Moraine Park in RMNP reopens after two years

ALPINE VISITOR CENTER TRAIL RIDGE ROAD ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
An elk makes its way across the tundra near the Rock Cut with Trail Ridge Road visible in the background in Rocky Mountain National Park, June 23, 2024.

A popular area in Rocky Mountain National Park is reopening after two years due to renovations. 

Moraine Park Campground will open its doors with an initial limited release of dates over a two-week period. Beginning Tuesday, reservations will be available for Wednesday, July 9, through Tuesday, July 22. 

Reservations can be made at recreation.gov.

The campground had been closed since late May 2023 as part of the Moraine Park Campground and Utility Restoration Project to repair aging water and power lines, install larger storage tanks, upgrade the park’s water treatment plant, and more. The National Park Service said the project was needed because the campground was well past the typical 30-year service life.

Workers pouring and smoothing concrete for a new campsite in Moraine Park Campground.
Courtesy of National Parks Service
Pouring and smoothing concrete for a new campsite in Moraine Park Campground.
Construction workers digging a trench near an existing campsite in Moraine Park Campground for new electrical hook-ups.
Courtesy of National Parks Service
Construction workers are digging a trench near an existing campsite in Moraine Park Campground for new electrical hook-ups.

The park had been scheduled to reopen during the early summer of 2024. But construction delays pushed it back.

The Moraine Park Campground is accessible through Bear Lake Road. Moraine is the largest of the five front-country campgrounds in Rocky Mountain National Park, with 244 campsites that can accommodate 40-foot RVs, sprinter vans, and tents. The campground serves more than 30,000 campers annually. 

The National Park Service said the park staff and contractors will be testing new water and wastewater systems to ensure they are working properly to keep up with expected demand before releasing additional dates.