Rocky Mountain National Park’s pilot temporary timed entry permit reservation system will return in 2023, starting May 26. A news release from the park reads that the system used in 2022 eased congestion impacts and improved visitor experience in the park.

The 2023 system, similar to the previous one, will offer two types of reservations — one for the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which provides access to that area as well as the rest of the park, and a second for the whole park besides the corridor. The corridor reservation period will run from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., while the “rest of the park” reservation period will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Permits will allow visitors to enter the park within a two-hour window and have no cost other than the $2 Recreation.gov processing fee. The period to book reservations will open Monday, May 1, 2023, with reservations available from May 26 to June 30, 2023. Then reservations for each subsequent month will open on the first of the month, until the reservation program ends Oct. 22, 2023.

Changes from the 2022 system include making 40% of reservations available the day prior at 5 p.m. on Recreation.gov, extending the program’s length and reducing the time period and number of hours each day that a “rest of the park” reservation is required.The pilot programs are part of Rocky’s work on its long-range visitor use management plan. It will host public meetings in December regarding the plan and has a public comment period running through Feb. 1.