7:00 ticket release

Question

I'm curious if anyone has knowledge or experience about the probability of getting early entry passes when tickets are released 7:00 p.m. the night before?

Answer

Getting early entry passes for Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) when tickets are released at 7:00 p.m. the night before can be challenging, and the probability of success depends on several factors including season, day of the week, and demand for that specific entry time.

Factors affecting your chances:

High-demand dates: Summer weekends, holidays, and early September are particularly competitive. Tickets for popular times often sell out within minutes. Midweek or shoulder-season dates may be easier to obtain.
System load and timing: The ticketing platform (Recreation.gov) opens the early entry tickets at exactly 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Users often report that having multiple devices or being logged in ahead of time helps.
Quantity of early entry passes: There is a limited number of early entry passes per day, and they are separate from regular timed-entry tickets. For popular trailheads like Bear Lake, tickets can go very quickly.
Speed and preparation: Being ready to select the exact date, trailhead, and entry time the second tickets go live improves your chances significantly. Autofill of personal information and payment details can save critical seconds.

Tips from experienced visitors:

Log into Recreation.gov before 7:00 p.m. and have the page ready to refresh at exactly release time.
Use a fast and reliable internet connection to minimize delays.
Be flexible with trailheads and time slots — if one entry time sells out, try the next available early entry time or a different trailhead.
Some visitors have success by having multiple devices (phone, tablet, computer) ready to book simultaneously.
If you miss the early entry, arriving at the park early and trying for standby or general timed-entry can sometimes work, especially on weekdays or outside peak season.

Probability Outlook:

While there is no guaranteed chance, for highly popular dates (summer weekends or holiday periods), the probability of securing early entry tickets is relatively low — often described as very competitive. For off-peak dates or midweek in shoulder season, the odds are much better.

Overall, preparation, speed, and flexibility are key. Even if you do not get the early entry pass, you can still enjoy many areas of RMNP with regular timed-entry tickets or by visiting less crowded trailheads.

7:00 ticket release

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