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I just heard back from a contact at Summit County about the updated Quandary Peak Parking and Shuttle system that will be in place this summer. Here are some key details and the website with more info:
PARKING DETAILS:
Parking reservations are required to park at the Quandary Peak Trailhead from June 17 to September 17.
Reservations can be made up to two weeks in advance beginning June 1 at www.hikequandary.com.
Parking after 3:00pm will be free and first-come, first-served.
Parking tickets are $100 both in the Quandary parking lot and along McCullough Gulch and Blue Lakes Road.
Overnight parking is not allowed (12:00am – 4:00am) in the Quandary Peak Trailhead.
Parking is prohibited on McCullough Gulch Road, Blue Lakes Road, and Highway 9.
PARKING FEES:
Full day (5:00am – 3:00pm)
$30 non-peak (Monday-Thursday, excluding Holidays), $55 peak (Friday-Sunday, plus Holidays).
Full day reservations are encouraged for Quandary hikers, as the average hike time is 6 hours.
Short-term reservations are well suited for McCullough Gulch hikers.
SHUTTLE INFO
The shuttle will operate June 17 to September 17 seven days a week from 5:00am to 5:00pm.
Shuttle tickets can be purchased up to two weeks in advance, starting June 1, at www.hikequandary.com.
Shuttles will operate on a first come, first serve basis. Passengers simply need to book the appropriate date and can board at any time on that date.
Pickup/drop off will occur at the Breckenridge South Gondola parking garage.
The last shuttle back to Breckenridge will board at 4:30pm at Quandary Peak.
It is free to park in the South Gondola parking garage all day using a code issued by SP Plus (shuttle operator) that visitors will receive in their shuttle email confirmation.
For a carless option, passengers are encouraged to walk, bike, or take the Town bus.
Dogs can ride the shuttle free of charge.
SHUTTLE FARES
Round trip shuttle fares are $7 per person and $0 for Summit County residents.
Residents must email hikequandary@spplus.com with proof of residency a minimum of 48 hours in advance of their trip. SP Plus will then validate local status and will send a code to apply during check out.
Acceptable documentation includes, but is not limited to, a Driver’s License, Utility Bill, or Lease Agreement with the customer’s name and a Summit County address.
Questions, complaints, compliments, and other feedback or information? Find it here -> https://hikequandary.com/
-Alex Derr
"Some people go to church, other people explore the outdoors. But we're all looking for the same thing, at the core of it: A place in and respect for the world bigger than ourselves."
I came here to show my mock annoyance even though I don't drive, but if I'm not mistaken, all the prices actually went down when compared to last year.
Wow $55 for a day fee on the weekend. That’s almost half of what CV charges for Culebra. Based on how many hikers refuse to pay that, this should go a long way toward mitigating crowds at Quandary.
“Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.” - Ecclesiastes 1:10-11
It looks like they lowered the Shuttle price for non-residents from $15 to $7, and the resident price from $5 to $0.
They are also now providing free parking at the shuttle lot - so it's just the $7. So the price effectively dropped from $30 to $7.
For the parking reservations, it looks like they actually raised prices slightly:
>Monday through Thursday: From $25 to $30
> Friday through Sunday: From $50 to $55
That's not too shocking given all the inflation - I'm guessing they decided to try using the profit from parking fees to subsidize the shuttle cost a bit for everyone else.
Last year, they had no problem filling their reservations at the $50 price point - so I doubt an extra $5 will dissuade many people.
Those who want to head to McCullough Gulch have two options: Take the Quandary shuttle or reserve a spot there to arrive at 5 am and walk 1.4 miles to the trailhead - or wait and arrive at 8 am and take a shuttle from the Quandary trailhead to the McCullough Gulch trailhead.
-Alex Derr
"Some people go to church, other people explore the outdoors. But we're all looking for the same thing, at the core of it: A place in and respect for the world bigger than ourselves."
JROSKA wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 5:29 pm
Wow $55 for a day fee on the weekend. That’s almost half of what CV charges for Culebra. Based on how many hikers refuse to pay that, this should go a long way toward mitigating crowds at Quandary.
Yes, this is all on the Trailhead and Route pages.
Big whoop on lowering the shuttle charge for locals but I guess it's something. It's the FULL DAY parking permit prices that are just ridiculous. $30-$55
Proud to be against fascism, racism, xenophobia and stupidity.
justiner wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 5:19 pm
I came here to show my mock annoyance even though I don't drive, but if I'm not mistaken, all the prices actually went down when compared to last year.
Yeah, they got a bit of pressure from us locals. Additionally, the permit-required window shrunk by a bit by starting mid-June and ending mid-September. Other than that, not much diff.
Proud to be against fascism, racism, xenophobia and stupidity.
Does this new parking system include parking at the Blue Lakes gate?
I know last year when we had the parking reservation there was still free parking at the Blue Lakes gate, but maybe that is changing this year.
Three words to describe mountaineering: Suffer, forget, repeat. Afterall, climbing is just a fancy way of building up a pain tolerance.
Every step you take is one step closer to the top.
JROSKA wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 5:29 pm
Wow $55 for a day fee on the weekend. That’s almost half of what CV charges for Culebra. Based on how many hikers refuse to pay that, this should go a long way toward mitigating crowds at Quandary.
actually it's a little more than a third of what CV charges, but if you take into consideration that a lot of folks don't hike alone, this should encourage carpooling- A-Basin is doing the same with their lots and i expect more ski areas will follow suit in the coming years. summit county sees an awful lot of traffic year round. this might help spread people out, unclog some of the traffic congestion (not just at the trailhead), and it would also encourage people to spend more time in breck after their hike (restaurants, shopping, lodging) if they're using the shuttles.
and $55 is still just a drop in the bucket compared to what i spend on gas traveling all over the state to hike (and, subsequently vehicle maintenance, and insurance premiums associated with higher mileage) so it would be extremely hypocritical for me to scoff at the "pay to play" aspect here. whatever floats your boat, SC.
“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” – Mary Davis
14er101 wrote: ↑Tue May 16, 2023 8:49 am
Does this new parking system include parking at the Blue Lakes gate?
I know last year when we had the parking reservation there was still free parking at the Blue Lakes gate, but maybe that is changing this year.
I checked in with Summit County - they told me Blue Lakes is not included:
From their staff: "Yes, hikers are still able to hike the west ridge of Quandary starting at the Blue Lakes parking lot. We definitely only recommend this route for advanced hikers because it is technical. If hikers choses this route, they will not need a parking reservation, as Blue Lakes is not included in the parking and shuttle system."
-Alex Derr
"Some people go to church, other people explore the outdoors. But we're all looking for the same thing, at the core of it: A place in and respect for the world bigger than ourselves."
amderr22 wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 5:34 pm
It looks like they lowered the Shuttle price for non-residents from $15 to $7, and the resident price from $5 to $0.
They are also now providing free parking at the shuttle lot - so it's just the $7. So the price effectively dropped from $30 to $7.
This seems pretty fair to me. And with the shuttles starting at 5 am (and running every 15 min), it seems like a good alternative to trailhead parking.
