Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding & Elopement Guide
This extensive Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding & Elopement Guide will help all of you outdoorsy couples get married in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park! It’s the perfect Colorado mountain location to say your vows with a truly amazingly gorgeous backdrop. You will find all the detailed information about the rules and regulations that are in line with the Leave No Trace Principles, how to acquire an RMNP wedding ceremony permit, information about the park, and all the RMNP ceremony locations within the park.
Table of Contents:
Leave No Trace Principles for your RMNP Wedding or Elopement
The best time and Date to have your Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding
Why Elope in Rocky Mountain National Park
Magically beautiful rocky mountains will take your breath away! That’s why it’s one of the most visited national parks. It’s located just northwest of Denver, Colorado, about an hour and a half to get there from Denver International Airport. So it’s super easily accessible and you can access it through the cute bustling town of Estes Park or the quaint Grand Lake.
Rocky Mountain National Park is for couples who love the wild, love the wind, and love the great open spaces. If you love to hike, spot moose in the meadows, and be above treeline then you got to hire me to photograph your wedding in this magical spot! Oh, and if you’re not up for hiking for portrait, don’t worry about that! I know tons of spots where you don’t have to hike to that are amazing and look epic!
Leave No Trace Principles for your RMNP Wedding or Elopement
The Leave No Trace principles are super important to keeping national parks in pristine condition so that everyone can enjoy the great outdoors. With more and more people visiting the wilderness it's even more important in order to help keep the wilderness WILD. No one wants to go in the backcountry and see a whole bunch of trash. It's hurtful to the environment and it's hurtful to my soul.
You will find the Leave No Trace has seven principles. Below you will find how they apply to Rocky Mountain National Park’s rules and regulations. Even more information on Leave No Trace check out the Center for Outdoor Ethic’s website here.
Plan Ahead And Prepare
With knowledge comes safety. Safety for you and your group of friends to know we are going and what plants and wildlife for in the area. In some areas at the park, you will not have cell service so have a map and know where you're going. Also, Beware some of the designated wedding ceremony sites are not labeled with signage. In the park, you can keep a lookout for elk, moose, deer, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, black bear, beaver, coyote, marmot, mountain lion, pika hawk, ptarmigan, wild turkey, and trout.
Travel And Camp On Durable Surfaces
This comes into play here in Colorado with the high Alpine dirt, called the cryptobiotic crust. Is super fragile and takes 5,000 to 10,000 years to form, let's not go off-trail and trample all over this special dirt, we need it for the survival of the mountain! We will have to stay on most trails to keep the park perfect. For your wedding ceremony in RMNP, you will not be able to bring in any equipment such as tables, chairs, carpets, tents, floral displays, and generators. One location does allow you to have an arch (Moraine Park Discovery Center Amphitheater).
Dispose Of Waste Properly
Whatever you carry in carry out! Do not leave anything behind. For Weddings, this means that you cannot throw rice, flowers, confetti ( even compostable confetti), or glitter! You cannot leave anything before your ceremony time or after your ceremony time.
Leave What You Find
I encourage you to explore your surroundings, pick up rocks and examine leaves but please leave them where they are. With 4,590,492 visitors in 2019 to Rocky Mountain National Park, imagine the impact if everybody took a handful of leaves and rocks home with them.
Minimize Campfire Impacts
In Rocky Mountain National Park you're only allowed to have campfires in metal fire rings. That is... only when there's actually not a fire ban which is most of the time. This also means no sparklers or smoke bombs in Rocky Mountain National Park. Make sure you check with a ranger when you enter the national park if there is a fire ban.
Respect Wildlife
Keep your distance and observe the wildlife. In the fall you can often find tons of elk in the meadow bugling. I've also seen wild turkeys, black bears, tons of deer, and loud pikas in Rocky Mountain National Park. The good news is there is zero hunting in Rocky Mountain National Park so you don't have to wear your orange. There is fishing allowed with a license in designated spots and also catch and release designated areas. You can get more information about fishing here. No Drones are allowed in the park to protect the wildlife.
Be Considerate Of Others
“This Is My Land This Is Your Land…” sing the tune! Be respectful of other people wanting to get out in the wilderness. The biggest thing on my list for this is... if you would like to listen to music while hiking please wear your headphones. We all like different kinds of music and we're all going out into the Wilderness for some peace. For your wedding day, you can only have acoustic instruments that do not exceed 60 decibels. Your wedding permit does not include exclusive use of the area. Everything remains open to everyone so that includes listening space.
What to expect at a RMNP Wedding Ceremony Location
Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding Ceremony Permit
Rocky Mountain National Park is very strict on where you are allowed to have ceremonies. It is a law that they have in place and they can fine you or kick you out of the park for not following the law. You get the wedding permit for a 2-hour period of time on the designated date. You have the permit in your possession on the wedding day for proof to the Rangers that you have a valid permit. I recommend taking a screen shot it on your phone and forwarding me a copy so I can print it out and have it in my bag on your wedding day.
Your RMNP wedding permit also includes an all-day photography permit to be able to photograph you guys in love anywhere in the park. So even if your favorite Alpine Lake isn't on the ceremony location list, it doesn't mean we can't go there together for photographs. You just can't sign any legal documents or have any ceremonies in these undesignated areas. Most couples pick out at least one other must-have location for photographs in the park on their wedding day.
The popularity of the Rocky Mountain National Park is growing for good reason, it’s gorgeous, simple and marvelous for an outdoor wedding ceremony. You can apply for a wedding ceremony application a year in advance for the whole month. So on June 1st, 2022 you can apply for a June 22, 2022 wedding ceremony site. Each ceremony spot will only be accepting two ceremonies per-day. All application requests are first come, first served basis. During May-October there will be only 60 weddings per month and November-April there will be only 40 weddings per month. As of February 2022, May-October is completely booked. So be ready to submit a year in advance even for little elopements!
In order to get an RMNP wedding permit:
I’ll help you choose your wedding ceremony site and custom locations for your portraits in the park that’ll blow your vail off! So you can hire me first! If you can’t get in the park, I’ve got plenty of ideas for your wedding ceremony!
Pick your designated ceremony location from the list. My favorite one HERE!
Download permit application HERE!
Email the completed permit application to romo_fees_permits@nps.gov the first day of the month you want one year in advance. They are now limiting a total of six ceremonies per day year-round and only two weddings per location per day.
After approved, pay $300 non-refundable application ceremony fee. It is not required at the time you submit the application.
Happy happy dance, your application has been approved for your requested time and date!
The best time and Date to have your Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding
When considering the best date and time to you have your wedding ceremony at Rocky Mountain National ParkKeep in mind these factors:
Summer and fall are high seasons but also spectacular in the park.
Weekend traffic from Estes Park is a real thing and can take over an hour just to get through the main RMNP entrance gates. It is most busy from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Traveling throughout the park during that time is also slow especially if there are any wildlife sightings. Also keep in mind most of the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour.
Sunrise and sunset are most beautiful for lighting.
Some of the Ceremony sites are busier than others or are closer to well-used trails. Keep in mind how private and secluded you would like to feel for your ceremony. You can also have more privacy at sunrise than sunset.
For even more tips about the best time for your elopement, click here!
Getting to Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the largest National parks in the United States with 265,769 Acres. Some of the ceremony sites are easily accessible from Estes Park and others are easily accessible from Grand Lake. Also keep in mind that some roads aren’t open in the wintertime, like Trail Ridge Road because of all the snow. Take that in consideration when choosing a location and how long it's going to take you to get there. There is also some ceremony locations located on HWY 7, which isn’t through the main gates of RMNP. The wedding ceremony permit does not include an RMNP entrance fee which is usually $25 per standard vehicle (more for commercial vehicles). I would highly recommend that you carpool. All of the ceremony locations have parking restrictions that must be followed, most of the time it is because of the limited spaces available. Oh and remember you are not the only visitor to any specific spot even with a permit, it’s open to the public.
Rocky Mountain National Park Ceremony Locations
Ashleigh’s favorite Rocky Mountain Nation Park Ceremony Sites
All Time Favorite is 3M Curve.
Winter Favorite is Bear Lake Nature Trail.
Favorite for bringing your dog is Moraine Park Amphitheater.
3M Curve Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at 3M Curve
3M curve is also known as the Longs Peak View Point so if you love a wide-open meadow with a clear view of Longs Peak this is the site for you. It has a beautiful natural-looking rock outcrop that’s perfect for your intimate ceremony that’s just a short walk from the road.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at 3M Curve
The short walk to the ceremony site is on a trail so it's not very easy for older family members to travel on. With it being so close to the road, you might be able to hear cars or other people even if you can't actually see it from the site. Can get very busy here on weekends.
3M Curve Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round (NO 2020 MAY-OCTOBER due to road construction)
Distance from Beavers Meadow Visitor Center: 3.5 miles
Max amount of people: 15
Max Vehicles: 3
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: No
Restrooms: No
Alluvial Fan Bridge Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Alluvial Fan Bridge
If you're looking for a river with huge boulders in it, this is your spot. You can get married on the bridge over the boulder riverbed!
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Alluvial Fan Bridge
It's so busy in the summer, there's absolutely no place to get away from the crowds of families. Also with the ceremony site being the bridge, there's a lot of people passing by. There’s also a bit of construction in the area.
Alluvial Fan Bridge Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year-Round
Distance from Beavers Meadow Visitor Center: 7 miles
Max amount of people: 20
Max Vehicles: 5
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: No
Restrooms: Yes
Bear Lake Nature Trail Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Bear Lake Nature Trail
Bear Lake is the highest altitude lake that you can drive up to in Rocky Mountain National Park. In this area, you will find beautiful mountain views and Aspen trees so, fall is gorgeous in this area. Bear Lake nature trail is a short Trail around the lake highly covered with trees. In the wintertime, you can actually go out on the lake because it's frozen.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Bear Lake Nature Trail
The spot is highly popular and if you ever go you will know why, it's freaking gorgeous! Even with the popularity, I would highly recommend this spot if you're not afraid of a few bystanders.
Bear Lake Nature Trail Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round. No Weekends. No Wedding Friday before Memorial Day-Columbus Day.
Distance from Beavers Meadow Visitor Center: 11 miles
Max amount of people: 20
Max Vehicles: 5
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: No
Restrooms: Yes
Copeland Lake (Wild Basin Area) Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Copeland Lake
Copeland lake is south of beavers Meadow Visitor Center off Highway 7 so that means you don't have to go through Rocky Mountain National Park main entrance in Estes Park to get to this Majestic location in Wild Basin. do you want great views of the mountains on a lake and want to bring your pup with you this could be the perfect spot. the lake is very close to the road making it within the hundred feet limit, allowing dogs to be at your ceremony on a leash. it's the only ceremony site in the park within the limit for your dog.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Copeland Lake
With the road being so close by it is not a very secluded area even though it's not within the Park's main entrance. The lake also can get quite low in the summertime.
Copeland Lake Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round.
Distance from Beavers Meadow Visitor Center: 13 miles
Max amount of people: 30
Max Vehicles: 10 Friday before Memorial Day-Columbus Day.
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: No
Restrooms: Nearby
Harbison Meadow Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Harbison Meadow
This gorgeous Meadow is super close to Grand Lake in often has elk, deer and even moose wandering around. There are some gorgeous views from the meadow of the Never Summer Mountain Range.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Harbison Meadow
The meadow is quite large so the mountain range is a good distance from you. If you are staying in Estes Park this might not be the location for you because of the distance and amount of time it would take to get there. Also, if you are planning on a winter wedding it would be inaccessible if you wanted to drive through the park over Trail Ridge Road because that road is closed in the wintertime.
Harbison Meadow Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round.
Distance from Kawuneeche Visitor Center: 1 mile
Max amount of people: 60
Max Vehicles: 10 Friday before Memorial Day-Columbus Day.
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: No
Restrooms: No
Hidden Valley Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Hidden Valley
This adorable meadow is surrounded by pine trees and in the summertime, it's still with wildflowers. There is a little creek that runs through Hidden Valley ceremony site And with all these Pines there is actually some shade.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Hidden Valley
For the ceremony, there won't be that many views it will mostly be pine trees. Don't forget you can always go anywhere else in the park for photographs after the ceremony. You are also not allowed to use the picnic sites better at this location.
Hidden Valley Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round.
Distance from Beavers Meadow Visitor Center: 6 miles
Max amount of people: 20 (100 at other times, gotta call Rangers)
Max Vehicles: 20
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Restrooms: Yes
Lily Lake Dock Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Lily Lake Dock
It's super accessible to access with a great view of the lake below Lily Mountain. It's also not through the main gates of Rocky Mountain National Park it's on Highway 7.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Lily Lake Dock
You are super close, as in next to Highway 7. You will be able to see cars pass by and it can get super busy at this easily accessible location especially during summer and fall. Even though it's super close to the road you are not allowed to have any dogs.
Lily Lake Dock Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round.
Distance from Beavers Meadow Visitor Center: 6.4 miles
Max amount of people: 10
Max Vehicles: 10 Friday before Memorial Day-Columbus Day.
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Restrooms: Yes
Lily Lake Trail Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Lily Lake Trail
There are fabulous views from all around the lake and you can make it a progressional hiking elopement. That way you can get every view imaginable from the lake.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Lily Lake Trail
It's highly trafficked year-round and you're not allowed to have dogs even with it’s close proximity to the road.
Lily Lake Trail Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round.
Distance from Beavers Meadow Visitor Center: 6.4 miles
Max amount of people: 20
Max Vehicles: 10 Friday before Memorial Day-Columbus Day.
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Restrooms: Yes
Lily Lake Southside Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Lily Lake Southside
This is a great knoll where you are looking at Lily Lake with a gorgeous view of Lily Mountain with a little bit of shade from the aspen trees. This is a perfect fall location! You can also drive two cars to this location for an additional fee of $50. This is the only location in the park that you are allowed to use the picnic area for your wedding ceremony.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Lily Lake Southside
This is a very busy traffic area, with not much privacy from the trail.
Lily Lake Southside Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round.
Distance from Beavers Meadow Visitor Center: 6.4 miles
Max amount of people: 30
Max Vehicles: 10 Friday before Memorial Day-Columbus Day.
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Restrooms: Yes
Moraine Park Amphitheater Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Moraine Park Amphitheater
It's the perfect location for a larger wedding in Rocky Mountain National Park and the only one on the Estes Park side that has seating for your guests.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Moraine Park Amphitheater
With all the great Pines around you really can't see the mountains from the ceremony site but you all will be in the shade. it's also pretty close to the road so you can see in here cars.
Moraine Park Amphitheater Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round.
Distance from Beavers Meadow Visitor Center: 2.7 miles
Max amount of people: 60 Summer, 100 Winter
Max Vehicles: 10 Friday before Memorial Day-Columbus Day.
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Restrooms: Nearby
Sprague Lake Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Sprague Lake
Sprague Lake has the best modern dock with fabulous views of Hallett Peak that are perfect for your ceremony site.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Sprague Lake
The trail runs around the lake not providing much privacy.
Sprague Lake Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round.
Distance from Beavers Meadow Visitor Center: 7 miles
Max amount of people: 15 Summer, 30 Winter
Max Vehicles: 3 Summer, 10 Winter
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Restrooms: Yes
Timber Creek Amphitheater Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Timber Creek Amphitheater
If you're looking for a ceremony site that has seating on the Grand Lake side this would be perfect. You can hear the Colorado River From this flat Amphitheater with easy access for wheelchairs.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Timber Creek Amphitheater
The mountains are kind of blocked from the guests by the amphitheater in front.
Timber Creek Amphitheater Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round.
Distance from Kawuneeche Visitor Center: 8.4 miles
Max amount of people: 20
Max Vehicles: 5
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Restrooms: Yes
Upper Beaver Meadows Elopement
Best Reasons to have your wedding at Upper Beaver Meadows Elopement
This Meadow is gorgeous with great views of the Continental Divide and you can easily have your whole family with you as you say your vows. This area is a little less traveled on the Estes Park side.
Why you might not want your wedding ceremony at Upper Beaver Meadows Elopement
This area is flat but it is not wheelchair accessible because of the rustic bridge over the creek.
Upper Beaver Meadows Elopement Wedding Ceremony Information
Time of year accessible: Year Round. (NO 2020 MAY-OCTOBER due to road construction)
Distance from Beavers Meadow Visitor Center: 1.5 miles
Max amount of people: 60
Max Vehicles: 10 (No vehicle access in winter because they don’t maintain the dirt road.)
Music: Acoustic Only
Handicap Accessible: No
Restrooms: Yes
Ashleigh’s Ready for your RMNP Wedding
I’m so ready to document your love story in Rocky Mountain National Park! It’s going to be the best day ever cause you are going to say your vows in the mountains! And if we’re really lucky you’ll have some rad elk as guests on your wedding day!!
Still not sure which spot and you want even MORE information on any location or suggestions on which ceremony site in Rocky Mountain National Park would be the right fit for you and your partner, contact me today and we’ll meet up online to find the perfect spot. Book Ashleigh to document your love story!
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