Hikers encouraged to ‘Bus It to Hike It’ with the Hiker Express to Booth Creek

The Town of Vail recently issued the following press release on shuttles to the Booth Lake trailhead in East Vail:

The fifth season of an effort to reduce crowding at the Booth Lake trailhead in East Vail continues this summer and will extend through the fall. The lot will be closed for parking beginning May 31. There is also no parking in the surrounding neighborhood or at Booth Creek Park. In addition, the Vail Mountain School lot is closed in cooperation with the Town of Vail. Violators in any of these areas will be towed. Hiker drop-off and pick-up by private vehicles at the trailhead parking lot is allowed. Restroom facilities are available at the trailhead.   

Trail users are encouraged to “Bus It to Hike It” by taking the East Vail bus or opting for the Hiker Express shuttle, which runs daily 7:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. from May 31 to Sept. 2 and 
Fridays through Sundays from Sept. 6 to Oct. 13. Now in its second summer, last year’s inaugural Hiker Shuttle saw over 14,000 riders. The shuttle offers an express alternative to the town’s regular East Vail bus route, with 30-minute direct service, offset from regular East Vail service to provide a combined 15-minute frequency from the Vail Transportation Center to bus stops near each of the four East Vail Trailheads. This shuttle is a part of efforts to address crowding on the trail and associated neighborhood impacts such as speeding, illegal parking and trash. Details on hiking options throughout Vail are available at www.discovervail.com/hike. The Hiker Shuttle schedule can be found at www.vail.gov/bus-schedules under the East Vail route tab.  

Hikers may also “Bike It to Hike It” with bike racks and Shift Bike stations both available at the trailhead. To learn more about the Shift Bike e-bike share program, visit https://shift-bike.com/.  

Hikers with dogs may coordinate pick-up and drop-off at the trailhead or find an alternative hike to the Booth Lake Trail, as only service dogs are allowed on town buses. Backpackers can make use of overnight parking at the Vail Village, Lionshead or Red Sandstone parking garages. Note that overnight paid parking is now in effect. For more parking information and rates visit www.vail.gov/parking. For additional details, visit the Vail Welcome Centers or 970-477-3522. 

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