'Peeping' at Rocky Mountain National Park? Plan ahead

Spontaneity is so 2019.

In 2020, you have to plan ahead, especially if you want to visit Rocky Mountain National Park this fall to see aspen trees shimmering with gold coins or listen to the primal bugle of bull elk during mating season, which begins now and continues until about mid-October. Because of the pandemic, reservations are required and can be hard to get if you suddenly decide to spend a weekend day in the park or want to enter in the morning so that you can enjoy a full day. When you plan ahead, you have to deal with whatever weather or fire conditions you get.

Our reservation day fell at the tail end of the Arctic blast that shocked Colorado out of summer. At least the smoke wasn't bad.

The number of people allowed into the park is about 60% of normal capacity because of the pandemic. If you've ever jockeyed for position at a Trail Ridge Road overlook or stopped for a moose jam, you can understand why. Reservations are designed to limit interactions between people by reducing numbers and distributing visitors throughout the day. Less than 5,000 vehicles and about 13,500 individuals are allowed per day. That may sound like a lot, but this is the nation's third most visited park.

There is a work-around for those who rise early or don't mind a late start. Cars can roll through without a reservation before 6 a.m. or after 5 p.m. You still have to pay, but you don't need a time slot. If 6 a.m. sounds early, consider this, a volunteer said that the Bear Lake parking lot is often full by 6 a.m.

Reservations are taken through Recreation.gov or you can access the site through the park’s website. Entrance fees are paid online along with a $2 charge for the pleasure of making the online reservation.

If you don't see the time or day you want, you can roll the dice and go back to the site another time. I was able to book an earlier time when I checked a day later. The park holds some slots back that are released at 8 a.m. two days before a desired entry date. But the park website said those often sell out within five minutes. A silver lining of the reservation system is the lines for the entry gate are much shorter.

The Hiker Express bus from Estes Park is not operating due to Covid-19. But shuttle buses are running inside the park for the Bear Lake Corridor and Moraine Park Route. They are limited to 15 people or 20% of capacity.

Bathrooms are open. The Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is being renovated, but there is a temporary store outside the building. Face coverings are required indoors at visitor centers, per Colorado's mask order. Tourists from Maryland to Oregon seemed to get the message and took it seriously outdoors too, with most people I saw wearing masks when around other people.

Rangers hang around outside visitor centers, unable to do group talks, but happy to talk to folks one-on-one.

The highlight of our wild day was admiring four big bucks with big racks that chose to take their afternoon rest along the side of the road across from a small parking lot. It was as if they sought out the spotlight, posing for a bank of iPhones in human hands. The elk were ideally situated across the road from the people, providing a safety barrier so even the silliest tourists couldn't easily get to them or vise versa. Along with admiring the elk, I enjoyed watching a five-year-old boy frozen in place, not from the weather, but from the sheer wonder.

Snow spit at my face as I watched one of the elk bend his neck around and scratch his back. The weather didn't matter. It simply added drama to the day. This was our reserved time and it ended up being perfect. My 85-year-old mom got out of the house, where she has spent the vast majority of time hunkered down during the pandemic. And I loved getting out in the world with her in a way that made us feel safe. We were able to share our lifetime passion for watching wildlife against the backdrop of the 13-thousand foot granite sentinels that shape the jagged skyline.