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Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Permits

Wilderness Permit

Overview

Itinerary-based wilderness permit for Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. You build a night-by-night campsite itinerary from 131+ designated sites across the park's 415 square miles (95% designated wilderness). Site types include individual sites (1--7 people), group sites (8--12), stock/llama sites, technical climbing bivouac zones, cross-country orienteering zones, winter-only sites, accessible sites, and historic cabins. Permit required year-round. Must be picked up in person at the Wilderness Office (east side near Beaver Meadows VC or west side at Kawuneeche VC), open 7:00 AM--3:30 PM daily. Permits may be picked up up to 30 days before trip start.

Bottom Line

All summer reservations open March 1 at 8:00 AM MT -- pure FCFS, no lottery. Popular sites and routes sell out within minutes of opening. There is no walk-up or day-before release system for summer permits. Cancellations return to inventory immediately on recreation.gov, making alerts highly valuable throughout the season. Longs Peak Boulderfield sites are among the most competitive (tent count limits per site). Midweek starts, shoulder season dates (late May, late September), and less-trafficked drainages (North Fork, East Inlet, Tonahutu) have better availability. Winter permits are issued in person on a first-come, first-served basis -- no advance reservations.

Reservations

Summer season: roughly June--September (max 7 nights, max 3 consecutive at same site).

All advance reservations open March 1 at 8:00 AM MT on recreation.gov -- FCFS
Select your dates, group size, and build a campsite itinerary (one site per night)
Inventory is not held until you click "Book Now" (15-minute checkout window after that)
Plan 3--4 alternate itineraries before opening day
Must have a recreation.gov account and be logged in before attempting to reserve

Winter season (Oct--May): permits issued in person only, first-come, first-served at the Wilderness Office. $10 administrative fee. No advance reservations.

Fees

$6 non-refundable reservation fee
$30 wilderness administrative fee
Total: $36 per permit
$36 fee is non-refundable once reservation is created
Separate park entrance fee required (wilderness permit serves as timed-entry pass for trip duration)

Group Size and Site Types

Individual sites: 1--7 people, one site per party
Group sites: 8--12 people, required for parties over 7
Groups over 7 cannot use neighboring individual sites -- must use group sites or split into parties at least 1 mile apart
Boulderfield sites (Longs Peak, ~12,760 ft): limited by tent count -- "Boulderfield 1" allows one 2-person tent, "Boulderfield 2" allows two, "Boulderfield 3" allows three
Stock/llama sites: special regulations, some trails closed to stock
Bivy zones: open-air only (no erected tent/shelter), 4+ technical pitches required, waste bags required
Cross-country zones: no trails, no developed campsites, no pit toilets -- technical orienteering and off-trail navigation required
Accessible site: Sprague Lake -- 0.5 mi from trailhead, up to 12 campers (max 5 wheelchair users), reserve by phone

Key Rules