Niwot Picnic Site/Trailhead - Day Use Parking
Brainard Lake Recreation Area Parking Reservations
Parking reservations go on sale at 8:00 am MT / 10:00 a.m. ET May 31st and will be continually released on a 15-day rolling window. You must arrive on the entry date, at the entry time, and park in the parking lot indicated on your reservation. Once your reservation is validated at the welcome station – or scanned in your windshield if arriving outside of when the Welcome Station is staffed – your day use parking is good for the remainder of the day. Only one day use parking reservation is required for the vehicle and all occupants. Please note: The upper trailhead parking lots (Long Lake, Mitchell Lake, Niwot) are not scheduled to open until July 1.
Need to Know
- Reservation Duration
Parking reservations are only valid for the date, time, and parking lot listed on the reservation. Once validated, the reservation is good for the remainder of the day.
- Print or Digital Copy of Reservation
Please have a printed copy of your parking reservation(s) available to be checked at the Welcome Station, or to be displayed in the windshield of your vehicle.
- Where to Purchase Reservation
Recreation.gov is the only valid source for obtaining a parking reservation for accessing Brainard Lake Recreation Area with a vehicle. Reservations are non-transferrable.
- Reservation Availability
Parking reservations are available starting 14 days prior to the visiting date on a first-come, first-served basis, and are available online up until the entry date, entry time and parking lot available (if not sold out). Visitors can purchase up to 2 reservations per day.
