The National Park Service says Timber Creek Campground, on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado, will close at noon on August 10 and stay shut for the remainder of the 2026 summer season. The closure clears the way for a sewer system rehabilitation project that park officials say is needed to keep the campground’s wastewater infrastructure functioning reliably.
Campers with existing reservations at Timber Creek beyond August 10 will need to make alternate plans, since the Park Service has confirmed there is no option to extend stays past the closure date. The campground is expected to reopen for the 2027 summer season once the rehabilitation work is complete, though the park has not published an exact reopening date.
Timber Creek is one of five campgrounds inside Rocky Mountain National Park and is typically in high demand during peak summer months for its relatively easy access to the Kawuneeche Valley and the park’s west-side trailheads. Its closure narrows an already tight camping market on that side of the park just as late-summer visitation remains near its yearly high.
Travelers with plans to camp near the park’s west entrance after August 10 should look at Moraine Park, Glacier Basin, or Aspenglen campgrounds on the east side, or private and Forest Service campgrounds around Grand Lake, and should book well ahead given the reduced overall capacity for the rest of the season.
Sources: National Park Service, NPS Alerts in Parks
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