If your idea of bliss is camping in the wild, you may want to apply for a wilderness camping permit in Rocky Mountain National Park. According to the park’s website, “If you would like to be considered for an overnight backpacking camping permit for July through October 2021, park staff are now accepting names to be entered into a random drawing.
The new lottery is for overnight backpacking camping permits only. This system is NOT for camping reservations in park campgrounds accessed by vehicles or for park entrance fees.
“These submitted names will be randomized and drawn for access to the online reservation request application. If your name is drawn, you will be granted access to the reservation request application where you may then submit your trip request(s) for July through October, 2021.”
Source: Deposit Photos
To enter the drawing, you need to click on a link posted here. The form will ask for your email and other information (limit one entry per household). The email you use to send your name will be the email that the park will use to send a response.
Names will be drawn randomly, not in the order received, and can be done at your leisure from now until Sunday, March 21, at 5 p.m.
On Tuesday morning, March 23, the park will randomize and draw the first group of names and send those individuals an email with instructions on how to complete the reservation request application.
There is the potential for further names to be drawn. There will be no need to submit your name again for subsequent drawings as names will be drawn from the original applicants.
For subsequent drawings, keep watching your email after March 23. This process may take several weeks or longer depending on the volume of applicants. The timing of future drawings will be based on the volume of applicants.
Wilderness Camping Lottery Questions and Answers:
What should I put in the subject line of the email? Backpacking Camping Random Drawing.
What should I put in the body of the email? First and last name only.
What email address should I send from? The email where you would like to be notified if your name is randomly drawn.
May I submit more than one entry per household? Limit one entry per household.
May I submit a reservation request application for May and June? May and June reservation request window is currently closed.
Is this drawing first come, first served? No. This is a random drawing.
If I get selected in the random drawing, what months can I make a backpacking camping permit request? July through October.