$50 Parking Reservations Return To Quandary Peak Starting In June

People love the great outdoors here in Colorado, and quite honestly, what's there not to love. The traffic and parking situations I guess would probably be the biggest issue for many, especially at some of the more popular spots like 14ers during peak season and days.

Last year, I climbed my first 14er, Quandary, and it was on a Saturday during a beautiful weekend in August. All I can say about that is this: I'm glad I planned ahead and made my decision to take the shuttle to the trailhead because my goodness, I've never seen more people on a mountain in my entire life.

The first question for many is "Should I just pay to park or take the shuttle?" I would highly recommend the shuttle because even arriving shortly after 4 am on the shuttle, the parking lot was nearly full.

The shuttle is basically on a nonstop loop that starts at 4 am and rolls about every 30 minutes throughout the day from the parking area on Breckenridge Airport Rd. It's $20 for a half-day and $50 for a full day, but it drops you off and picks you up literally at the base of the Quandary Peak trailhead.

While it's annoying and absolutely drives me crazy to have to reserve a time and shuttle bus and have to pay up to $50 to simply hike is mind-numbing still to me, I understand the reason behind doing it and why it needs to be done.

There is an insane amount of people that have moved here and that visit here in the summer months, and scaling a Colorado 14er is something that is a bucket list item for so many individuals.

So here we are, ready for another season of hiking and another season of the reservation and shuttle bus system that will get underway on June 1st.

Here's everything you need to know before you go out into the mountains.

(PRO TIP: The earlier you rise and get on the mountain, the fewer headaches you'll have to deal with on your adventure)