There is nothing normal about the natural beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park, but visitors were pleased to find the park operating normally on Friday despite nationwide concerns over national park staffing and Washington, D.C. budget issues.
The onset of the Memorial Day weekend marked the start of the park’s peak season, and with it the seasonal requirement for timed-entry reservations. That season lasts from May 23 to Oct. 13, and visitors must have a reservation to drive into the park between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Another reservation is needed for the most popular part, Bear Lake Road, between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m.
On Friday, all lanes at both the Beaver Meadows and Fall River Entrance Stations on the east side of the park were staffed and open. Shuttle service to the popular Bear Lake area, which is provided by a private company under contract with the park, ran smoothly.
The restrooms at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center were freshly mopped by 7:30 a.m. The Bear Lake parking lot was full by 8:30 a.m., but shuttles packed with passengers toting backpacks and trekking poles ran every eight minutes from a park-and-ride four miles away, preventing lines from forming.
Emily Brown of Atlanta and her daughter, Emma, were on a road trip to Salt Lake City, where Emma will soon begin an internship. They were aware of media reports regarding controversial federal budget decisions affecting national parks, so they wondered what they might encounter when they got here.
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