The winter travel season is underway across the White River National Forest, and the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area kicks off the season on Saturday. 

During the winter, wheeled vehicles, including bicycles, are limited to plowed routes to protect snow conditions for winter recreation and to protect road quality. 

“These winter regulations are an important part of keeping the White River National Forest a premiere location for winter recreation by helping maintain conditions for activities like snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing,” forest supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams said in a news release.

In many areas on the White River National Forest partners groom roads for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing as a public service using volunteer time and funding from private and partner sources. Respecting signs and travel restrictions will help protect this investment in maintaining groomed surfaces and winter recreation opportunities.

Winter Motor Vehicle Use Maps identify routes and areas designated for “over the snow” motor vehicle travel, such as snowmobiles. They are free and available at all White River National Forest offices or from FS.USDA.gov/whiteriver.

Vail Pass season begins Saturday

The winter season officially begins at the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area on Saturday, when seasonal user fees begin to be collected to fund trail grooming, parking area plowing and educational materials for visitors including maps and signs. 

Day passes are $10 and season passes are $65. Day passes can be purchased with cash or credit cards at Vail Pass, and with cash only at Camp Hale. Season passes are also available at the Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District in Minturn. Call that office at 970-827-5715, or the Dillon Ranger District in Silverthorne at 970-468-5400.  

Vail Pass snow rangers encourage visitors to plan. The visitor parking lots typically fill by 9:30 a.m. on Fridays, weekends and holidays. Visitors are asked to park only in designated areas; parking in unauthorized areas causes road safety issues and inhibits plowing. 

If the lots at Vail Pass are full, visitors will need to come back at a later time or access the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area from trailheads at Camp Hale.  

Additional information on the winter recreation area, including georeferenced Avenza trail maps for mobile devices, is available at FS.USDA.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recarea/?recid=40891.

Winter visitors to the backcountry should check avalanche conditions before heading out. The latest avalanche forecast is available at: Avalanche.State.co.us/forecasts.  

This story is from VailDaily.com