During World War II, visitation to all the national parks declined dramatically. After the war, a surge of baby boom families found the facilities in disrepair. This widespread deterioration of facilities demanded a major reconstruction program.  The National Park Service replied with "a forward-looking program" called Mission 66. It planned to remedy many older problems and to prepare for the future, providing "maximum enjoyment for those who use the parks" as well as "maximum protection of the scenic, scientific, wilderness, and historic resources that give them distinction."  When this ten-year program began in 1956, over $9 million worth of improvements were projected for Rocky Mountain National Park alone. With other parks facing similar problems, Congress eventually allocated more than $1 billion to fix and refurbish all the national parks.

A new eastern approach road was developed into Beaver Meadows, replacing an older entrance on a narrow roadway that edged the Big Thompson River. Widening highways, filling in "chuck-holes," fixing "dips and weaves," and enlarging parking areas and picnic spots along Trail Ridge Road all constituted projects within the "urgently needed" Mission 66 program.

A new kind of centralized facility, called a visitor center, sprang up in Rocky. At the new Beaver Meadows, Kawuneeche and Alpine Visitor Centers, guests could watch a movie, talk to a ranger, and get oriented to the park. Many other mundane but necessary elements were included, such as expanding campgrounds, reconstructing water and sewer systems, modernizing telephone and power systems, and building new housing for employees.  Declared a National Historic Landmark in 2002, it is the only building in the NPS designed by the Frank Lloyd Wright school of architecture.

Credits and Sources:

“Brief Park History.” National Park Service: Rocky Mountain, Colorado. Stories. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/historyculture/brief.htm

“Timeline of Historic Events.” National Park Service: Rocky Mountain, Colorado. Stories. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/historyculture/time_line_of_historic_events.htm

“Rocky Mountain National Park: A History. Chapter 8: The Price of Popularity.” National Park Service. Park History Program. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/romo/buchholtz/chap8.htm