Timed Entry for 2026 and now shows for 2025

[Dan Denning]

Happy New Year Kyle and Superintendent Ingram,

Is Rocky Mountain National Park going to continue with a Timed Entry system for 2026? 

The Park's website currently only has information about the 2025 program. With only 125 days between now and when last year's reservation requirement began (the weekend before Memorial Day), knowing what kind of reservations might be required will help the public to 'plan ahead' (which I know is a big goal of the system).

When you're able to answer this question in a press release or a public appearance, would you also be able to address these other questions as well? I've asked them before and have yet to receive any reply (except an out of office reply during the government shutdown). I understand you've been quite busy over the last few months. But even a courtesy reply would be welcome at this point. 

1. What was the 'no show' rate for both versions of Timed Entry in 2025?

2. Have you named a Gateway Community Coordinator for Estes Park, as required by the Secretary of the Interior's order from last summer?

3. Will RMNP make any changes to Timed Entry which result in fewer reservation requirements in 2026?

I ask the last question in light of the news that Glacier National Park is considering removing, or may have already removed, its Timed Entry system for 2026. You can read about it here. 

One interesting point in that article is that the Park learned that requiring reservations shifted visitation to earlier in the day, when reservations weren't required. This meant more people driving in the Park in the dark...and sadly...colliding with wildlife.

Surely an 'unintended consequence' of the policy. But a real, measurable result.  And here's the important part...Glacier's leadership responded to this unintended consequence of the Timed Entry policy in an entirely reasonable and transparent way. 

They changed it! 

From RMNP's leadership in the lats two years, we have no data or insight into how Timed Entry is or is not working. The newsflow under Superintendent Ingram has completely dried up. It's a desert out there. Subjective comments notwithstanding, where is the data on Timed Entry? What are the metrics? How are you measuring this program's success or failure?

The just-released visitation statistics for RMNP show almost no change to total RMNP visits between 2024 and 2025. Visitation was flat year-over-year. Over the long-term, total annual visits to RMNP are down 10.6% from 2019 and almost exactly the same as ten years ago, in 2015.

It would also be great to know how RMNP has come through the layoffs and retirements from last year. I'm sure this presents many real operational challenges for both full time staff and volunteers. The more we know, the better we can help (or lobby). Have there been informal or formal meetings on unionizing the Park's workforce?

Lots of questions! 

I know you're busy. But as the Public Affairs officer of RMNP and the Superitendent, it sure would be great to have some public answers...or at least SOME communication about timed entry for 2026, no shows for 2025, and the Gateway Communicty Coordinator position required by the Dept of the Interior.

Regards,

Dan

P.S. Mayor Hall, I included you on this note because I know you may have some insight into these questions in your capacity as Mayor. Obviously, the Gateway Community Coordination position, once filled, will provide a more formal communication channel between RMNP and the Town to get answers to questions that profoundly impact Estes Park residents, business owners, and visitors. 

[Gary Hall]

Dan, for most of your message, I'll say that I continue to trust and support the Park management in their considerations and decisions.

I do have some opinions that I can offer on your question to me. Many months after the Gateway Community announcement, I have some concerns about the national government's commitment to those words. It's easy to say "let work together", but Interior has not done much with keeping the program on-track since, in my view. I'm hopeful that at some point, they will make a real top-down commitment, but I've not seen it yet.

The Park’s presence and accessibility is, of course, incredibly important to Estes, but I expect that, given Congress’s budget approach, we’ll see further cuts, escalation in fees (like international), potential additional shutdowns, and other contraindications to the health, staffing, and accessibility of the NPS and the Forest Service. 

All that on top of the extreme dry and windy conditions leave me more concerned about a tsunami of beetle kill, and danger of fire, on top of the eroding support for RMNP and other national parks. I'm more concerned about the environmental impact and federal cuts than the RMNP management which, I'll affirm again, I support. 

Interior may choose to eliminate some timed entry top-down; if that happens, well, RMNP will follow orders. In the meantime, I'll trust Superintendent Ingram's call on this. I do believe the broader issues of economic, cultural, generational, and other factors are the highest influence on tourist visitation patterns and spending. 

Thanks for the concern.  

Gary M. Hall

Mayor of the Town of Estes Park

Office phone: 970-577-3706

Email: gh...@estes.org

The Town of Estes Park is committed to providing accessible information and services. If you need any accommodations to view or interact with this email, please reply with your request or contact me at the phone number listed above.

[Dan Denning]

Thanks Gary. I appreciate you elaborating on your opinions. Good insights! 

However, I was also seeking some actual facts from RMNP which have yet to be provided for 2026. For example, RMNP was required to reply to the Secretary's Order from July by the end of 2025. They could have voluntarily shared with the public their own thoughts on a Gateway Community Coordintor. It does't require anything from the Interior Department, as far as I know...and I've spoken with someone at the Interior Department about this issue specifically. 

In any event, I too might be more supportive of the Park management if they were more transparent about how they are measuring the impact of their policies on the public or the Park. It's really just a couple of questions about data or policies which ought to be readily and publicly available --no show rates on timed entry, the policy for 2026, the position of Gateway Community Coordinator.

Can I ask that you forward these questions to RMNP officially in your capacity as Mayor? Or, if you're already in possession of this information through unofficial channels and there's no legal prohibition on sharing it, would you share it? Thanks as always for your thoughtful and civil responses. Let's hope for some big snowfall soon to mitigate the fire risk.

Regards,

Dan