Best time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park
The short answer
Best months to visit Rocky Mountain National Park: June–September. Daily highs run about 60–70°F, with about 85% of July's visitors.
Hardest months: December–March, mostly because of cold weather.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Rocky Mountain National Park month by month
Park-wide averages across 4 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 23° / 7°F | 0 in | 14.3 in | Quiet | – |
| February | Poor | 24° / 8°F | 0 in | 17.0 in | Quiet | – |
| March | Poor | 31° / 13°F | 0.1 in | 17.9 in | Quiet | – |
| April | Poor | 37° / 18°F | 0.2 in | 19.2 in | Quiet | – |
| May | Poor | 47° / 27°F | 1.8 in | 16.5 in | Moderate | – |
| June | Best | 61° / 36°F | 2.1 in | 2.9 in | Busy | – |
| July | Best | 68° / 43°F | 3.6 in | – | Peak | – |
| August | Best | 66° / 42°F | 2.9 in | – | Busy | – |
| September | Best | 61° / 37°F | 1.3 in | 2.5 in | Busy | – |
| October | Poor | 45° / 24°F | 0.5 in | 9.4 in | Moderate | – |
| November | Poor | 32° / 13°F | 0.1 in | 12.6 in | Quiet | – |
| December | Poor | 24° / 6°F | 0 in | 15.1 in | Quiet | – |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19°F | 5°F | 0 in | 16.2 in |
| February | 20°F | 5°F | 0 in | 19.4 in |
| March | 27°F | 11°F | 0 in | 19.4 in |
| April | 33°F | 16°F | 0.1 in | 20.7 in |
| May | 42°F | 24°F | 1.1 in | 18.6 in |
| June | 55°F | 33°F | 1.5 in | 4.0 in |
| July | 63°F | 39°F | 3.8 in | – |
| August | 61°F | 38°F | 3.0 in | – |
| September | 56°F | 33°F | 1.2 in | 3.7 in |
| October | 41°F | 21°F | 0.3 in | 10.9 in |
| November | 28°F | 10°F | 0 in | 14.1 in |
| December | 19°F | 4°F | 0 in | 17.1 in |
East Side
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F | 12°F | 0 in | 10.2 in |
| February | 31°F | 12°F | 0.1 in | 12.6 in |
| March | 38°F | 17°F | 0.1 in | 17.0 in |
| April | 44°F | 22°F | 0.5 in | 17.0 in |
| May | 54°F | 31°F | 3.5 in | 15.9 in |
| June | 69°F | 42°F | 3.4 in | 0.6 in |
| July | 75°F | 48°F | 4.3 in | – |
| August | 73°F | 47°F | 3.2 in | – |
| September | 68°F | 42°F | 1.7 in | 1.3 in |
| October | 53°F | 30°F | 0.7 in | 6.4 in |
| November | 41°F | 19°F | 0.1 in | 10.2 in |
| December | 32°F | 13°F | 0 in | 11.3 in |
West Side
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25°F | 8°F | 0 in | 12.6 in |
| February | 28°F | 10°F | 0 in | 14.5 in |
| March | 35°F | 16°F | 0.1 in | 14.2 in |
| April | 42°F | 22°F | 0.2 in | 15.8 in |
| May | 51°F | 30°F | 1.7 in | 10.7 in |
| June | 66°F | 39°F | 2.1 in | 1.6 in |
| July | 73°F | 47°F | 2.7 in | – |
| August | 71°F | 46°F | 2.2 in | – |
| September | 66°F | 41°F | 1.1 in | 1.0 in |
| October | 50°F | 28°F | 0.7 in | 7.9 in |
| November | 35°F | 14°F | 0.1 in | 10.6 in |
| December | 26°F | 6°F | 0 in | 13.0 in |
Alpine Areas
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17°F | 3°F | 0 in | 18.0 in |
| February | 17°F | 3°F | 0 in | 21.4 in |
| March | 24°F | 9°F | 0 in | 21.2 in |
| April | 30°F | 13°F | 0.1 in | 23.3 in |
| May | 40°F | 22°F | 1.0 in | 20.7 in |
| June | 52°F | 31°F | 1.4 in | 5.3 in |
| July | 60°F | 38°F | 3.7 in | – |
| August | 58°F | 38°F | 3.2 in | 1.0 in |
| September | 53°F | 32°F | 1.2 in | 4.1 in |
| October | 38°F | 19°F | 0.2 in | 12.5 in |
| November | 25°F | 9°F | 0 in | 15.6 in |
| December | 17°F | 2°F | 0 in | 18.9 in |
Rocky Mountain National Park by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a difficult time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. Daily highs average 31–47°F and lows 13–27°F. Expect about 0.7 in of rain a month and 17.9 in of snow, with up to 30 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 19–40% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is among the best times to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. Daily highs average 61–68°F and lows 36–43°F. Expect about 2.9 in of rain a month and 1.1 in of snow, with up to 3 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 78–100% of the busiest month, which is peak by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a difficult time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. Daily highs average 32–61°F and lows 13–37°F. Expect about 0.6 in of rain a month and 8.2 in of snow, with up to 5 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 18–74% of the busiest month, which is moderate by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a difficult time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. Daily highs average 23–24°F and lows 6–8°F. Expect about 0.0 in of rain a month and 15.4 in of snow, with up to 26 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 14–16% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails, camping and things to do, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
Seasonal closures
- Trail Ridge Road normally opens the last week in May, weather permitting.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
Weather can change quickly in Rocky Mountain National Park due to the mountains and elevation. Elevation in the park ranges from 7,800 feet above sea level to over 14,000 feet at the top of the tallest mountain peaks. Weather conditions can change quickly throughout the day. For detailed weather information, visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/all-about-weather.htm For the most up-to-date weather forecasts, visit the National Weather Service webpage for Rocky at https://www.weather.gov/bou/rmnp
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 4 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
