If you haven’t already made your summer camping reservations (and you may wish you had, if you’re thinking about Memorial Day or the Fourth of July), we’ve got all the info you need to navigate the process. There’s a lot to wade through, because Colorado has four national parks, 11 national forests and 42 state parks with different rules, procedures and policies.
Campground reservations for national parks, national forests and Colorado state parks can be made up to six months in advance. That means early birds have been able to make Memorial Day reservations since Thanksgiving, and Fourth of July reservations have been available since the first week of January.
Reservations for campgrounds in national parks and national forests are made through Recreation.gov, but reservations for state parks are made through the Colorado Parks and Wildlife camping home page. CPW also accepts reservations by phone (1-800-244-5613).
The system for campground reservations at Rocky Mountain National Park this year is the same as in recent years, except campsites in Moraine Park are not yet available for reservation. That’s because of an ongoing construction project at the park’s most popular campground.
Moraine Park, which features unforgettable views of Longs Peak — especially at sunrise — is undergoing extensive “rehabilitation,” including the relocation of some campsites away from wetlands, replacing water and sewer lines, burying power lines and making sites more accessible for people in wheelchairs. The loss of those 244 campsites represents more than half of the 472 developed campsites on the east side of the park, and that campground typically serves about 30,000 campers annually. Park officials say the contractor expects to finish the project by early summer.
Summer wilderness overnight backpacking permits for Rocky Mountain National Park become available at 8 a.m. on March 1 through Recreation.gov.
Colorado has three other national parks: Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Mesa Verde.
The best source for an overview of campgrounds in Colorado’s 11 national forests is the Interactive Visitor Map maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. From the main page, click on Camping & Cabins, zoom in from the national map to Colorado, then drill down into regions of the state. Click on select locations to find out which national forest they are in. A pop-up will provide links to the forest website and a zoom map of the forest with campground locations identified. Click on specific campgrounds for more information.
““All forests in Colorado use Recreation.gov for their reservable campground sites,” said Donna Nemeth, regional press officer for the forest service. “There are also first-come, first-served campsites in Colorado national forests, some of which may alternate between reservable and first-come, first-served, allowing for flexible planning.”
Camping in developed campgrounds isn’t your only option in national forests. There are two others, “dispersed camping” and overnight backpacking.
Dispersed camping refers to pitching your tent in areas that aren’t developed, meaning they don’t have picnic tables, drinking water, fire grates or toilets. Some require you to camp only in designated areas. For rules and other information on dispersed camping, check specific national forest websites.
Backcountry permits are required for backpacking in some wilderness areas, such as select areas of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and the Indian Peaks Wilderness. They are purchased through Recreation.gov.
Overnight permits for the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, which are required year-round, went on sale Thursday. Overnight permits for the Indian Peaks Wilderness, which are required from June 1 to Sept. 15, will go on sale at 8 a.m. on March 5.
Other reservation information:
Rocky Mountain National Park once again will require timed entry reservations for peak periods beginning May 24. Reservations for entry from May 24 through June 30 will be available via Recreation.gov beginning May 1. July reservations will be available on June 1, August reservations on July 1, and so on. The Bear Lake Road Corridor reservation requirement will be in force through Oct. 20, but the reservation requirement for other areas of the park will end on Oct. 15.
Reservations will be required again this year to park in the Brainard Lake Recreation Area and to drive the highway to the summit of Mount Blue Sky, a fourteener formerly known as Mount Evans.
“Day use reservations are expected to be available on a rolling basis for both areas beginning in mid-May,” according to a news release sent out this week by the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, which encompass most of the northern Front Range. “The Brainard Lake welcome station is scheduled to open June 14, and Mount Blue Sky typically opens for Memorial Day weekend, depending on snow conditions. More information on reservations will be available in May.”
Maroon Bells Scenic Area parking permits and reservations for the shuttle from Aspen will be available beginning March 5 through the Aspen Chamber Resort Association. Shuttle reservations for the entire season (May 24-Oct. 20) become available then, along with parking reservations for May 15-June 30. July and August parking reservations will be available on April 2, and September and October reservations will be available on May 1. A limited number of parking reservations will be released 72 hours in advance.
National forests in Colorado
Click on the link for camping information concerning Colorado’s 11 national forests on their websites:
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests: Covers Front Range mountains in northern Colorado
White River National Forest: Includes Summit County, Eagle County, Pitkin County and Garfield County
Pike and San Isabel National Forests: Located west and north of Colorado Springs
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests: Located south and west of White River National Forest
Routt National Forest: Includes areas around Steamboat Springs; administered with the Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming
San Juan National Forest: Located in southern Colorado near Durango
Rio Grande National Forest: Located in southern Colorado east of San Juan National Forest
