Welcome to Rocky Mountain National Park. This beautiful park has many accessible facilities for visitors, including visitor centers, scenic overlooks, self-guided trails, campgrounds, some picnic areas and a wilderness campsite. This spectacular high-elevation park ranges in altitude from the lowest valleys at about 7,700 feet to the summit of the highest mountain - Longs Peak - at 14,259 feet; scenic Trail Ridge Road crests at 12,183 feet as it crosses the park and the Continental Divide. These high altitudes can worsen preexisting medical conditions. The higher you go, the harder your body needs to work. Allow your body to acclimate: stay well-hydrated, eat lightly, avoid smoking and get plenty of rest. Seasonal conditions may make some facilities inaccessible in winter. Enjoy your visit! ![]() Fees and Passes The America the Beautiful Access Pass is a free lifetime pass for US citizens and permanent residents who have been medically determined to have a permanent disability that severely limits one or more major life activities. It provides access to recreation areas managed by the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation. Passes can be obtained at any park entrance station or by mail from the US Geologic Survey; visit https://store.usgs.gov/pass/access.html Holders of America the Beautiful Access Passes and Golden Access Passes are entitled to 50% discounts on camping fees for sites occupied by the passholders. Provide the pass number to the reservation company when the reservation is made. ![]() Braille and large-print versions of our park brochure are available at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. You can also download PDFs of our brochures for use with assisitive technology.
Cell Phones Do not rely on cell phones in Rocky Mountain National Park. Many locations in this rugged park have no service. ![]() NPS photo Park Shuttle Buses Most of the Rocky Mountain National Park free summer shuttle buses are accessible and can accommodate wheelchairs. All park shuttle buses are accessible. Shuttle buses operate only along Bear Lake Road, plus an express Hiker Shuttle bus that operates between the Estes Park Fairgrounds Park-n- Ride and the park's shuttle bus hub on Bear Lake Road. Call Rocky Mountain Transit to arrange for accessible Town of Estes Park Shuttle Buses, (970) 577-7477. ![]() Canine Companions for Independence Service Animals Service animals that have been individually trained to perform specific tasks for the benefit of persons with disabilities are allowed in the park. A service animal that is allowed in park facilities, trails, etc., must be doing so in the service of a disabled person. Emotional support ("therapy animals") are not service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but are pets, and may not access trails or other non-motorized areas, nor park buildings. Service dogs-in-training are not service animals under ADA, but are considered pets. Pets are prohibited in all areas of Rocky Mountain National Park not accesible by motor vehicles, including all trails and meadows. Resources The National Park Service website on accessibility: https://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/access/index.htm. ![]() NPS photo Wheelchair Access Be advised that park trails contain hazards including loose gravel, uneven surfaces, rocks, tree roots, and steep areas. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, wheelchairs are permitted on all trails (anywhere foot travel is allowed), including Wilderness, if the device is "designed solely for use by a person who has mobility impairment for their locomotion, and is suitable for use in an indoor pedestrian area." This includes "mechanized" wheelchairs; e.g. battery-powered, as long as it is suitable for indoor use (gasoline powered would not be suitable for indoor use.) Electric Personal Assistance Mobility Devices Electric Personal Assistance Mobility Devices (EPAMD), which are two-wheeled, electricallypropelled human transport devices including Segways™, are permitted in the following areas when being operated as an assistance device by persons with mobility disabilities:
Persons without a disability are not authorized to use a motorized wheelchair or EPAMD in these designated areas. Use of EPAMDs on park trail systems, other than those accessible trails listed above, is prohibited because of increased potential for injury to visitors, damage to natural resources, increased hazard of surprising wildlife, and hazards to EPAMD operators in steep, loose, or slippery conditions that are consistently encountered on park trails. EPAMDs do not meet the legal definition of a wheelchair. Visitor Centers & Educational Programs All park visitor centers feature bookstores and information desks accessible to wheelchairs Alpine Visitor Center (11,796 feet) Beaver Meadows Visitor Center (7,840 feet) Open year-round except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Fall River Visitor Center (8,250 feet) Kawuneeche Visitor Center (8,720 feet) Moraine Park Discovery Center (8,140 feet) Ranger-led Programs Sign Language Interpreter Facilities in Fall River Area Fall River Visitor Center (8,250 feet) Sheep Lakes (8,520 feet)
Along Trail Ridge Road (listed east to west) Beaver Boardwalk Hidden Valley (9,240 feet) Many Parks Curve Overlook (9,640 feet) Rainbow Curve Overlook (10,829 feet) Forest Canyon Overlook (11,716 feet) Rock Cut Overlook & Tundra Communities Trail Lava Cliffs Overlook (12,000 feet) Gore Range Overlook (12,010 feet) Alpine Visitor Center (11,796 feet) Medicine Bow Curve Overlook (11,660 feet) Milner Pass - Continental Divide (10,758 feet) Lake Irene (10,748 feet) Farview Curve (10,120 feet) Colorado River Trailhead (8,990 feet) Timber Lake Trailhead (9,000 feet) Holzwarth Historic Site (8,884 feet) Bowen-Baker Gulch Trailhead (8,864 feet) Coyote Valley Trail (8,840 feet) Harbison Meadows (8,688 feet) Accessible Trails Bear lake (9,475 feet) ![]() Coyote Valley Trail (8,840 feet) Lily Lake (8,880 feet) Sprague Lake (8,690 feet) Along Bear Lake Road Hollowell Park (8,300 feet) Tuxedo Park Picnic Area (8,120 feet) Sprague Lake (8,690 feet) Bear Lake (9,475 feet) Camping Two campgrounds in the park have accessible campsites, Moraine Park and Timber Creek; two do not, Aspenglen and Longs Peak. Glacier Basin Campground is closed in 2013. Holders of the America the Beautiful Access Passes and Golden Age Passes can camp at a 50% discount. Aspenglen Campground (8,220 feet) Longs Peak Campground (9,405 feet) Glacier Basin Campground (8,500 feet) Moraine Park Campground (8,150 feet) Timber Creek Campground Wilderness Camping Sprague Lake Camp |
Last updated: August 13, 2018