Want to visit RMNP...take a number again (Estes Park, Ovid: buy, school)

[nachofries]

Better get use to it it might be here to stay and other western parks are sure to follow. Two key points....the consequence of mass numbers who moved to Colorado and simply those state officials most of you voted for.

https://www.eptrail.com/2021/03/29/r...KwstEhG6f8nfgI

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by nachofries

Better get use to it it might be here to stay and other western parks are sure to follow. Two key points....the consequence of mass numbers who moved to Colorado and simply those state officials most of you voted for.

https://www.eptrail.com/2021/03/29/r...KwstEhG6f8nfgI

I don't know what officials you're trying to smear, but regardless of party affiliation we elect people to make tough decisions that have to be made every so often. We've often heard that many of our best parks are overrun with visitors every summer, but when an elected official takes action to prevent traffic jams and overloading the facilities then here you come with a snide comment.

[StealthRabbit]

RMNP was a nice place to play after (and during) school as a kid (in the 1950's and 60's), it even had a Ski Area! and great tubing hill.

Hidden Valley Ski Area (Ski Estes Park)
http://www.coloradoskihistory.com/im...large_0016.jpg

Guess I won't plan to go back new week and visit, that's fine, I will head to the Snowy Range .

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Originally Posted by nachofries

Better get use to it it might be here to stay and other western parks are sure to follow. Two key points....the consequence of mass numbers who moved to Colorado and simply those state officials most of you voted for.

https://www.eptrail.com/2021/03/29/r...KwstEhG6f8nfgI

Not sure who you are referring to. Rocky Mountain is a National Park, so which state officials do you think were involved in the decision?

RMNP is the fourth most visited national park in the US. I don't think that all those visitors are just coming from those who live in Colorado. Just sit at the park entrance and look at the license plates some time.

[happygrrrl]

Since my child moved to Colorado, I have visited RMNP on each trip. The parking lots were always full. It felt like Disneyland, & that isn't a compliment. We saw people approaching 2 moose for selfies, like the idiots in Yellowstone & Black Hills with the bison. But TBH, most of the license plates were CO, although there were plenty of out-of-staters & Canadians. It was breathtaking, but packed with humans, some of them very pushy & rude.

ALL of the national parks are getting crowded. I spent most of my life in California but only went twice to Yosemite, once in winter, because of the crowds (mostly out-of-staters, I might add).

[Phil P]

I really can pass on visiting any national park, at least the popular ones. They've become such memes, just like 14ers, and there's a whole cluster of people who want to see them all. In the last 10 years, TV and social media have shown your average American the beauty there, and seeing as they provide easily accessible eye candy, it's no wonder they are swamped, and they will continue to be for the next decade at least.

I'm in favor of them raising prices and keeping the numbers limited, as long as there's a more concentrated effort to do more advertising and publicity around the national and state forests and national monuments to show people alternatives. More people outside = better, but they need to diffused out so the experience is good for all.

[SkyDog77]

OP - Which state officials are in charge of regulating National Parks?

The best thing about crowds at National Parks is that if you are willing to walk a bit over a mile, you can watch them vanish.

[COcheesehead]

I haven’t been to RMNP in years. The beetle kill makes sad.
There are other National Parks in Colorado that are just as beautiful. You may need to drive a bit further though.
We hike in many of them and have days where we rarely see another soul other than wildlife.
We buy an annual pass and get lots of value out of it. You only need to make 4-5 visits for it to pay for itself.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

I don't know what officials you're trying to smear, but regardless of party affiliation we elect people to make tough decisions that have to be made every so often. We've often heard that many of our best parks are overrun with visitors every summer, but when an elected official takes action to prevent traffic jams and overloading the facilities then here you come with a snide comment.

OP's on a roll. He's busy "ownin' the libs." Probably counting down the days 'til August, too, because that's when Q's official spokesman Crackhead Mike says Trump is going to be restored as president by the SCOTUS.

I just wish we properly funded the NPS. They have a multi-billion dollar backlog that will only be marginally brought down by the Great American Outdoors Act (which was passed as a con job to win votes for Steve Daines and Cory Gardner).

[cowboyxjon]

I don’t have a problem with this given the current COVID guidelines and COVID situation. NPS is trying to make-do with the mandates placed on them. Although my opinion may be unpopular in the respect that while I think RMNP is beautiful, I think there are parts of Colorado rival if not surpass the scenery, terrain, and activities offered at RMNP. I haven’t been there in a couple of years and I don’t really feel the need to go back.