Summer-time recreationalists have had their wallets hit hard over the last three weeks if they’ve parked in one of the “no parking” zones around the summit of Guanella Pass outside Georgetown.

In an email to The Denver Gazette on Tuesday, early ticket data collected from the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office shows its community enforcement officer has written 37 tickets on Guanella Pass since July 24 (signs installed July 23) and each ticket written was at least $87.50, with some tickets being even more if there was more than one violation.

At a minimum, that’s $3,237.50 worth of tickets for vehicles parked where they should not.

“One of our deputies also patrolled the pass on Sunday, Aug 10,” Strategic Communication Manager Jennifer Fulton said. “He wrote approximately 20 tickets that day, for the same minimum amount.”

“It seems many visitors are ignoring the signage and a few, who have gotten tickets, remarked that they thought it was OK to park there because they saw others parked along the roadway too,” Fulton said.

But “the responses I’ve seen on social media have been positive,” she said. “I have not heard of any complaints, but I may not be aware of them (all).”

As access to nearby fourteeners Mount Bierstadt and Mount Blue Sky continues through late summer and the upcoming aspens leaf peeping season starts, both Clear Creek and Park counties are planning to do the following to help mitigate traffic and parking issues during leaf-peeping weekends:

• Additional patrols will start. Three law enforcement officials will be on each side of the pass and as follows: one stationed at each entrance; the beginning of Guanella Pass Road at Georgetown in Clear Creek County and U.S. Highway 285/Geneva Road in Park County, and two who are mobile on both Guanella Pass Road. and Geneva Road (Clear Creek County will have two mobile patrols and Park County will have two mobile patrols).
• Vehicles parked blocking the roadway will be towed to ensure access at all times for emergency vehicles.
• Additional no parking signage will be added for leaf-changing season. No parking will be enforced and illegally parked vehicles will be ticketed.
• If the traffic volume warrants, Clear Creek and/or Park County will temporarily close access at the “entrances” to ensure the roadway on both sides remains accessible for emergency vehicles. These closures would be periodic and temporary; the roadway would be reopened after a sufficient amount of vehicles have exited the pass. (“We anticipate these closures would only occur during weekend days of the two peak weekends, if at all,” the spokesperson said.)
• The town of Georgetown is also planning for additional traffic control to ensure town streets don’t become too congested with vehicles waiting to access the pass or exiting from the pass.
• Residents, campers, and hunters will be allowed access to the pass in the event of temporary closures.

A news conference is planned for 10 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 10 at the Guanella Pass Summit, in conjunction with Park County, USFS, CDOT, and Georgetown, to announce the traffic management and parking enforcement plans.