Rocky Mountain National Park

Be Bear Aware 🐻 Spring is here and black bears are awake following their winter slumber. You can help protect bears and other wildlife by never leaving food or scented items unattended. Keep all food within your reach. When hiking, this includes never leaving your backpack unattended, even for a few minutes. If you are going wilderness overnight backpacking, ALL scented items (including all food, trash, food wrappers, lip balm, lotion, soaps, toothpaste, hand wipes, hand sanitizer, anything with a scent) must be secured inside a self-provided, hard-sided, lockable, commercially manufactured carry in/out bear-resistant food storage canister. When available at trailheads and drive-in campgrounds, use food storage lockers to store all coolers, food, trash, and scented items. Dispose of trash in appropriate trash dumpsters and make sure to close and latch the door. Never leave scented items unattended or place them inside a tent or sleeping bag! Bears have incredible senses of smell and they will come investigate. Another important way to protect bears and your property is to lock vehicle doors. Bears will open vehicle doors to investigate smells and look for food. The back of a pickup truck or under a truck topper is not bear proof. Do not leave coolers or any food unattended at any time. Bears will try to get into the back of pickup trucks and open truck toppers to look for food rewards. These small actions make a big difference and help keep wildlife wild! Image Credit: NPS Photos #RMNP #BeBearAware

Rocky Mountain National Park's trail crew has completed the bridge replacement project just above Nymph Lake and the trail between Nymph and Dream Lakes has reopened. Trail crew members need to complete a few final touches, like adding the side rails, next week but the bridge is ready for use. The trail closure that was planned for next week will not be needed. Thank you to all trail crew members for replacing this bridge and your hard work! For more details on trail conditions in RMNP, visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/trail_conditions.htm Image Credit: NPS Photos Image 1 - Old bridge before replacement on May 13, 2026 Image 2 - A helicopter is seen delivering materials to the bridge replacement project site on May 13, 2026 Image 3 - The new bridge has been built and installed on May 14, 2026 #RMNP #RMNPTrails

Spring is underway and wildlife are active. Many species of wildlife, including elk, are preparing to give birth and welcome their new babies. In May and early June, cow elk will begin to separate from the herd. This is a sign that an elk may be ready to give birth or she might have a young calf nearby. New mothers of all species can be very aggressive and will act to protect their young. Do not approach wildlife, especially mothers with young. Newborn elk are born scentless, which helps protect them from predators during this vulnerable time of life. When elk mothers are ready to forage for food, they cache their young in a sheltered area. Not to worry, these elk calves are not being abandoned. If you see young wildlife, leave them alone. Their mothers are watching from somewhere nearby. Always give wildlife plenty of space. Ask how far you should stay away ... not how close you can get. What an amazing opportunity it is to see wildlife in their natural habitat here in Rocky Mountain National Park! Image Credit: NPS Photo/A.Schonlau #RMNP #WildlifeViewing

In areas above treeline, avalanche danger has increased to moderate in Rocky Mountain National Park. At and below treeline, avalanche danger remains low. With warmer temperatures, there continues to be a daily melt-freeze cycle, with snow and ice warming up during the day and freezing again at night. It is recommended to travel in high elevation areas early in the day. Try to start and end your day early. Pay attention to warming snow and steer clear of steep slopes if you begin to sink past your ankles into wet snow. The most likely place to trigger a small avalanche is where you find still-transitioning dry snow on north-facing slopes at the highest elevations. Even a small avalanche can be dangerous. Before heading into the backcountry, check the Colorado Avalanche Information Center frequently for the latest avalanche forecast and be prepared to adjust plans. Visit the Colorado Avalanche Information Center at https://avalanche.state.co.us Map Credit - CAIC #RMNP #BeAvySavy

A temporary closure will be in place above Nymph Lake beginning tomorrow, May 13 and May 14 for a critical bridge replacement project. This closure will be lifted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The trail will close again on Monday, May 18 through Thursday, May 21. While this closure is in place, trail access will be closed above Nymph Lake to the Dream Lake/Lake Haiyaha junction. Dream Lake, Emerald Lake and Lake Haiyaha will only be accessible from the Lake Haiyaha Trail during this temporary closure. The trail between Lake Haiyaha and Dream Lake junction is currently covered with snow and ice. This section of trail is very steep and icy. All other trails in the Bear Lake area remain open. For more details on trail conditions, visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/trail_conditions.htm If traveling from Lake Haiyaha to the Dream Lake junction, have a route map, be prepared for winter conditions and navigation, and be prepared for the extra mileage involved. Trail conditions can vary greatly in the spring, with daily freeze and thaw cycles. If traveling in high elevation areas of RMNP, traction devices and waterproof boots are recommended. Image Credit: NPS Map #RMNP #RMNPTrails

Planning to venture into high elevation areas of Rocky? While avalanche danger has reduced to low inside Rocky Mountain National Park, caution is still recommended. There is still a lot of snow in high elevation areas of the park and it is still possible to trigger an avalanche. Use caution in areas with small drifts at the top of couloirs. Warmer temperatures will contribute to daily melt-freeze conditions, with snow warming and melting in the day and freezing again at night. Much of the snowpack in the park above treeline has a 1-2 inch wind slab crust over unconsolidated snow. Spring is a great time to enjoy snow before the arrival of summer. It is important to be aware of safety hazards, like postholing. As temperatures rise and snow becomes soft, it's very easy to step in soft snow and sink down to your ankle, knee or deeper. Take care when hiking in spring snow, even with floatation like snowshoes, as it can be easy to injure your ankle or leg. For the latest trail conditions, visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/trail_conditions.htm Planning a trip to Chasm Lake or up Longs Peak? Visit the Longs Peak Conditions page at https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/longs_peak_conditions_report.htm Both webpages are updated as new information becomes available. Because trail conditions can change quickly, even multiple times in a day, conditions out on a trail could be the same, better, or worse than described. Image Credit: NPS Photo/D.Turk - View of a glissade track on a steep slope seen near Chasm Junction on May 10, 2026 #RMNP #RMNPTrailConditions #RMNPHikingSafety #RMNPHiking

Many trails in Rocky Mountain National Park are now covered with a new layer of snow and ice. Did you remember to bring a set of traction devices? Traction devices come in many different styles and are a great tool to help prevent slips and falls when hiking on icy trails. These devices attach to the bottom of your hiking boots and give you traction. Hiking poles are also very helpful. This weekend, expect snow on the Bear Lake Nature Trail, as well as the trail to Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes and most other high elevation destinations inside RMNP. For information on current trail conditions, see link in bio. The park’s trail conditions report is best used as a general guide. Conditions on trails can change rapidly, based on weather and other factors. Trail conditions can vary from what was last described in this report. Image Credits: NPS Photos/P.Allison taken on May 7, 2026 #RMNP #WinterHiking #WinterSafety #RMNPHikingSafety

Due to continued weather impacts from this week's spring storm, tomorrow's "Discover Birding" walk on the east side of RMNP at Upper Beaver Meadows is cancelled. For alternate dates, see the park's calendar at https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/calendar.htm Image Credit: NPS Photo/A.Schonlau #RMNP

Due to the recent spring storm and the volume of snow on the trail, the bridge work planned to take place above Nymph Lake will be delayed. The trail from Nymph to Dream Lakes will remain open on Monday, May 11. This is a fluid situation. If conditions allow, the project will move forward next week and the following week. Keep an eye on the park's website and social media pages for updates. Image Credit: NPS Photo/P.Allison - the bridge due to be replaced, taken on May 7, 2026 #RMNP

Looking for a fun and rewarding summer volunteer opportunity? Rocky Mountain National Park has some additional opportunities available this summer for volunteer campground hosts. We are currently recruiting for host positions in Glacier Basin and Aspenglen Campgrounds. For all details, visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/getinvolved/volunteer.htm #RMNP #ValuingVolunteerism

Conditions can change quickly in the Rocky Mountains. On Tuesday and Wednesday, it was snowing heavily at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. Today, the sun is out and snow is beginning to melt. When planning for your next trip, take time to check the weather and the park's trail conditions. If planning to visit this weekend, expect snow and ice on all trails in the park. For higher elevation destinations, you might need a set of snowshoes. Avalanche danger is considerable in areas near and above treeline on the east side of RMNP. Before heading into the backcountry, check the Colorado Avalanche Information Center frequently for the latest avalanche forecast and be prepared to adjust plans. Visit the Colorado Avalanche Information Center at https://avalanche.state.co.us and follow them on social media To see the latest trail conditions, visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/trail_conditions.htm For the most up to date weather in RMNP, visit https://www.weather.gov/bou/rmnp Image Credit: Image 1 - NPS Photo - Beaver Meadows Visitor Center on May 5, 2026 Image 2 - NPS Photo - Beaver Meadows Visitor Center on May 7, 2026 Image 3 - NPS Photo/D.Turk - Emerald Lake Trailhead near Bear Lake on May 6, 2026 Image 4 - NPS Photo/D.Turk - Dream Lake on May 6, 2026 #RMNP

We are grateful for all the spring snow! Now a few critical safety messages brought to you by RMNP park staff: - Vehicle traction law remains in place. If coming to the park, you must have good tires and winter driving skills. Expect snow and ice on the roads. - Don't Crowd the Plow. Keep your distance and don't try to pass a snowplow. - Avalanche conditions are high in areas above treeline and considerable near treeline on the east side of the park. Before heading into the backcountry, check the Colorado Avalanche Information Center frequently for the latest avalanche forecast and be prepared to adjust plans. https://avalanche.state.co.us Image Credit: NPS Photo, taken May 5, 2026 #RMNP #RMNPRoads #BeWeatherAware