Mt Evans reservation system online

Items that do not fit the categories above.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
headsizeburrito
Posts: 176
Joined: 8/22/2020
14ers: 29  18 
13ers: 89 4
Trip Reports (8)
 

Mt Evans reservation system online

Post by headsizeburrito »

Followup to this thread now that there are concrete developments: https://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=59905

FORT COLLINS, Colo — Reservations will soon be available for Mount Evans and Brainard Lake recreation areas, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced Wednesday.

Mount Evans Recreation Area is tentatively scheduled to open on June 4, weather permitting, and reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance beginning June 2.
https://www.9news.com/article/travel/de ... 43aeaea1e6

Permits are now listed on Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10087438

Of course it also says this...
Due to technical difficulties, advanced reservations for Mount Evans are delayed. We are working diligently to correct the problem. Please check back for status updates. We will give advanced notice this afternoon to announce when these tickets will go on sale.


:roll:

Reservations have a $2 fee on top of the normal entry fee. Important to note that there are different reservations allowing access to the actual Evans summit, summit lake, or the Goliath/interpretive area. Also strange that your ticket is valid for three days, not sure how that fits with "timed entry" or if you enter at your time the first day and can then come back at any time the next two days? Kind of confusing.

I don't see anything about how early/late it applies or if you can beat the reservation system by going early like with RMNP. Hopefully that is possible and they just aren't publicizing it...
User avatar
justiner
Posts: 4396
Joined: 8/28/2010
14ers: 58  8 
13ers: 138
Trip Reports (40)
 
Contact:

Re: Mt Evans reservation system online

Post by justiner »

Before the reservation system, you didn't actually didn't need to pay for driving the road, just using the facilities (including the parking lot). This was kind of a big todo a few years ago, as the USFS wasn't exactly forthcoming with that information. If this has now changed after the reservation system (ok FINE recreation.gov - gets their cut, however unscrupulous that whole system is, as it doesn't benefit the area in any way), that's malarky.
User avatar
dwoodward13
Posts: 738
Joined: 3/26/2011
14ers: 58  12 
13ers: 157 6
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Mt Evans reservation system online

Post by dwoodward13 »

justiner wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:46 pm Before the reservation system, you didn't actually didn't need to pay for driving the road, just using the facilities (including the parking lot). This was kind of a big todo a few years ago, as the USFS wasn't exactly forthcoming with that information. If this has now changed after the reservation system (ok FINE recreation.gov - gets their cut, however unscrupulous that whole system is, as it doesn't benefit the area in any way), that's malarky.
This was also the same quirk as parking at unimproved areas, such as the Tour de Abyss pull out. I can't find anything either way.
User avatar
headsizeburrito
Posts: 176
Joined: 8/22/2020
14ers: 29  18 
13ers: 89 4
Trip Reports (8)
 

Re: Mt Evans reservation system online

Post by headsizeburrito »

dwoodward13 wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:53 pm This was also the same quirk as parking at unimproved areas, such as the Tour de Abyss pull out. I can't find anything either way.
Yeah, I remember this coming up a while back when I lived in CA and was parking at unimproved areas for National Forest land. Either way I have an annual pass (and I assume many others here do as well) so I'm less worried about entry fees and more just the reservation system. It would be a nice loophole if you told them you are just going to a pullout and could get in without a reservation but I kind of doubt that will fly.

My family might want to make the summit drive at some point, but I just want to do Tour d'Abyss without reservations or hiking the west slope of Bierstadt first! :lol:
User avatar
12ersRule
Posts: 2264
Joined: 6/18/2007
14ers: 58 
13ers: 157
Trip Reports (4)
 

Re: Mt Evans reservation system online

Post by 12ersRule »

The quote about the mountain goats was pretty interesting. Thought that wildlife managers considered them pests because they're not native to Colorado?

Road bikers must be ecstatic. I love the ride up, that downhill is kind of punishing though.
User avatar
dwoodward13
Posts: 738
Joined: 3/26/2011
14ers: 58  12 
13ers: 157 6
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Mt Evans reservation system online

Post by dwoodward13 »

headsizeburrito wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 1:07 pm
dwoodward13 wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:53 pm This was also the same quirk as parking at unimproved areas, such as the Tour de Abyss pull out. I can't find anything either way.
Yeah, I remember this coming up a while back when I lived in CA and was parking at unimproved areas for National Forest land. Either way I have an annual pass (and I assume many others here do as well) so I'm less worried about entry fees and more just the reservation system. It would be a nice loophole if you told them you are just going to a pullout and could get in without a reservation but I kind of doubt that will fly.

My family might want to make the summit drive at some point, but I just want to do Tour d'Abyss without reservations or hiking the west slope of Bierstadt first! :lol:
Ya I'm not concerned with the fee (although the $2 "reservation fee" if you have an Annual Pass is annoying. The Bells/RMNP don't do this), but just if I need a reservation to park in the pullout. To me, it seems like the reservations are a direct replacement for an entry fee you would have previously paid at the booth, but I can't find any confirmation one way or another.
Agstrohmeier
Posts: 33
Joined: 8/4/2017
14ers: 15  6 
13ers: 23
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Mt Evans reservation system online

Post by Agstrohmeier »

One thing to note, wife called in and if you arrive before 8 a reservation is not required. She asked specifically about parking at the lake, they said just to pay the fee at the self service station.

Reservations now open tomorrow at 8am.
User avatar
headsizeburrito
Posts: 176
Joined: 8/22/2020
14ers: 29  18 
13ers: 89 4
Trip Reports (8)
 

Re: Mt Evans reservation system online

Post by headsizeburrito »

Thanks for the info! That sounds pretty reasonable to me.
Post Reply