All the reservation tips you need this year for national parks, national forests and state parks
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.