Lottery Required for Rocky Mountain National Park Backcountry Camping Permits
"You'll need to win a lottery to camp in the backcountry at one of the most visited national parks in the country – Rocky Mountain National Park." -Breanna Sneeringer, Out There Colorado
Sneeringer, B. (2021, March 18). Rocky Mountain National Park announces lottery system for backcountry camping permits. Out There Colorado. Retrieved From https://www.outtherecolorado.com/news/rocky-mountain-national-park-announces-lottery-system-for-backcountry-camping-permits/article_2220b082-8801-11eb-a9ad-d786b202a92f.html
In a hasty response to a purchasing surge in backcountry camping permits, Rocky Mountain National Park has implemented an online lottery system. After the reservation website crashed twice in two weeks due to popular demand, you will now need to win a random lottery if you want to backpack in the park this summer. Many national parks and natural areas throughout the country have already had to implement this type of system to reduce crowds, limit damage, and promote solitude in the outdoors. You can enter the Rocky Moutain National Park backcountry camping lottery by sending an email to the park with "Backpacking Camping Random Drawing" in the subject line and only your first and last name in the body. With the explosion of interest in outdoor recreation following covid, this may be a trend that we start to see in many other places.