With fall colors come leaf peepers in Summit County, but an influx of visitors flocking to trails known for color-changing aspen leaves can cause congestion. Peepers park illegally on county roads, creating public safety risks and earning citations.

Summit County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Mike Schilling said deputies issued 72 citations and 42 warnings for parking on county roads in September, most of which came during the last two weekends.

The office will send deputies to overcrowded trailheads as long as it has enough staffing to send one, Schilling said. He said trailheads and county roads are well marked, but if people ignore signage and park illegally, they often change their minds once they see a deputy writing tickets or citations.

“Oftentimes, folks will come running off the trail and move their cars,” Schilling said. “That’s ultimately what we want. We really don’t want to be out there writing tickets. We want people just to respect the signage and not clog up the roads.”

Schilling said trails sometimes continue to have parking issues after deputies leave because “an hour later, it’s a whole new crowd.”

“They don’t know that tickets were written,” Schilling said. “It’s just a constant, constant issue that we have to try to manage the best we can.”

Ptarmigan Trail, Boreas Pass trails and the Lily Pad and Buffalo Cabin trailhead had the most illegal parking the last weekend of September, according to Schilling. He said illegal parking can create a public safety risk because the cars can prevent emergency vehicles from accessing the trails. 

The more people there are on a trail, Schilling added, the more likely there will be an incident requiring emergency responders.

“That can be anything from a twisted ankle to cardiac arrest or a lost child or a fire,” Schilling said. “This whole thing is about keeping those roads, you know, keeping access for emergency vehicles open. That’s why it’s so important to us.”

The Sheriff’s Office issued 30 warnings in June at Acorn Creek Trail for illegal parking after social media posts helped attract large numbers of visitors to the trail to see wildflowers. Schilling said overcrowding happens throughout the year, but especially at the end of September and start of October.

“It’ll happen again in the spring as certain trails melt out and they’re the only ones open,” Schilling said.

The Sheriff’s Office anticipates doing more parking enforcement this weekend with more leaf peepers visiting the county. The “great thing” about Summit County, Schilling said, is that it has plenty of trails for people to explore if they go to one and find its parking overflowing.

“It’s probably not going to be the best outdoor experience anyway,” Schilling said about crowded trails. “I always challenge folks to do a little bit of research and find their own hidden gem.”

Schilling said visiting trails outside of peak hours can help visitors avoid crowds. He also suggested riding the Summit Stage to access popular trails.

The Transit to Trails program sends buses to 13 trailheads in the county. Those who ride their bikes to trailheads can put them on the buses’ bike racks to catch a ride back to town.

Trailheads with transit access include Miners Creek, Sallie Barber, North Tenmile, Lily Pad and Buffalo Cabin, Willow Creek, Lower McCullough Gulch and Sapphire Point.

Find more information on the Transit to Trails program, including the full list of trails and schedule, at SummitCountyCo.gov.

The Summit County Government in late September shared information about trail etiquette and suggested trails to visit for leaf peeping. 

The release encouraged users to be aware of their surroundings to minimize conflict. It stated that uphill traffic and on-foot users have the right-of-way, dogs must be leashed on Aspen Alley, children should stay near adults, users taking photos should stand off the trail and bikers should be prepared to yield to hikers while going downhill.

It stated Aspen Alley is a popular leaf peeping trail and recommended Hiker’s Gold, Mineral Hill and X10U8 trails in French Gulch, and the Pence Miller Trail near the Breckenridge Gondola as alternatives.