Public-Private Partnerships at Rocky Mountain National Park Drive Shared Stewardship Goals
Offering a model for collaboration that benefits visitors, communities and conservation.
Public-private partnerships are playing a critical role in shaping the future of tourism in Colorado. At the heart of this approach is a commitment to shared stewardship, where national parks, tourism organizations, nonprofits and private businesses work together to protect public lands while enhancing the visitor experience. Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) is leading the way, demonstrating how strategic collaborations can achieve mutual goals.
From increasing accessibility to improving visitor messaging and supporting gateway communities, RMNP and its partners are advancing the goals laid out in the Colorado Tourism Office’s (CTO) Statewide Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan. These partnerships exemplify how cross-sector collaboration can deliver lasting value for both people and places.
Accessible Travel through Partnership: All-Terrain Wheelchairs
One of RMNP’s most inspiring partnerships began with a simple idea: make the park more accessible for visitors with mobility challenges. In 2022, the Sam Schneider Legacy Foundation offered to donate an all-terrain wheelchair in memory of Sam, an avid outdoorsman who lost his life to cancer. The park’s non-profit partner, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, received the gift.
The Estes Park Mountain Shop, a nearby outdoor outfitter, joined the effort by managing free rentals of the wheelchair. The response from visitors was overwhelming—so much so that three additional wheelchairs have since been added, including one donated by a grateful guest who used the program.
This partnership not only expands physical access but also aligns with broader stewardship goals. RMNP is updating its trail descriptions to include more detailed information, such as grade, surface and terrain, so that individuals can make informed decisions based on their unique needs. An accessible backcountry campsite near Sprague Lake, reserved for visitors with mobility impairments, further supports inclusive experiences, enabling multi-ability groups to enjoy the wilderness together.
Tourism Partners Support National Park Stewardship
These accessibility efforts are not isolated. They reflect a wider movement across Colorado to support shared stewardship through tourism-industry partnerships. National parks work with thousands of partners—including concessionaires, community groups, nonprofits and private-sector businesses—to address everything from transportation to emergency response to cultural interpretation.
In Colorado, destination management organizations (DMOs) like Visit Estes Park and the Grand Lake Chamber are stepping into key stewardship roles. These organizations bring critical insights into visitor trends, travel behaviors and promotional strategy, complementing the parks’ focus on natural and cultural resources.
For example, RMNP partnered with Visit Estes Park on a CTO Marketing Matching Grant campaign to produce the Do Estes Right series, featuring videos and social content that promote responsible recreation. The park contributed video assets and helped shape messaging on wildlife safety, trail etiquette and wildfire prevention. Similarly, RMNP supported the Grand Lake Chamber’s effort to develop a digital stewardship kiosk, made possible through a CTO Tourism Management Grant, by writing letters of support and collaborating on visitor messaging.
These partnerships showcase the unique value DMOs can offer: regional expertise, grant-writing capacity, visitor communication channels and a deep understanding of local identity.
Building Community Through Collaboration
RMNP’s success in building strong relationships with its gateway communities—Estes Park and Grand Lake—demonstrates how effective stewardship starts with shared values. “Outreach and basic relationship-building to talk about commonalities have led to the most success,” said Kyle Patterson, RMNP management specialist/public affairs officer. “Everyone agrees they want guests to be responsible with fire and to respect wildlife. Local community members and park staff want to take care of the park in perpetuity so people keep coming back, enjoying the park and supporting the local economy.”
This alignment between conservation and community prosperity reflects the CTO’s core destination stewardship principles: tourism should enhance quality of life for residents, protect natural and cultural assets, and support long-term economic resilience. These outcomes are possible only through partnership and coordination.
Get Involved
If you’re part of a Colorado tourism organization or business and want to support shared stewardship with public lands, start by opening a dialogue with your local park or forest office. Look for ways to align messaging, support grant efforts, co-host events or share visitor research. These efforts not only benefit the parks—they deepen your connection to the community, enhance the visitor experience and help protect the resources that keep Colorado special.
Have a destination stewardship success story of your own? We’d love to hear about it. Reach out to the CTO to share how your work is helping to sustain Colorado’s natural wonders, cultural heritage and vibrant communities for generations to come.
