An Accessibility Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park
Hello, travelers!
One of our favorite things that we did while visiting Colorado for the first time was Rocky Mountain National Park. We were so excited to see the mountains, hike the trails, and, as John Denver sings, feel that “Colorado Rocky Mountain high.”
What’s great about the Rocky Mountains is that it’s a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure experience. There are different trails and paths to pick from, so you can decide how much or how little you wish to see and traverse throughout the day. When planning, it was important for us to pick spots in the park that were accessible walking paths since Ryan has had a spinal fusion, and we didn’t want anything too strenuous on his back. We ultimately were very pleased with what we picked!
Here’s our guide to gaining a national parks disability pass, timed entry, and which paths we recommend if you or your friends and family are wishing for accessible trails in Rocky Mountain National Park.
DISABILITY PASS
Something amazing the U.S. government provides is a free lifetime accessibility pass to all national parks called the America the Beautiful - Access Pass. If you are planning your trip many months in advance, you can sign up online and have a card mailed to you. However, it is recommended that you go in person to the location closest to you to get one and speak to a ranger. Ryan went to a location run by the U.S. Fishing and Wildlife Service and they were all so accommodating! He’d never been to the center before, so he got to see some great nature in our area, but Ryan also was able to ask questions in real time with a ranger. It is important to note that you will need proof of a disability, such as a note explaining your disability from a physician, a letter from a Federal agency (like a Disability Social Security notice), or a letter from a State agency.
You can also get the pass in person while at the gates of the national park, but we do not recommend doing this because it will take time out of your day when you could be exploring the parks. To read more about eligibility, required documents, and more, click here.
TIMED ENTRY
Something that every traveler to Rocky Mountain National Park should know is that the park requires timed entry registration during peak times of year. From the end of May to the beginning of October, parkgoers are expected to have a registered timed entry pass. These passes are required from the hours of 9 AM - 2 PM daily. Please note that if you are looking to go to either of the trails we will be discussing, you will need the Timed Entry+ with access to Bear Lake Road which requires a pass from 5 AM - 6 PM. These passes are released a month in advance as well as the day before. We waited until the day before we visited the parks and were able to get reservations, but they do fill up fast, so make sure you’re on it! For more information on the reservation system and timed entry, click here.
OUR FAVORITE TRAILS
Bear Lake Loop
When you Google places to stop within the Rocky Mountains, Bear Lake is always present. We soon found out that there’s a good reason it’s on everyone’s favorites list. For starters, it’s absolutely picturesque. We kept joking that it felt like we’d stepped inside a computer screensaver! It was unreal.
Aside from it being a beautiful hike, it’s also fairly quick and easy, as it follows the circumference of Bear Lake which is a little less than a mile. There’s plenty of shade, many cute chipmunk friends who make appearances, and lots of spots to take fantastic pictures. When measuring how accessible it is, it passes with flying colors. It’s a gentle hike without many uphills or downhills, and rarely is the ground uneven or treacherous to walk on. And for our friends who are afraid of getting eaten alive by bugs: don’t worry! Due to the elevation and the drier air, we didn’t find it too buggy at all, and were able to enjoy all the wildlife without constantly swatting at bugs. We loved our time on the Bear Lake Loop and would readily recommend it to anyone visiting Rocky Mountain National Park for the first time!
Sprague Lake
Our other favorite hike was at Sprague Lake, another path that ran the circumference of a small lake. At a half a mile, it was a little shorter than the Bear Lake Loop, but still offered beautiful views and scenery.
When it comes to accessibility, this path was also a gentle hike, and even offered boardwalks and bridges to cross, making it wheelchair friendly. It wasn’t as shaded as Bear Lake, but still wasn’t buggy and had cooler temperatures since it’s at an elevation of approximately 8,700 ft (roughly 2,650 meters). With views of Flattop Mountain and Hallet Peak, we loved our time walking around Sprague Lake and would recommend it to anyone on their first trip to the Rocky Mountains!
We hope you enjoyed this deep dive into Rocky Mountain National Park! If you want to read more about our travels to Colorado, check out the West section under the “U.S. Travel” tab of our blog for more content!
Happy travels,