How to Plan an Epic Rocky Mountain National Park Elopement
Are you dreaming of an epic Rocky Mountain National Park elopement?! Well you’re in luck - today I’m giving you everything you need to know about eloping in RMNP, as well as my top planning tips!
Everything You Need to Know to Elope in Rocky Mountain National Park
Did you know that Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the top 5 visited national parks in the world?! Yep. You heard me, which is why it is SO IMPORTANT to know everything you need to know about it before decided to elope in Rocky Mountain National Park!
It is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking parks you can visit in the United States. With that comes an overflow of visitors, so everyone needs to learn how they can do their part to keep it clean and beautiful.
Here’s what I’ll be diving into in this article:
The best places to elope in RMNP
How to get your RMNP wedding permit
Where to stay in RMNP
RMNP weather/seasons
An elopement packing list
Fun hikes in RMNP
How to Leave No Trace with your RMNP elopement
My top 3 planning tips
Let’s get into the good stuff!!
The Best Places to Elope in Rocky Mountain National Park
Ceremony vs. Portrait Locations
First of all, you’ll need to understand the difference between holding a ceremony inside the park vs. just doing elopement portraits!
If you are going to be exchanging vows, written letters, or doing anything that acts as a ‘ceremony’, you WILL need a wedding permit from RMNP.
However, if you are not doing any sort of legal exchange or ceremony (no vows, no letters - just solely photos of you two in your bridal attire), you will not need a wedding permit. Your photographer will need a photography Special Use Permit, and then you’ll be good to explore anywhere in the park!
So there are a couple of ways you can go about eloping inside the park!
Hold your ceremony in a designated ceremony location, and do portraits there too
Hold your ceremony outside of the park, & only do portraits inside of the park
Split up your day: hold your ceremony in a designated ceremony location, & explore another location for portraits
First, I’ll give you a few of the designated ceremony locations you can choose from!
Ceremony Locations
You can find all of the details for each location on the RMNP Website. Each location has certain restrictions on guests, vehicles, etc.
1. 3M Curve
Max guest size: 15
Max number of vehicles: 3
This spot has super beautiful mountain views and plenty of surrounding greenery! It’s such a stunning spot for an intimate ceremony with your closest loved ones.
2. Sprague Lake Dock
Max guest size: 15 in the summer / 30 in the winter
Max number of vehicles: 3 in the summer / 10 in the winter
If you want to get married by the water, this is a beautiful dock to do it! Say your vows on the dock overlooking Sprague Lake, with mountains and trees everywhere in the background.
3. Upper Beaver Meadows Trailhead
Max guest size: 30
Max number of vehicles: 10
This is a great spot if you want to invite a larger group of people, but still want to be in a stunning location. It’s got open meadows and mountain views - what more could you ask for?
Portrait Locations
Now that you’ve decided whether or not you’re going to do your actual ceremony inside the park, let’s talk about the best places for portraits!
Some of these locations are easy to drive up to and have views right outside your car. Others require hikes of varying lengths - so it’s up to you to decide what you’re comfortable with, and how far you’re willing to go to get those epic shots!
If you’re not really sure what locations you love and would rather go with the flow on the day of, we can carpool around the park and just find spots as we go!
1. Trail Ridge Road
Trail Ridge Road is one of those locations you can just drive up to with very minimal walking required, with such stunning views! You can easily stop along this road and do photos in multiple different spots!
2. Dream Lake
This is one of the most gorgeous stunning alpine lakes with a short hike! Roundtrip of only 2.2 miles and only around 450 feet of elevation gain! It is a mild hike that is moderately difficult, but definitely doable in a wedding dress! Just make sure to pack all the proper shoes and shocks and water and snacks for this!
3. Bear Lake
One of the few lakes you can actually drive along a paved road to get to! So this a great option for those who want to avoid hiking on their wedding photos day!
4. Sprague Lake
This is a perfect lake for sunrise as the mountains glisten pink and purple from the sun hitting them! the most gorgeous sunrise you will see! With a very short walk and even wheel cheer accessible trails all around the lake! This is a gorgeous spot!
5. Moraine Park
A gorgeous campground, meadows overlooked by the stunning Rockies, what more could you ask for?! A drive-up location with amazing views, gorgeous wildflowers and so much more!
These are just a few of the MANY amazing locations to do your wedding photos in Rocky Mountain National Park!! I have found SO MANY more! I send all of my couples a mood board of locations within Rocky Mountain National Park to help them decide which one to do their portraits at!
Check out a few recent Rocky Mountain National Park weddings, elopements, and sessions!
How to Get Your Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding Permit
Currently in RMNP (through October 2021), everyone who enters the park will need both a Timed Entry Permit AND an entrance pass. You’ll need to make a reservation for your visit and purchase a daily entrance pass, which costs $25 per day, per vehicle. Or if you’re like me and visit the park often (hello fellow Colorado lovers!!), I’d definitely consider looking into the $70 annual entrance pass!
Limited Permit Availability
Like stated above, RMNP is one of the top-visited national parks in the U.S. And Yes, more people elope in RMNP than most other national parks across the United States, so when I say RMNP is strict,I do mean it. They have to be, in order to keep the park clean and preserved so that more people can continue to visit and gawk at the beauty within the Park.
Because RMNP has become so dang popular for weddings and elopements, unfortunately, permits are much more scarce than they used to be. For 2021, RMNP only gave out 250 total wedding permits for the whole year, and they just started accepting permit applications in May for 2022 weddings.
You can apply one year in advance for your wedding permit - e.g. if you want to elope in October 2022, you can apply in October 2021.
Here are the most recently updated permit limits for different seasons in the park:
May through October: max of 60 permits issued per month
November through April: max of 40 permits issued per month
All permits are issued on a first-come, first-serve basis, which means you really do need to plan ahead of time!
Another thing to note is that the maximum guest size for weddings in RMNP is 30 guests unless the limit is smaller at a specific park site.
What if You Can’t Get a Permit?
Did you know, that Colorado is the only state where self-solemnization is a legal thing? This means you two are your OWN witnesses and DO NOT need any third party, witness or officiant to legally get married!
When my husband and I eloped in Colorado, we went to the courthouse the day before. We left with copies of our marriage license, and then we were able to do all of our wedding photos without any legality behind it!
So you could tie the knot legally before visiting RMNP, and then do your portraits inside the park! You could also go to the courthouse like we did to get your licenses, then self-solemnize your wedding at a nearby Airbnb or another gorgeous spot in CO, and then head into the park for portraits!
The Permit Process
Here’s the process you’ll need to go through to get the Special Use Permit you’ll need, according to the National Park Service’s website!
Check availability by emailing romo_fees_permits@nps.gov
Complete this application + submit it via email
Once your application has been accepted, you’ll receive payment instructions & pay the non-refundable application fee of $300
When you receive your permit, you’ll review, sign, & return the permit via email
You must bring your permit to your ceremony at the park on your date!
Where to Stay in Rocky Mountain National Park
What’s the closest airport to Rocky Mountain National Park?
Denver is definitely the easiest airport to fly into, and almost always the cheapest as well when traveling from out of state!
But who wouldn’t want to stay close to the mountains and be able to explore nearby every single day while on your trip to Colorado? Colorado is full of little mountain towns with the cutest shopping areas, and bars & places to eat. So why not stay somewhere close where you can explore all the mountains and more?!
I recommend flying into Denver, renting a car, and driving to a mountain town! Here is a list of my favorite Airbnbs near Rocky Mountain National Park for you to stay at!
Cozy Cabin in the Mountains - $257/night; sleeps 4 guests
Modern Rocky Mountain Cabin - $120/night; sleeps 2 guests
Estes Park Mountain House - $390/night; sleeps 4 guests
Tiny House in the Mountains - $98/night; sleeps 2 guests
Guest Suite with Hot Tub - $397/night; sleeps 4 guests
These are only a FEW of the MANY amazing Airbnbs I have found all around Rocky Mountain National Park!
My best advice is to first nail down whether it will be just you and your partner, or if you will also have friends & family staying with you as well! That way you can know how many people you need to have room for!
I recommend after nailing down the number of people staying, search everywhere on Airbnb! Use the map tool to drag around and see all the different areas you can stay in! If you are having friends & family stay with you, I HIGHLY recommend finding a cabin or Airbnb with a big enough kitchen, porch, or outdoor area so that you can have your reception on your own time and own style!
My husband and I did this, and we hired a professional personal chef to come and cook dinner for us all. We all were able to hang out together, drink and eat and relax in the hot tub afterward as well!
Rocky Mountain National Park Weather + Timing
Colorado, in my opinion, is one of the most bipolar states weather-wise. In one week, you can experience all 4 seasons. I have seen it and lived it, so trust me - I am NOT crazy! Especially when you are in the mountains, at an even higher altitude, you need to consider weather and options as back up in case something happens!!
Rocky Mountain National Park has a lot of road closures during the winter, and a lot of trails get closed down. But summer can be SUPER HOT! So I highly recommend spring, early summer or fall for your wedding or elopement to avoid extreme weather + road/trail closures!
Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding + Elopement Packing List
You gotta remember to bring all the important stuff, so here’s a quick packing list to make sure you don’t forget anything!
your wedding permit
national park pass or cash for entry
water and extra water
protein and granola bars
extra snacks
extra gas/full tank of gas
sunscreen
sunglasses
hiking poles
bug spray/bear spray
emergency first aid kit
wireless extra phone charger
download an offline map of the park
spikes for your shoes in case of ice or snow
flashlights
toilet paper/ plastic bag/wet wipes
rain jacket/umbrella
extra socks/shoes
Fun Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park
Whether you are an experienced hiker or are new to being outdoors and hiking, Rocky Mountain National Park has so many different hiking options for everyone! A lot of them are kid-friendly, but Rocky Mountain National Park is not very dog-friendly! So this is something to keep in mind!
Pets are allowed in RMNP, but not on trails - only in picnic areas, parking areas and campgrounds!
Let’s dive into some of the best hikes you can do in RMNP.
Hike to Chasm Lake: this is a more difficult hike as it is 8.5 miles roundtrip, with around 2500 feet in elevation gain. But man oh man are the views worth it! This is a hike you want to start early in the morning, especially on a hot day, but also to give you plenty of time out and back and at the lake!
Hike to Sky pond: this is for sure a longer hike at around 9 miles, but it is one of the most stunning views you can find in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Lake Helene and Two rivers lake: This is one of the longer hikes at around 6.5 miles with around 1340 feet in elevation gain. But man oh man do you not want to miss the views you will see along the trails!
Emerald Lake: This is a shorter alpine lake hike that is only 3.5 miles roundtrip. With only 650 feet total elevation gain. The views are just as stunning and you can start a little later in the day!
How to Leave No Trace With Your RMNP Elopement
Hailes - what the heck does this even mean?!
It means we are leaving the park better than we left it. Anything we pack in, we pack out. EVERYTHING we pack in, we pack out! This also means we are doing our part to preserve the land and park, and to help clean up!
Okay, cool, but how can we practice this?
Take a plastic bag with you to pick up all trash
Stay on all trails, do no make your own paths, and do not trample through woods or flower fields or grass.
Do not leave any trash on any of the trails or any parts of the park.
Do not pick flowers or bug the wildlife nearby you!
Do not bring outside flowers that come from a different soil type that could harm the natural wildlife of the park.
Do not pop any confetti that cannot be cleaned up or moved right away.
These are just a few of the MANY ways you can help preserve your parks and wildlife lands. Learn more about the Leave No Trace foundation + principles here!
My Top 3 Elopement Planning Tips
1. Hire your photographer + videographer FIRST
These are the two vendors that are most likely to book up WAY ahead of time. So I always recommend hiring your photog + videog before pretty much any other vendor, AND before picking your specific date.
Then, once you’ve hired your dream photographer + videographer, pick your date around their availability, and start hiring your other vendors!
2. Pick 2-3 locations you love
Part of the true elopement experience is being flexible, adaptable, and go-with-the-flow. That’s why you chose an elopement over a big wedding, right?!
I recommend having a few locations in mind, just in case anything happens that prevents you from eloping at one location. This could be road/trail closures, bad weather, etc.
This way, you’re not left hanging and sad if your top location isn’t available anymore - you’ve got others you were prepared to choose from!
3. Be prepared for anything + everything
And finally, you HAVE to be prepared for anything. Any weather scenario, road scenario, etc. Because if you’re banking on plans going exactly as you want them to, you’ll only end up disappointed & frustrated when shit happens!
