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Rocky Mountain National Park partially re-opened

Posted at 5:52 PM, Jan 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-15 20:36:26-05

COLORADO – Visitors can finally access a few areas in Rocky Mountain National Park that have been closed due to the lack of resources during the longest running government shutdown in history.

A limited number of park staff started plowing U.S. 36 past the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and U.S. 34 past the Fall River entrance over the weekend.

On Monday, both highways re-opened to Deer Ridge Junction along with a few other roads, according to a park news release.

Some custodians also returned to the park to start the long cleaning process. They cleaned bathroom facilities and picked up trash that had accumulated more than usual since the shutdown.

RMNP is still not collecting entrance fees at this time. However, entrance stations will be open to provide safety and basic information to visitors.

The news release also stated the services are funded with revenue from recreation fees.

Most facilities will remain closed, including Beaver Meadows Visitor Center on the east side and Kawuneeche Visitor Center on the west side.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)