Estes Park is the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, and camping here comes down to one question: can you get a site inside the park? A park campground reservation doubles as your timed-entry permit, which is worth a lot in summer. If the park is full, there are good Forest Service campgrounds a short drive south.
Season note (October 2026): timed entry ended for the year on October 12 (Bear Lake Road on October 18), Glacier Basin and Longs Peak are closed, and Moraine Park switches to first-come winter camping on October 19. Dates below are for the 2026 summer season; check the park for 2027.
Rocky Mountain National Park campgrounds
| Campground | Side | Sites | Booking | Summer price | RV limit | Timed entry included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moraine Park | East (Estes Park) | 236 | Reservation | $35 / $55 electric | 40 ft | Yes, incl. Bear Lake Road |
| Glacier Basin | East | 149 | Reservation | $35 | 35 ft | Yes, incl. Bear Lake Road |
| Aspenglen | East | 49 | Reservation | $35 | 30 ft | Yes, incl. Bear Lake Road |
| Timber Creek | West (Grand Lake) | 80 | Reservation | $35 | 30 ft | Yes, not Bear Lake Road |
| Longs Peak | East, tents only | 26 | First come, first served | $30 | Tents only | No |
Site counts are from Recreation.gov; prices and rules from the park.
Booking rules
- Some sites can be reserved up to six months ahead; others are released on a shorter window. All reservations are on Recreation.gov; you can't book in person at the campgrounds or visitor centers.
- Check-in is 1 p.m., check-out noon.
- The park limits campers to 7 nights in total from May 1 to October 15, and 14 nights from November 1 to April 30.
- Senior and Access pass holders get 50% off standard sites.
- The camping fee doesn't include the park entrance fee; you'll need a pass or a 7-day entrance ($35 per vehicle).
Moraine Park
The park's biggest campground and the only one open year-round. In summer it's reservation only, with non-electric sites at $35 and electric sites at $55. From October 19, 2026, it switches to first come, first served for winter, with standard sites at $30 and electric sites (in loops B and C only) at $55. There are no water hookups, but there's a dump station and fresh-water fill.
Glacier Basin and Aspenglen
Both are on the east side, reservation only in summer, and include Bear Lake Road access. Glacier Basin takes RVs up to 35 feet and also has group sites ($50–$70). Aspenglen takes RVs up to 30 feet; in 2026 it ran from May 21 to September 28.
Timber Creek
The only campground on the west side, near Grand Lake. Its timed-entry permit covers the park except the Bear Lake Road corridor. In 2026 it ran from May 21 to October 5.
Longs Peak
Tent-only, first come, first served, $30 a night, with no water. Each site has a tent pad, table and fire ring, plus food lockers and vault toilets. It typically opens in early July and closes in early September. Its fee doesn't include timed entry, so plan around the timed-entry hours if you want to drive into the park.
How timed entry works in 2026
From May 22 to October 12, 2026, a timed-entry reservation is required to enter most of the park between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Bear Lake Road corridor (Moraine Park, Sprague Lake, Glacier Gorge, Bear Lake) needs a Timed Entry+ reservation from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., through October 18.
- Reservations cost $2 on Recreation.gov, on top of the entrance fee.
- Each month's slots release at 8 a.m. MDT on the first of the previous month; more are released at 7 p.m. MDT the night before each date.
- Outside those hours, no reservation is needed.
- Campers at Moraine Park, Glacier Basin, Aspenglen and Timber Creek don't need a separate reservation; they can enter from 1 p.m. on their first day.
Forest Service campgrounds south of Estes Park
Colorado Highway 7 runs south from Estes Park past the Wild Basin area of the park, and the Roosevelt National Forest has campgrounds along it.
Olive Ridge
56 sites (26 suited to RVs, 30 to tents) in ponderosa pine and aspen at 8,350 feet, at mile marker 14 between Allenspark and Meeker Park, about 15 miles south of Estes Park. It's close to the Wild Basin, Finch Lake and Sandbeach Lake trailheads. Reservable on Recreation.gov; no hookups, water hookups, dump station or showers. Every tent-pad site has a bear locker. A site not occupied within 26 hours of the reservation start goes to first-come campers.
Meeker Park Overflow
First come, first served only, with Scan & Pay sites, at mile marker 11 on Highway 7, about 13 miles south of Estes Park. It's best for tents: the roads are unpaved, hills steep and pull-ins short. Portable toilets only, no drinking water, up to eight people per site. It fills on weekends because of how close it is to the park.
Before you go
- Bears: use the lockers and food boxes provided, and never leave food in a tent.
- Thunderstorms: afternoon storms are common in summer; plan hikes for the morning.
- Fire restrictions can be imposed at any time in the national forest.
- Pass: an America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee but not camping (apart from the Senior and Access 50% discount) or the $2 timed-entry fee.
For other parts of the state, see our Colorado campgrounds guide.
