Copy of What to do in Rocky Mountain National Park during the winter

The stark serenity of Rocky Mountain National Park shimmering under sheets of winter snowcover is breathtaking, at least on days when the wind isn’t howling. Gone are the overflow crowds of summer that help make it America’s third-busiest national park, with 4.6 million visitors in 2018. Snowshoeing, hiking, sledding and even backcountry skiing on the slopes of a defunct ski area beckon visitors willing to shiver for a little adventure.

For really hardy souls, there is even winter camping, though few risk the suffering that can entail.

We’ve pulled together a list of ways to enjoy Rocky in the winter. Before going, it’s best to call the park’s information line (970-586-1206) to get a feel for current conditions and rules governing what you want do to.
Surface tows were the norm for Hidden Valley Ski area except for a short period of time when the area had a chair lift. This T-bar was located near the lodge. (Rocky Mountain National Park archives)
Backcountry skiing

The Hidden Valley ski area operated from 1955-1991 near a switchback on Trail Ridge Road. The site of the old base area today is a year-round picnic spot with a parking lot and restrooms that serve as a pit stop for motorists heading over Trail Ridge Road when it’s open. The evolution of modern alpine touring gear (a set-up that allows for climbing with free heels but descents via alpine turns with heels locked down) has made Hidden Valley a different kind of ski destination.

“Every year, there’s more and more backcountry skiers, mostly using alpine touring equipment,” said Rob Mardock, who worked at Hidden Valley back in the day but is now owner of the Estes Park Mountain Shop. “There’s days now, you go up there on a weekend, there’s more people skiing today than there were when the lifts were running. It’s pretty popular, and it increases a little bit every year.”

Sledding

There is one place in the park where sledding is allowed, and that is at Hidden Valley, on a gentle slope that was a beginner trail when the ski area was operating. You will have to hike for your slides because there is no mechanism for getting uphill, but there are restrooms, and on most weekends, there’s a warming room. It’s best to call the park information office before venturing up there because notorious winter winds can scour the slope.
David Ramirez, left, and Monica Palacios, right, look at the scenery around Bear Lake on Nov. 3 in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Bear Lake is an easy hike from the parking lot with a multitude of longer hikes in the area. The couple were visiting from Maryland. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)
Snowshoeing and hiking

Many park visitors in the winter frequent the same trails that are popular in the summer, such as hiking around Bear Lake and beyond it to Emerald Lake. Strap-on traction devices such as Microspikes or Yaktrax may be sufficient, rather than snowshoes, because trails tend to get tracked down quickly after storms.

“It’s busy up there,” Mardock said. “Pretty much any day in the winter, there’s people going up to Emerald Lake — no matter what the winds are doing. Some sort of traction device is always recommended. If you’re going to stay on the main trails, typically you just need some sort of traction on your feet; you don’t necessarily need flotation (snowshoes or skis). If you’re going to go a longer distance into the backcountry where there are fewer people, snowshoes or skis become more important — or if you step two feet off the packed trail, you’re going to sink.”
Not many take advantage of it, but the Moraine Park Campground at Rocky Mountain National Park is open in the winter.

Winter camping

This is not for the faint of heart.

“The amount of winter camping I would say is pretty minimal,” said Russell Hunter, owner of Colorado Mountain School in Estes Park, a professional mountain guiding company that has operated in the park for four decades. “I come from a winter camping background and just love it. We’ve always tried to get people excited about it, but I just don’t see it happening.”

Backcountry hut-skiing in Colorado has become extremely popular, with huts frequently selling out months in advance.

“But sleeping in a snow shelter, pitching a tent in the winter, I just don’t think it’s as popular these days,” Hunter said. “I don’t know what that’s about. Personally, I think people are a little softer.”

Mardock believes the evolution of ski gear has had an effect.

“They can go farther into the backcountry in a day than they could 40 years ago because the wider skis and skins are just so much better,” Mardock said. “They can go pretty far into the backcountry without having to spend the night and still get out and have great adventures without the suffering of overnight camping in the winter.”

The park typically issues fewer than 20 backcountry camping permits per month in the winter, according to Public Information Officer Kyle Patterson. Permits are required, but there is no cost other than the park entrance fee.

Patterson advises visitors not to make the park their first winter backcountry camping experience, adding that proper equipment is crucial. That includes four-season tents, four-season sleeping bags, snowshoes and traction devices. Backcountry campers in the park also should know how to use a compass and possess good way-finding skills, because most of the trails are not visible when covered with snow.

“Our rule is that as long as there is 4 or more inches of snow, we encourage dispersed camping, we take the impact away from our designated sites, and we regulate it by permitting you into a specific zone, keeping you away from avalanche-prone areas,” said Karen Morse, a volunteer in the park’s backcountry office. “You have to be at least a mile away from a trailhead and 200 feet away from water. As long as you feel you’re really prepared with winter camping gear and you have the compass skills to get yourself in and out without any visible trails, then we’d love to have you come camp.”

The backcountry isn’t the only winter camping option. You can camp in the Moraine Park campground, the only one in the park that is open in the winter. Just know that while snowplows keep the main roads open there, campsites are not plowed, so you’d better bring a shovel if you plan to camp there.