Vehicle access to the upper and lower trailheads is closed for the season. Parking is available at the the Brainard Gateway Trailhead.
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Entry Window
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Overview
This parking is for those who have *already* purchased an Indian Peaks Wilderness Overnight Permit and does not replace a valid Wilderness permit. Parking reservations for designated overnight parking spaces go on sale at 8:00 am MT / 10:00 a.m. ET March 5 for visitors with Indian Peaks Wilderness Overnight Permits. You must arrive on the entry date, at the entry time, and park in the designated overnight parking area as indicated on your reservation. One overnight parking reservation per night is required for the vehicle and all occupants. Your reservation(s) must be displayed in your windshield for the duration of your stay. Please note: The upper trailhead parking lots (Long Lake, Mitchell Lake, Niwot) are not scheduled to open until July 1.
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Need To Know
Reservation Duration
The parking reservation(s) purchased for the duration of the backpacking permit will be validated for the length of that permit upon presentation at the Welcome Station. The vehicle must arrive on the entry date, at the entry time, and be parked in the assigned lot in a parking space designated for overnight use. The reservation must be displayed in the vehicle windshield.
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 only available for visitors with a valid Indian Peaks Wilderness Overnight Permit, and must coincide with the dates shown on their permit.
