Backcountry Skiing in Rocky Mountain National Park

If you want to camp in Rocky Mountain National Park, a $30 permit is required from May 1st through October 31st. For non-camping visitors, the park offers a Day Pass that costs $25. A seven-day vehicle pass is $35, and a seven-day motorcycle pass is $30. An annual pass for the park is $70.

The backcountry skiing season truly gets underway from mid-December through late April. The road that services the majority of the park, Trail Ridge Road, officially closes October 23rd through spring — depending on the snowfall. Intrepid skiers find they can almost ski year-round in the park if the weather cooperates.

Inclement weather can often lead to unstable terrain and conditions in the backcountry. Because of this, your guide will decide on what objectives are most suitable and what areas are safe for adventuring on a given day. Avalanche danger is very real and must be respected whenever venturing out for a tour.

Depending on the guiding service you tour with, group sizes are relatively small with no more than a 1:4 guide-to-client ratio. Pricing is done per participant and fees usually decrease when more people are in the group.

Depending on the guiding service, some allow guests as young as 10, while others require parental accompaniment if younger than 18. Ask your adventure expert.

Given Rocky Mountain National Park’s elevation and the ruggedness of its terrain, all backcountry skiers should be in excellent physical condition. All skiers should be confident on black level resort runs and be able to skin while wearing a pack.

Estes Park sits just to the east of the park’s entrance and is often the meeting location of choice for any backcountry endeavors. Denver is 1.5 hours by car; Boulder, CO, is just under an hour’s drive.