White River National Forest provides Summit County hiking trail condition, camping updates

Andrew Maciejewski/Summit Daily News
Trail conditions are variable across the Dillon Ranger District of the White River National Forest, according to a U.S. Forest Service conditions report issued June 16.
A majority of trails in the district have a combination of slush, mud and snow, depending on the elevation. A windy spring also caused trees to fall across roads and trails in the district, and crews are still working to remove obstacles.
“South-facing trails will dry faster but completely dry conditions districtwide don’t happen until around late June,” the condition report states.
Paid parking at the Quandary Peak trailhead and shuttle services that take riders to the Quandary Peak and McCollough Gulch trailheads began on June 17 and will continue to be in effect until Sept. 17.
Parking reservations for the trailhead lot at the corner of Colorado Highway 9 and Blue Lakes Road can be made at HikeQuandary.com. Full-day parking from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. costs $30 on non-peak days (Monday through Thursday, excluding holidays) and $55 for peak days (Friday through Sunday, plus holidays). Short-term parking offers hikers the option to pick a four-hour slot and costs $10 for non-peak days and $20 for peak days. The report says parking along county roads is prohibited and will be enforced by the county throughout the season.
The shuttle services operates from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and picks visitors up at the Breckenridge South Gondola parking structure located at 80 N. Park Ave. The last shuttle boards at 4:30 p.m. at the Quandary Peak trailhead. A one-time parking code is included with the purchase of a shuttle ticket. Shuttle rides cost $7 for non-residents of Summit County and is free to Summit County residents.
Shuttle and parking reservations can only be booked two weeks in advance.
All campgrounds are open, and reservations can be made at Recreation.gov. Pine Cove, Columbine Landing, McDonald Flats and Cataract Creek campgrounds are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
There are currently no fire restrictions in the White River National Forest, but fire danger is listed as moderate for the forest. Campfires can never be left unattended and must be fully extinguished when not in use.
For more information and to view the latest condition report, visit FS.USDA.gov/recarea/whiteriver.

Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism
As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.
Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.
Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.