Those looking to visit Rocky Mountain National Park during the remainder of fall and winter no longer need a reservation to do so.

As of Oct. 12, visitors may simply arrive at one of the park’s gates and pay an entry fee to access the 415 square miles of forest and alpine tundra. A day pass costs $25 per car or motorcycle.

The park, one of the country’s most highly trafficked national parks, began requiring a timed reservation for entry in 2020 to limit the number of people attending daily during the pandemic. The system was reinstated this year during peak months (May 28 to Oct. 11) and officials have considered making reservations permanent requirements.

Rocky Mountain National Park saw record visitation in 2019, welcoming more than 4.6 million people — more than Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park and Zion National Park the same year, according to the National Park Service. In 2020, that dipped to about 3.3 million people.

Still, Rocky Mountain National Park remains a hugely popular destination during the summer months. In August, 746,343 people visited for recreational purposes, the National Park Service reported.

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