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TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 6:51 am
by larkinrx2
looking at what is truly needed to do Evans from summit lake with daughter
have parks pass and able to get up there before the gate opens so still need a reservation pass for the car so its there when done with hike?
follow up is there a list somewhere or will things be added to the TH pages on the mountains for stuff like this and all the other new rules for parking at:
decalibron, Grays/Torreys and all the other ones going to permits/tickets/rules?
thanks
Re: TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 6:57 am
by dwoodward13
If you are parked at Summit Lake past 8am, you'll need a timed entry permit/parking reservation (same thing). Since you are going thru the gate before 8am, you'll need to print it out and toss it on the dash.
Those other peaks you mentioned have no other permits. Kite Lake does have a $5 (?) fee payable at the TH, but nothing needed prearrival and had been in place for several years. G/T they have started to ticket illegally parked cars, but I wouldn't really qualify that as an additional restriction.
I believe Bill has started to add links to the Route Descriptions for those peaks with hiking/parking permit requirements.
From the top of my head those with restrictions are:
Quandary
Evans (Summit Lake, Summit Lot)
Maroon Bells/Pyramid
Longs Peak (although if entering before 9am, none)
Pikes Peak (if driving to very top)
Re: TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 7:33 am
by Conor
If you park on the road in a legal spot isn't it "Free." or did they remove those parking spots?
Re: TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 7:57 am
by dwoodward13
Conor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 7:33 am
If you park on the road in a legal spot isn't it "Free." or did they remove those parking spots?
If you are meaning places like the Tour de Abyss pullout, those are still free game.
Re: TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:06 am
by larkinrx2
my understanding for Decalibron was if not in the upper TH fee area that the land owners up there (mine) was having issues with all the cars plugging up the road and tickets resulting
for Grays/Torreys that they are ticketing anyone that parks outside the upper TH along the road, so its TH or lower lot at highway
Quandary, if dont make it in upper TH parking spot then have to ride the bus from the town
Pikes, Fee for parking in town lots
Evans, sounds like need to have permit printed on dash for whenever ranger feels like ticketing car so no longer can get in before gate opens for free for day?
Re: TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:12 am
by larkinrx2
so for Evans the reservation is a timed entry guarantee and good for the rest of the day after that
what if i get a late time slot for the day (2 pm or so) but arrive before the gate and slap it on my dash? Still counts because i had a timed entry or not because got in before the time?
i find this stupid like the timed entry into RMNP where all i have to do is crash the gate before the govt feels like staffing it
if the pull offs are still free do you have to have the timed entry reservation? how much of the pull off at summit lake is considered free vs fee? along the road but not in the lot?
Re: TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:41 am
by dwoodward13
larkinrx2 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:12 am
so for Evans the reservation is a timed entry guarantee and good for the rest of the day after that
what if i get a late time slot for the day (2 pm or so) but arrive before the gate and slap it on my dash? Still counts because i had a timed entry or not because got in before the time?
i find this stupid like the timed entry into RMNP where all i have to do is crash the gate before the govt feels like staffing it
if the pull offs are still free do you have to have the timed entry reservation? how much of the pull off at summit lake is considered free vs fee? along the road but not in the lot?
That won't work. The website says you aren't allowed to enter before your permit (I'm assuming during the hours a Ranger is stationed at the bottom 8am to 5pm (?) and they will block you). For entering before 8am you will need the 8am slot, there will be no one checking if you roll up at 430am, but a ranger does patrol the lots around 8am looking for permits if you are still parked there. Now of course its possible a given ranger on a given day would let a 2pm permit slide, but that's certainly a gamble and not what the system spells out.
This is different than RMNP in that in RMNP as long as you enter before 5am/9am you are set. For Evans you can enter before 8am just fine, but if you are *parked* after 8am, you need a permit.
Unimproved pullouts are fair game, no entry reservation required. There are "fee area" signs posted in the areas where you would need the permit ie in/near any of the improved parking areas, Summit Lake, Summit, Goliath.
Re: TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 9:05 am
by larkinrx2
how much longer until they start littering the pull offs and edge of road with boulders to stop the free parking? how many free pull offs are there around summit lake?
Re: TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 12:13 pm
by Conor
dwoodward13 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:41 am
larkinrx2 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:12 am
so for Evans the reservation is a timed entry guarantee and good for the rest of the day after that
what if i get a late time slot for the day (2 pm or so) but arrive before the gate and slap it on my dash? Still counts because i had a timed entry or not because got in before the time?
i find this stupid like the timed entry into RMNP where all i have to do is crash the gate before the govt feels like staffing it
if the pull offs are still free do you have to have the timed entry reservation? how much of the pull off at summit lake is considered free vs fee? along the road but not in the lot?
That won't work. The website says you aren't allowed to enter before your permit (I'm assuming during the hours a Ranger is stationed at the bottom 8am to 5pm (?) and they will block you). For entering before 8am you will need the 8am slot, there will be no one checking if you roll up at 430am, but a ranger does patrol the lots around 8am looking for permits if you are still parked there. Now of course its possible a given ranger on a given day would let a 2pm permit slide, but that's certainly a gamble and not what the system spells out.
This is different than RMNP in that in RMNP as long as you enter before 5am/9am you are set. For Evans you can enter before 8am just fine, but if you are *parked* after 8am, you need a permit.
Unimproved pullouts are fair game, no entry reservation required. There are "fee area" signs posted in the areas where you would need the permit ie in/near any of the improved parking areas, Summit Lake, Summit, Goliath.
We're talking about just parking a vehicle, correct? It's my understanding that the ranger cannot charge you to use the road, as it technically a state highway and they are not supposed to charge for entry into forests/wilderness areas. I know in the past, people would drive around the "welcome center" and nothing ever happened. I know one time I was in a vehicle that bypassed like 4 cars waiting to pay. Is that still not the case?
Re: TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 12:28 pm
by dwoodward13
Conor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 12:13 pm
dwoodward13 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:41 am
larkinrx2 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:12 am
so for Evans the reservation is a timed entry guarantee and good for the rest of the day after that
what if i get a late time slot for the day (2 pm or so) but arrive before the gate and slap it on my dash? Still counts because i had a timed entry or not because got in before the time?
i find this stupid like the timed entry into RMNP where all i have to do is crash the gate before the govt feels like staffing it
if the pull offs are still free do you have to have the timed entry reservation? how much of the pull off at summit lake is considered free vs fee? along the road but not in the lot?
That won't work. The website says you aren't allowed to enter before your permit (I'm assuming during the hours a Ranger is stationed at the bottom 8am to 5pm (?) and they will block you). For entering before 8am you will need the 8am slot, there will be no one checking if you roll up at 430am, but a ranger does patrol the lots around 8am looking for permits if you are still parked there. Now of course its possible a given ranger on a given day would let a 2pm permit slide, but that's certainly a gamble and not what the system spells out.
This is different than RMNP in that in RMNP as long as you enter before 5am/9am you are set. For Evans you can enter before 8am just fine, but if you are *parked* after 8am, you need a permit.
Unimproved pullouts are fair game, no entry reservation required. There are "fee area" signs posted in the areas where you would need the permit ie in/near any of the improved parking areas, Summit Lake, Summit, Goliath.
We're talking about just parking a vehicle, correct? It's my understanding that the ranger cannot charge you to use the road, as it technically a state highway and they are not supposed to charge for entry into forests/wilderness areas. I know in the past, people would drive around the "welcome center" and nothing ever happened. I know one time I was in a vehicle that bypassed like 4 cars waiting to pay. Is that still not the case?
Correct. The road is a state highway. You only have to pay/get a timed entry for the USFS and/or Denver Mountain Park facilities (ie parking lots, bathrooms, etc).
Re: TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 2:08 pm
by larkinrx2
- evans.png (761.02 KiB) Viewed 3267 times
so all these cars in old google pic parked along the road would be free parking? Or is the side of the road there part of Denver parks land?
can one still walk straight down from the parking lot to the road and jaunt back to this area?
Re: TH requirements
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 2:19 pm
by BillMiddlebrook
Yeah, sorry for the delay on getting this information out there.
I've added "alerts" to both the
Summit Lake TH and the
Evan's West Ridge route (from Summit Lake).
Additionally, I'll put up more information about when you DO NOT need a reservation because you plan on parking in a defined pull-off along the road. This is mostly the case for those doing Bierstadt's East Ridge from the pull-off below the Evans summit.