Vail resident and visitors alike are being asked by the multiple local and federal agencies too ‘Bus It to Hike it’ due to the limited number of parking spots at popular trailheads.

The United States Department of Agriculture announced its campaign on Wednesday in a joint-release from the Town of Vail and the White River National Forest. It is due to parking restrictions in place to address overcrowding and safety concerns that go into affect on June 2.

“We have an extensive free bus system in Vail, and hikers will be able to access all of these trailheads by parking in one of our four parking garages and hopping on a bus with convent service to East Vail every 30 minutes, Vail Town Manager Scott Robson said in a news release.

Some parking areas at popular trailheads scubas Pitkin and Bighorn are limited to only three hours and prohibit overnight parking. Others like the Booth Lake Trailhead will be closed for the summer season.

Additionally at Gore/Deluge trailhead there is only a limited number of parking spaces and delineated no parking areas to address conflicts between vehicles and bicyclists along the Vail Pass, according to the release.

Last year, trails in the area, like in most spots in Colorado, sky-rocketed as more people spent time in the great outdoors, during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this created some safety issues and negatively impacted various trailheads due to crowding.

For instance use of Booth Lake Trail alone increased from just over 30,600 people to over 50,500 people last year, said Leanne Veldhuis, Eagle-Holly Cross District Ranger.

“We are seeing significant issues with overcrowding on the trails in the Eagle Nest Wilderness, which is resulting in trail erosion and a buildup of trash, dog waste and human waste,” Veldhuis said.

Vail Police Chief Dwight Henninger said the new traffic and parking regulations will be strictly enforced and will help first responders get to areas at a time of need.

“These trailhead parking changes will help us address illegal or inappropriate parking, difficult emergency vehicle access for the surrounding area, and speeding and heavy congestion along Booth Creek Road and these other trailheads,” Vail Police Chief Dwight Henninger said in the release.

Information about parking and bus routes can be found here.

Vail resident and visitors alike are being asked by the multiple local and federal agencies too ‘Bus It to Hike it’ due to the limited number of parking spots at popular trailheads.

The United States Department of Agriculture announced its campaign on Wednesday in a joint-release from the Town of Vail and the White River National Forest. It is due to parking restrictions in place to address overcrowding and safety concerns that go into affect on June 2.

“We have an extensive free bus system in Vail, and hikers will be able to access all of these trailheads by parking in one of our four parking garages and hopping on a bus with convent service to East Vail every 30 minutes, Vail Town Manager Scott Robson said in a news release.

Some parking areas at popular trailheads scubas Pitkin and Bighorn are limited to only three hours and prohibit overnight parking. Others like the Booth Lake Trailhead will be closed for the summer season.

Additionally at Gore/Deluge trailhead there is only a limited number of parking spaces and delineated no parking areas to address conflicts between vehicles and bicyclists along the Vail Pass, according to the release.

Last year, trails in the area, like in most spots in Colorado, sky-rocketed as more people spent time in the great outdoors, during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this created some safety issues and negatively impacted various trailheads due to crowding.

For instance use of Booth Lake Trail alone increased from just over 30,600 people to over 50,500 people last year, said Leanne Veldhuis, Eagle-Holly Cross District Ranger.

“We are seeing significant issues with overcrowding on the trails in the Eagle Nest Wilderness, which is resulting in trail erosion and a buildup of trash, dog waste and human waste,” Veldhuis said.

Vail Police Chief Dwight Henninger said the new traffic and parking regulations will be strictly enforced and will help first responders get to areas at a time of need.

“These trailhead parking changes will help us address illegal or inappropriate parking, difficult emergency vehicle access for the surrounding area, and speeding and heavy congestion along Booth Creek Road and these other trailheads,” Vail Police Chief Dwight Henninger said in the release.

Information about parking and bus routes can be found here.