We are going in July so reservations are about to open. Staying at the YMCA. Kids ages 4/9/12. Questions for those with experience:

I need just 1 timed entry per car correct? Not per person.

Anyone ever use the shuttle system to trails? Work well or a pain?

Any other wise words on park entry/parking/hiking appreciated.

Timed entry is per vehicle.

If you can't get the time you want, if you arrive before 6 am, you can get in. The gates are not manned before that time.

EMY92 said:

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Timed entry is per vehicle.

If you can't get the time you want, if you arrive before 6 am, you can get in. The gates are not manned before that time.

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It's 9am for most of the park.

https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm

Quote:

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When are Timed Entry Reservations needed to enter the park?

• Timed Entry Reservations will be needed to enter Rocky Mountain National Park between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily beginning on Friday, May 23 through Monday, October 13, 2025.
• Don't have a reservation? That's ok! You can enter the park before 9 a.m. or anytime after 2 p.m. without a timed entry reservation.

When are Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road Reservations needed to enter the park?

• Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road Reservations will be needed to enter the Bear Lake Road Corridor between the hours of 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from May 23 through Sunday, October 19, 2025.

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Edit to add the clarification for access to Bear Lake Road.

One thing that some people may not be aware of- the timed entry does not cover the entry fee for the park. You'll still need to either have a parks pass or pay the entry fee on top of the timed entry reservation

They changed it since I was last there. I had the earliest time slot, but was early and just went right in.

Yes, 1 entry per car and the bus system is very easy to use. Also, they drop some times the day before too if you don't get your desired time

It would appear that if you plan on using Bear Lake Road, you have to have the reservation or get there BEFORE 5 a.m. or after 6 p.m......other entrances (Fall River, Wild Basin, etc.) you can enter BEFORE 9 a.m. or after 2 p.m. without a reservation. Probably best to get a reservation for July beginning June 1.

I've read all the site and plan to jump on reservations June 1. Just couldn't find specifics on if was 1/car or per person.

We stayed at the east portal campground not far from the YMCA first week in August last year. The day we went to bear lake we had the 5am-6am entry slot and went through the gate around 530am. We were able to find parking relatively easy at bear lake but if we were 30 mins later might not have been so lucky. We tried to do Sprague lake the next day later in the morning and parking was a nightmare. If you dont have entry passes already then dont under estimate the amount of people trying to get them and how fast they go. I had to tag team with my wife on the entry passes for all the days we were going as you can pretty much only get first choice for the first one and by the time you go to book the other days the prime times were taken. I tried to get reservations for better times the day before entry and it was even harder. On side note the east portal campground was great if anybody looking for spot to camp. We backed our camper up to a playground with panoramic view of the rockies in the background. Great to have a beer each night with nice view.

I totally agree. The earlier the better. This applies to most activities in national parks. And late in the day is great too. Some of my best hikes have been around sunset with not a soul in sight (except for the deer and bears).

Snipes said:

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We stayed at the east portal campground not far from the YMCA first week in August last year. The day we went to bear lake we had the 5am-6am entry slot and went through the gate around 530am. We were able to find parking relatively easy at bear lake but if we were 30 mins later might not have been so lucky. We tried to do Sprague lake the next day later in the morning and parking was a nightmare. If you dont have entry passes already then dont under estimate the amount of people trying to get them and how fast they go. I had to tag team with my wife on the entry passes for all the days we were going as you can pretty much only get first choice for the first one and by the time you go to book the other days the prime times were taken. I tried to get reservations for better times the day before entry and it was even harder. On side note the east portal campground was great if anybody looking for spot to camp. We backed our camper up to a playground with panoramic view of the rockies in the background. Great to have a beer each night with nice view.

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We went last June. Quite literally the most gorgeous place I have ever been. We had paid the park entry dues well ahead of time, but I missed the tidbit about needing reservations for the shuttle (we stayed at the Colorado Cottages right outside the park in Estes Park.) The shuttle reservations were released at 7pm the night before our park entry. My wife and I had to tag team it, and there were several failures (probably related to the wireless signal), and I legit worried we wouldn't get shuttle passes. But my wife got them, and that took all the stress I anticipated about finding a spot among the hordes of people in that town wanting those lignite number of spots.

We did Bear and Sprague Lakes, and then did the hike up to the top of Alberta Falls.

AgPT06 said:

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I've read all the site and plan to jump on reservations June 1. Just couldn't find specifics on if was 1/car or per person.

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You will want to be on there and ready to go refreshing your screen the MINUTE they become available. They go VERY fast.

That being said, you can still have an incredible time without a timed entry pass. We go to RMNP a couple times everhbeyar and I was skeptical of that mindset.....until last summer (4th of July) we went up without any reservations.

Recap here:
https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/2828333/replies/68146029

Take advantage of the long summer daylight....and plan around areas of the park other than the Bear Lake corridor....the entire park is amazing (Wild Basin, Grand Lake, Lumpy Ridge, etc. are so much less crowded).

With the littles, I recommend the Junior Ranger programs, if they're offering them this summer with the financial limitations. My son has earned his badge in nearly every park and RMNP probably has the best programs. It was where he earned his first that kicked us off on the crazy journey we've been on with him.

Have fun! It's one of my favorite places on earth!

And I'm itching to find a way to get up there this summer!

You can also enter RMNP from the Y's property. If it was like last year, you can catch one of the hiking shuttles once you've entered the park.

Be sure to look for the moose who regularly visit Sprague Lake around 4:00 most days.

And if you can get one or two in front of Long's Peak that would be ok too.

This was late April.

Also try to not arrive near the window times on your permit. Being in line does not count.