Dates

1966 - Present (General Spectrum)

Fall 1963 (Wirth announces retirement)

January 1964 (Hartzog becomes Director)

January 2001 (Beaver Meadows Dedication)
 

Context

Contemporary Impact and Criticism of Mission 66

From a logistical standpoint, Mission 66 was extraordinarily successful in Rocky Mountain National Park. The remodeled roads allowed for smoother and wider-ranging accessibility, and new parking lots slightly reduced the amount of automobile crowding. Estes Park economically benefited from increased visitation and a prominent role as the primary stop for overnight visitors (Allaback, 2000).

Rocky Mountain National Park avoided much of the widespread criticism that befell Mission 66's building program, but still provoked some notably negative responses. Most critics derided the National Park Service's focus on infrastructural improvements over ecological and educational concerns (Carr, 2007). Modern roads and facilities allowed for greater visitor mobility, but the program contributed relatively little towards updating the park's interpretive programs or its forest management system. Historian Lloyd Musselman remarked that increased comfort and accessibility did not necessarily contribute any significant meaning to visitors' personal experiences, and conservationists F. Fraser Darling and Noel D. Eichhorn noted that “Mission 66 [had] done comparatively little for the plants and animals” (Darling, 1967; Musselman, 1971). Indeed, the most stinging observations of Mission 66’s impact on Rocky Mountain National Park revolved around its long-term effect on the park’s preservationist credibility. Increased access raised the risk for environmental degradation, but also supported Conrad Wirth’s prediction that greater park visitation would invariably lead to greater awareness in park preservation (Bzdek, 2010).

The Legacy of Mission 66 in Rocky Mountain National Park

Despite their initial success, many of Mission 66's accessibility improvements have struggled over the years to keep up with Rocky Mountain National Park's perennially-rising popularity. The park saw a new attendance record in 2016 with 4,526,335 visitors, and old issues of overcrowding and road congestion are reemerging (NPS, 2017). Mission 66's most enduring legacy in Rocky Mountain National Park, however, is not found in the roads but in the visitor centers.

All three centers still function as hubs for visitor congregation, but Beaver Meadows remains the project’s most revered architectural achievement. Mission 66 often met mixed reception throughout the National Park Service, but Beaver Meadows generally escaped such criticism. The building’s functionality and its ability to complement the surrounding landscape while embodying a modern aesthetic led to its designation as a National Historic Landmark in January, 2001 (NPS, 2015). From its architecture to its furniture, Beaver Meadows continues to adhere to Mission 66’s goals of efficiency and access, and still serves as popular gathering point for future adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park.

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