Mt Evans road does not require reservation

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eskermo
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Re: Mt Evans road does not require reservation

Post by eskermo »

I know, right?! I just called Boulder RD and you are spot on- the only way is to go before 5 without a reservation is to park at the Gateway TH lot just outside the gate and walk/bike in.

The voice recording did say you may arrive prior to 5AM but only if you have a 5:00-8:00 reservation slot that day for that particular lot/TH.
Dave B wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 1:23 pm Oh, f**king lame! I didn't realize Brainard was doing this too...

Any idea if they're allowing bikes in without a reservation like RMNP?

edit - nevermind, you can enter on bike w/o a res
kpowers89
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Re: Mt Evans road does not require reservation

Post by kpowers89 »

Trotter wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 11:37 am
mtnkub wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:43 am ^ You have to pay to park near the summit or in the main summit lake parking lot.
Yep, and even if its "just for a second while I use the bathroom or take a photo" you have to pay.

But if parking for the tour de abyss area, that spot is free to park all day.
Just wanted to confirm this. So you don't need to get a reservation to park at the tour de abyss turnout? If you go to the welcome station and tell them that is where you plan to park they will wave you on through? I don't want to pay for a reservation if I don't have to, but I also don't want to drive up there and get turned around for not having a reservation.
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Conor
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Re: Mt Evans road does not require reservation

Post by Conor »

kpowers89 wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 4:40 pm
Trotter wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 11:37 am
mtnkub wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:43 am ^ You have to pay to park near the summit or in the main summit lake parking lot.
Yep, and even if its "just for a second while I use the bathroom or take a photo" you have to pay.

But if parking for the tour de abyss area, that spot is free to park all day.
Just wanted to confirm this. So you don't need to get a reservation to park at the tour de abyss turnout? If you go to the welcome station and tell them that is where you plan to park they will wave you on through? I don't want to pay for a reservation if I don't have to, but I also don't want to drive up there and get turned around for not having a reservation.
Ive always just driven by and not even stopped.
DWrx
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Re: Mt Evans road does not require reservation

Post by DWrx »

My takeaway from the video is that if you tell them you're just going to.park along the road and go hiking they'll let you through. The ranger even says you can do that. That's why I'm so glad he made the video. Otherwise, if someone just posted about it, there would be much more confusion. Maybe just say you saw the video and you're going hiking....😊
RETEP 1
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Re: Mt Evans road does not require reservation

Post by RETEP 1 »

This dude isn’t wrong….I’ve had multiple rangers just try to charge me the fee. His interaction is not at all unlike most of the ones I’ve experienced…
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434stonemill
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Re: Mt Evans road does not require reservation

Post by 434stonemill »

I heard an interesting bit on the Mt Evans Rd this morning on the radio. Couldn't find a link to listen to the actual news segment, but here is the link to the write up on it.
https://www.cpr.org/2021/07/21/mt-evans ... -be-fixed/

The basic jist of it is: The road was originally built using standard practices. That doesn't work well in alpine environments. This has led to thawing of the permafrost beneath the road, causing the large dips. It also leads to water pooling in certain areas and leaving other spots dry, changing the natural flora. All this means the road needs to be torn out and re-built differently. Construction could begin as soon as 2024.
DWrx
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Re: Mt Evans road does not require reservation

Post by DWrx »

It's been a problem for decades. The deal is that CDOT manages the road, not the USFS. But lots of people think the fees go to road maintenance when none of it does. We pay to maintain the road with our taxes.
DWrx
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Re: Mt Evans road does not require reservation

Post by DWrx »

What I find most amazing is that CPR did a piece on the reservation system, has now done a piece on the road, and is doing a piece on the lack of Forest Rangers due to the high cost of accessing public lands preventing youth from becoming interested in wild places. But they haven't done a piece on the FS fleecing of Mt Evans visitors. Go figure.
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two lunches
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Re: Mt Evans road does not require reservation

Post by two lunches »

DWrx wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:51 am What I find most amazing is that CPR did a piece on the reservation system, has now done a piece on the road, and is doing a piece on the lack of Forest Rangers due to the high cost of accessing public lands preventing youth from becoming interested in wild places. But they haven't done a piece on the FS fleecing of Mt Evans visitors. Go figure.
i'm not buying it. the reason there aren't enough forest rangers is because the pay is insulting.
“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” – Mary Davis
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