, CO 80517
- West Side of RMNP (near Grand Lake, CO): Wilderness Permit Desk located inside Kawuneeche Visitor Center. Address: 16018 U.S. Hwy 34, Grand Lake, CO 80447
- Overnight wilderness backpackers are REQUIRED to secure all food items, scented items, and garbage inside a hard sided, lockable, commercially made carry in/carry out bear-resistant food storage canister.
- Rocky Mountain National Park is a designated site wilderness. There is no dispersed camping allowed.
- Campfires are PROHIBITED in the wilderness. Use portable stoves only.
- Purify all water.
- In Rocky Mountain National Park there is a long history of wilderness overnight backpackers who are also stewards of Leave No Trace. Please visit the Leave No Trace webpage to gain knowledge on how you too can minimize your impact.
To see all of the different wilderness campsites available in Rocky, check out the map below:

Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness campsite map.
Courtesy, NPS
Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness campsite map.
Have specific questions about a wilderness backcountry campsite or route? Call RMNP’s Wilderness Office and park staff will be happy to assist you.
Wilderness Office (east side of RMNP)
- Hours: Open year-round: 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily
- Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, 1000 U.S. Hwy 36, Estes Park, CO 80517
- Phone: 970-586-1242
Wilderness Office (west side of RMNP)
- Summer Hours: (May 15 – September 30): Open 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily
- Kawuneeche Visitor Center, 16018 U.S. Hwy 34, Grand Lake, CO 80447
- Phone: 970-586-1521 (summer season only)
(Contact Denver Gazette Digital Strategist Jonathan Ingraham at jonathan.ingraham@denvergazette.com or on X at @Skingraham and Instagram at @Skingraham311.)