State steps in to keep 2 Rocky Mountain National Park visitor centers open

DENVER — Colorado agencies are boosting support for local communities to keep two visitor centers in Rocky Mountain National Park open during the federal government shutdown.

Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and the Colorado Tourism Office, a division of the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade, announced Thursday that the state is providing funds to keep open the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, along U.S. Highway 36 west of Estes Park and the Kawuneeche Visitor Center along U.S. 34 north of Grand Lake.

“Rocky Mountain National Park visitor centers are very important to helping all visitors stay informed, stay safe and enjoy nature,” Polis said in a prepared statement. “By taking this action, we are helping our local communities and allowing visitors continued access into the park to enjoy the breathtaking vistas and activities Rocky Mountain National Park has to offer.”

National Parks, and Rocky Mountain National Park in particular, generate significant economic benefit to rural communities across Colorado. Based on information published by the National Park Service, visitation and economic output statistics for Rocky Mountain National Park in 2023 included 4,115,837 visitors with an estimated economic output of $888.656 million, with visitor spending at $568.527 million while supporting 7,833 jobs. In 2024, the park saw 4,154,349 visitors.

“The tourism industry contributes $28.5 billion to Colorado’s economy and supports over 188,000 jobs across the state,” OEDIT executive director Eve Lieberman said in a news release. “Keeping Rocky Mountain National Park and these visitor centers open promotes a positive visitor experience, helps protect our state’s incredible public lands and supports a critical sector of our economy. We are proud to partner with the governor and DNR to make this possible.”

The funding agreement splits funding between DNR and the CTO to keep the Beaver Meadows and Kawuneeche Visitor Centers open beginning Friday and continuing for the next seven days. DNR and the CTO are splitting the cost of keeping the visitor centers open at $3,200 per day.

If the federal government shutdown were to continue past those seven days, the state has the option to fund additional days. If the shutdown were to end within the next seven-day period, the state will be refunded for any unexpended state funds.

“We appreciate the partnership with our regional National Park Service staff and all the local volunteer efforts to keep amenities in our national parks open, particularly Rocky Mountain National Park,” DNR executive director Dan Gibbs said. “National Parks are integral to the outdoor activities and beauty Colorado has to offer, and the current shutdown has created uncertainty for park staff, visitors and surrounding communities whose jobs and economies are closely tied to our national parks. We are hopeful the state’s contribution can provide some of the national park experience visitors expect until the park is able to return to full operations.”

All national parks in Colorado remain open but some have reportedly limited or unavailable services.The state of Colorado is able to take this action because of a 2023 executive order from Polis that directed DNR to work with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Office of State Planning and Budgeting to come up with a plan to keep national parks open in the event of a government shutdown.

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