Parking restricted at Booth Lake trailhead

The Town of Vail on Monday issued the following press release on parking restrictions at the Booth Lake trailhead in East Vail:

The third season of a collaborative effort to reduce crowding at the Booth Lake trailhead in East Vail continues this summer and will extend through the fall. New this year will be availability of hiker drop-off and pick-up by private vehicles at the trailhead parking lot. The lot will remain closed for unattended parking throughout the season, there is no parking in the surrounding neighborhood and the Vail Mountain School lot is closed in cooperation with the Town of Vail. Violators will be towed.

The town and White River National Forest have been working since 2020 to address crowding on the trail and associated neighborhood impacts such as speeding, illegal parking and trash. Those efforts have included the creation of hikevail.net, which details the many great hikes within the Town of Vail, as well as the Bus It To Hike It campaign, which encourages hikers to leave their car at Vail’s parking garages and use the free bus to access trails. In addition, trail host volunteers from the Vail Welcome Centers and the Eagle Summit Wilderness Alliance will have a presence at trails during busy days to answer questions, assist with Leave No Trace education and remind trail users about the importance of keeping dogs leashed. Temporary restrooms have also been placed in the trailhead parking lot and permanent restroom facilities are being constructed with an expected completion of August 2022.

Hikers with dogs are encouraged to find an alternative hike to the Booth Lake Trail where nearby parking is accessible as only service dogs are allowed on town buses. Backpackers can make use of free overnight parking at the Red Sandstone garage where vehicles are allowed for up to 72 hours. Paid overnight parking is available at the Vail Village and Lionshead garages. For more parking information and rates visit vailgov.com/parking. For details, visit or call the Vail Welcome Centers at 970-477-3522.