Staff at Rocky Mountain National Park are proposing raising the park’s fees from $26 to $30 for summer camping and from $18 to $20 for winter camping per site, per night.
Park staff are also proposing new flat rates at group sites at Glacier Basin Campground. Currently the fees are $4 per person, per night. The proposed flat rates would be $40 for small group site holding 9-15 people; $50 for a medium group site holding 16-25 people and $60 for large group sites holding 26-40 people.
Rocky knows that camping at the park is a popular activity. The park has five campgrounds open during the summer with 570 sites total. The park’s three campgrounds that take reservations — Moraine Park, Glacier Basin and Aspenglen — normally fill up about six months in advance.
The park’s two first-come, first-served campgrounds — Longs Peak and Timber Creek — usually fill up rather quickly, too. On the west side of the park, Timber Creek Campground typically fills up last. With 77 campsites, Moraine Park Campground remains open through the winter.
With its entrance and amenity fees, the park has spent millions of dollars in repairs, renovations, improvements and resource restoration.
“Camping is very popular in Rocky Mountain National Park,” Park Superintendent Darla Sidles said in a statement. “We want to keep our campground fees affordable and provide visitors with the best possible experience. We feel that our proposed campground fee change is an incredible value. Plus, 80 percent of those funds stay right here in Rocky to benefit visitors.” Park staff are seeking feedback about the proposed fee schedule. Email comments to ROMO_Information@nps.gov by Sept. 27.