A long-standing prohibition against mountain biking in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park will be lifted – just a little – in the next few months.

The National Park Service recently issued a Finding of No Significant Impact report that clears the path of mountain biking on a two-mile stretch of the East Shore Trail near Grand Lake, the western gateway to the park.

It has been more than two years since the National Park Service granted individual park superintendents the authority to allow bicycles on fire roads, roads used by park maintenance vehicles, and trails that are closed to motorized vehicles. Before mountain bikes can be approved for the East Shore Trail connecting, a quarter-mile section must be rerouted. The relocated section would be considered a "new trail," requiring official new regulations.

Allowing mountain bikes on the route is not a new idea. It was suggested as far back as 2006, before wilderness designation was expanded. Bicycles are, of course, prohibited in designated wilderness areas, which means 95 percent of the national park remains off-limits to bikes. Still, there is a possibility that mountain bikes will eventually be permitted elsewhere in the park.

Under discussion are possible east-side connectors to bike trails in Estes Park and to park campgrounds. The Aspenglen seasonal campground is just a few hundred yards from the Fall River Entrance Station.

Up to this time, the park and bicycles -- other than road bikes heading up and over paved Trail Ridge Road -- have not seemed compatible. Several years ago, organizers of the USA Pro Challenge, a European-style stage race, wanted to traverse Trail Ridge Road between Estes Park and Grand Lake over a high point of 12,183 feet, but permission was denied.

Meanwhile, other changes are afoot, and they involve money. Next month, the Park Service is expected to decide whether Rocky will raise its annual pass from $40 to $50 (and by 2017 to $60) and its day fee to $20, which currently is the weekly fee. The last time entrance fees increased was 2009, $35 to $40. RMNP is celebrating its centennial this year, and it seems as if changes are coming.