Rocky Mountain National Park engagement photography is something I highly recommend! Whether you are visiting from out of town, or you live in Colorado, and are having your wedding here too, RMNP will not disappoint. Most of my couples choose to have their engagement shoot at Rocky Mountain National Park. And who can blame them? RMNP is a destination for millions of visitors each year.

If you want the most epic Colorado background for your Rocky Mountain National Park engagement photos, you’re in the right place! If you want a warm, summer look make sure to do those June – August. There isn’t much for fall colors at RMNP, but they sure will have a lot of wildlife at that time. And for winter, if you want a winter wonderland type shoot, RMNP is perfect for that!

2025 UPDATE: In February it was announced that about 1,000 National Park employees were laid off from their jobs around the county. What could this mean if you have a wedding or engagement session in Rocky Mountain National Park in 2025? According to this article by USA Today, it could mean have a backup plan in mind. The park employees that remain could be stretched to their limits. With the foot traffic in National Parks being WAY UP and the employees now being significantly reduced, this could mean a lot of things. It could mean trash on the ground, longer wait times to get into the park, and grossly neglected restrooms. If you plan on visiting the park in 2025, don’t forget to add some extra time needed to get into the park. And it would be a HUGE help if you brought a trash bag with you and collected any trash you see. We want to make sure the animals in the park remain safe.

Rocky Mountain National Park recently sent me their annual report. It reads: “Rocky Mountain National Park received its highest annual visitation ever in 2018. The park received a total of 4,590,492 visitors last year, which was a 3.5 percent increase over visitation in 2017.  This number represents a slight increase from previous record visitation in 2016, of 4,517,584. Visitation for 2018 represents a 42 percent increase since 2012.” 

There were also over 325 million visitors recorded across all the National Parks according to their annual report for 2023. That’s a lot of people! I’m so happy to see so many people are excited about getting out in the wilderness and enjoying the fresh air!

So what days should you avoid getting your engagement photography done? RMNP’s visitor report said this: “The top ten busiest days in 2018 in order from first to tenth were: September 22, September 10, September 2, July 22, September 15, September 3, September 23, September 16, July 1, and August 11.” I would definitely avoid those days, unless you’re okay with tons of tourists in the background of your photos.

Here are some other things to note about Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s extremely cold and windy!! Dress warm and bring a beanie for your hair in case the wind doesn’t let up. Whatever the weather app says Estes Park is, it could be 40 degrees colder than that at the top of Trail Ridge Road.

I schedule engagement sessions Monday through Thursdays throughout the year. There are options to drive around for your engagement shoot, or even backpack! Please note that Trail Ridge Road is only open from June to October. (The weather up there is too harsh for visitors in the winter and is closed to the public.) If Trail Ridge Road is closed when you’re wanting to do your engagement photos, don’t worry. There are endless other locations in RMNP.

I highly recommend visiting Rocky Mountain National Park for your engagement photos! Jump over to my contact form to see if I’m available for your shoot! And while you’re at it, check out this RMNP elopement.