About Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain is one of the most popular places in Colorado, but for good reason! The park is amazing and had so many epic locations within the rockies. Whether you want alpine lakes, forests, or sweeping mountain views, you've got it in RMNP!
Ceremonies and Weddings in the Park
If you want to have a ceremony in the park, then you need a special wedding permit. There are only specific locations where you can have a ceremony and a limited number of permits are issued each year. Permits open one year in advance. In addition to these special use permits, you will also need to pay park entrance and reserve timed entry tickets for any guests.
Wedding and elopement permit info
If you don't want to hold a cermeony in the park and just want to take photos, no permit is required (as of 2024). There is no restriction on locations for photos, as long as we are in a location that is also accessible to the public.
Wedding Locations
Rocky Mountain National Park only allows wedding ceremonies at specific locations throughout the park.
Current list of wedding locations in Rocky Mountain National Park
Crowds
Especially in the summer months, I highly recommend picking a weekday instead of a weekend. The park gets extremely crowded and you will have a must better experience on a weekday.
Entry + Timed Entry Permits
Rocky Mountain requires an entrance fee throughout the entire year. If you have a National Parks pass, that will also get you into the park.
Rocky Mountain National Park requires timed entry permits from late May-late October. These entry permits will go fast, so if your date is within the timed entry permit window, we'll need to get the permits as soon as they are released. Don't worry! I'll help with getting the entry permits, but just giving you a heads up.
Here is the official NPS page about timed entry permits
Dream Lake
The lake and trail is accessible year-round. I don't usually recommend picking this location in the winter because snow makes the trail more strenuous, and it's usually really cold and windy at the lake.
Note: Dream Lake usually requires an additional cost due to the time it takes to hike there and back
Example Galleries
- Summer engagement session (August)
- Summer engagement session (June - some snow)
- Fall engagement session (includes aspen grove at the Glacier Gorge trailhead)
Sprague Lake
Trail length: Easy 0.8 mile trail
Link to the trail on AllTrails
Example Sessions
- Summer Engagement Session at 3M Curve and Sprague Lake
- Winter Elopement at 3M Curve and Sprague Lake
- Snowy winter elopement at Sprague Lake and Bear Lake
Aspen Grove near Glacier Gorge
Example galleries:
- Fall engagement session at the aspen grove and Dream Lake
- Summer engagement session at the aspen grove and Dream Lake
Bear Lake
This is probably the most accessible lake and trail in the park. The nature trail is flat, easy, and goes all the way around the lake.
Trail length: Easy 0.7 mile trail
Link to the trail on AllTrails
I'm a traveling wedding and elopement photographer based in Boulder, Colorado. I capture real moments with bright, bold, natural images. My goal is to help make your wedding day the best it can be and ensure that you have a meaningful, memorable, FUN wedding day to start a lifelong adventure.
Hi! I'm Abby!
Learn More
Copyright Abby Shepard Photography
